Business Valuations To

assist

With The Resolution Of Life's Challenges

SCHEDULE YOUR valuation TODAY

Business Valuations To

assist

With The Resolution Of Life's Challenges

SCHEDULE YOUR valuation TODAY

Business Valuations To

assist

With The Resolution Of Life's Challenges

SCHEDULE YOUR valuation TODAY
extensive range of professional services

Business Valuations And More

While we are primarily a business valuations firm, we also provide expert witness valuation support in a variety of circumstances, providing clarity to attorneys and courts alike regarding the value of business interests.

Our valuation reports are routinely used to assist in the settling of civil proceedings, and we are frequently called upon as experts to rebut valuation work that has been produced by other valuation specialists.

“ Brian Walters was a vital part of the professional team assembled for my divorce this past year. Brian’s expert valuation of the complex business in which the community property held interest was critical to the outcome of the court. He provided a meticulous and impartial report both in writing and in his superb testimony at the trial. Brian is not only gifted in his field, but he is an all-around delightful person. The test of divorce is not pleasant, but I am grateful to have met and worked with Brian. The court ruled in my favor and I could not have done it without the expertise of Brian Walters. ”

V. A., BWA Client


COVID-19 Update

At BWA Valuations, we are ready and able to assist current and potential clients during the coronavirus pandemic. We are happy to meet virtually, either by video conference or a simple phone call. And important documents that need to be shared are only an email or Dropbox transfer away.

Please contact us today to schedule a consultation; we welcome the opportunity to assist you. Telephone (855-924-3979) or email (contact@bwaValuations.com) work best.

key Services

Divorce-related Valuations

Obtain an objective, defendable value of any/all business interests in the marriage.

FLP Valuations

We determine the fair market value of an FLP, including the critical issue of discounts related to the FLP.

Expert Witness Designation

If a business valuation dispute needs to be resolved in court, we have extensive experience providing expert testimony.

Mr. Walters brings a wealth of experience and education to BWA Valuations.

Our
Philosophy

Quality

Our role in all valuation engagements is to provide a critical piece of information concerning the value of the business entity.

Objectivity

In all valuation engagements, we serve as a disinterested, external source of information.

Value

We are committed to being an unbiased, credible source of information in our valuation engagements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Obtain an Unbiased Opinion of The Value of Your Business.

The cost of a valuation is not a set number, and depends on a host of factors. Among the factors that make a difference as to the cost of an engagement:

  • The exact reason for the valuation.
  • Generally speaking, the size and complexity of the company.
  • Whether it is the entire business being valued, or a fractional interest in that business.
  • Whether minority interests are being valued.
  • In the case of a divorce, whether the personal goodwill of the owner/s needs to be determined.

The valuation standards that all valuations need to meet are the following:

  • Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).
  • IRS Ruling 59/60.

Regardless of any other certification that a valuation specialist might have, every valuation that is done needs to meet these 2 standards.

Generally, 4 to 6 weeks; but if your specific situation demands a more aggressive timeline, we’re open to discussing it.

Not necessarily. The role of a business valuation specialist is to provide an unbiased opinion as to the value of a business interest; the results of the valuation may or may not work in your favour, depending on the specifics of your situation, but it is never/should never be the goal of a valuation engagement to achieve a result that the client wants/needs.

While there is not a prescribed length for a valuation report, it covers several subject areas: for example:

  • A description of the business.
  • The current state of the economy and how that might impact the valuation.
  • A summary of the financials of the company.
  • An analysis of all valuation methods considered and their results; and
  • An overall conclusion of value.

Satisfactorily covering all of these areas can result in a report that is 50 pages or more.

Yes. Our valuations are frequently used as evidence in court cases. And if it becomes necessary, we will defend our findings under oath in court.

Not necessarily. In most cases, it makes more sense for there to be one objective, unbiased expert who will perform a valuation of the business; this is a less expensive and less confrontational pathway, and if the communication with the other party is such that this can be agreed to, it usually makes most sense.

Yes. We can review the results of another expert’s work; we will advise as to whether it meets the standard of a business valuation, given the specifics of the situation. If it does not meet the standards for whatever reason, we can express our opinions in the form of a formal rebuttal report.

Yes- we do valuations of businesses in different states fairly regularly.

It is helpful to visit a business that is being valued, but not 100% necessary. Access to the financials of the business; access to communication with the principals of the business; and an openness to requests for information, are all more important than an actual site visit.

Fair Market Value is a standard of value that applies to many valuation engagements. In layman’s terms, it means the price at which a business might be sold, when both the buyer and the seller have full knowledge of all facts regarding the business, and neither party is under any compulsion to conduct a transaction.

Generally speaking, valuation methods as simplistic as the one described here (sometimes referred to as “back of the napkin” valuation methods) are only good enough to establish a high-level possible value of the business entity. Most valuations require a greater level of scrutiny and detail than the “quick and dirty” methods; and if your valuation needs to be part of a court case (such as a divorce or a business dispute), this type of approach is woefully inadequate.

Valuation methods generally fall under 3 broad approaches:

  • The asset-based methods attempt to determine the value of a business by looking at the value of the hard assets held by the business.
  • The market-based methods attempt to determine the value of a business by studying past sales of businesses similar to the subject business, determining sales multiples to apply to the financials of the business (eg. Sales multiple, gross profit multiple, EBITDA multiple).
  • The income-based models look at the earnings of the business, and determine a value based on those earnings. The income-based models tend to be most accurate.

The exact method/s to be used will vary according to several factors, including the specific conditions under which the business is being valued (i.e., standard of value), availability of financial and market information, and a host of other factors unique to the valuation engagement.

Absolutely. The impact that an owner brings to the business is referred to as personal goodwill; its value can be determined, and generally, most courts rule that personal goodwill is not divisible.

If you are divorcing, a major component of the valuation of your business has to include an adjustment for personal goodwill; depending on the type of business, it can arguably be a more important piece of information than the value of the business itself.

Under most circumstances (assuming that the fair market value of a business is being determined), the valuation of a minority interest has to include the determination and application of 2 discounts:

  • Discount for Lack of Control: a discount applied to the gross value of an interest because of the fact that, under ordinary circumstances, a potential investor is more motivated to purchase a controlling interest in a business than a non-controlling interest.
  • Discount for Lack of Marketability: a discount applied in conjunction with a discount for lack of control, that acknowledges the fact that non-controlling interests tend to not be marketable.

Because of the fact that it is a non-controlling interest, the owner will likely experience difficulty selling that interest to a disinterested buyer without the added enticement of a discount for lack of marketability.

These discounts are applied sequentially to the gross value of a minority interest, in order to reveal its fair market value.

 

#
business valuations firm

Know The Value
Of Your Business

SCHEDULE YOUR valuation TODAY

“Brian has never failed to be a valuable resource for my clients. He knows his stuff, he's great with the client, he understands the concept of teamwork, and his work is always top-notch. I never hesitate to bring Brian's name up any time a client tells me they are seeking a business valuation.”

Dan Musick, CPA
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Co-founder/CEO, BWA Valuations

Brian Walters

As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Walters brings a wealth of experience and education to BWA Valuations. More importantly, in his role as the primary valuation specialist, Mr. Walters is the face of the company to you, the client.

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How to Contact Us

We answer all inquiries, and will respond promptly to any concern that you have. Below are a variety of ways that you may reach us; we look forward to being a resource for you.

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