You don’t get surgery without an MRI.
You don’t sell your truck without checking the blue book.
You don’t sell your home without an appraisal.
You don’t get a cavity filled without an x-ray.
Are you catching on?
So why would you sell your business, the largest asset you own and the biggest deal you’ll ever do, without a proper valuation first?
Why Every Engagement Begins With a Valuation
We perform a business valuation at the very beginning of any engagement with a potential seller. A lot of business owners want to know whether it’s worth selling after just one conversation with me, but that’s simply not how good decisions are made. You don’t know what’s best until the valuation is complete. It gives you the answers you’re looking for.
Until that valuation is done, we’re not talking about selling. We’re not thinking about marketing strategies, listing timelines, or potential buyers. We stay focused on facts. Once the valuation is complete, we have the data we need to determine if going to market is even the right move. It might be. It might not. But we won’t know until the numbers are on the table.
Beware of Brokers Who Skip This Step
Be cautious of brokers who are quick to skip the valuation and give you a fast, free “analysis.” That’s a red flag.
They’ll tell you what you want to hear, give you an inflated number, and rush to market—without doing any of the hard work up front. Why? Because they’re not in the business of helping you make the right decision. They’re in the business of listing as many businesses as possible and hoping a few of them sell.
Ask yourself this: Do you work for free? What would you think about a doctor, lawyer, or CPA who offered their services for nothing? The brokers who don’t charge anything are often the same ones who pressure you into accepting a lowball offer after months of wasted time. Their incentive is clear: tie you up, get you worn down, and hope you’ll settle. That’s not representation. That’s exploitation.
Realistically, you should expect to invest between $5,000 and $15,000 for a high-quality, professional valuation. If it costs less, you should question the quality. If it costs more, you should question their motives.
Real advisors aren’t afraid to slow down, do the work, and help you make the decision that’s actually best for you, even if that means not selling at all.
How We Do It
We don’t just give you one opinion, we help you secure one, or sometimes even two, professional third-party valuations from independent firms. We work with a couple trusted valuation shops who offer us wholesale rates, so you get three things at once:
- My hands-on support to make sure nothing gets missed
- The credibility and objectivity of outside valuation professionals
- A valuation priced competitively and fairly
This gives you a complete and trustworthy assessment. It brings clarity to you, so you’re not making the biggest financial decision of your life based on gut feeling or one person’s opinion. It gives clarity to me, so I know exactly what I’m representing. And it gives clarity to buyers and—maybe most importantly—their lenders, who are usually the ones actually funding the deal. None of them want to base their decisions on some broker’s guess. They want real numbers. They want third-party data.
Conclusion
Valuation isn’t just the first step, it’s the foundation. Without it, you’re shooting in the dark. With it, you’re informed, confident, and positioned for success.
This is your life’s work. You deserve more than a fast number and a flyer. You deserve to know what it’s really worth.
