Value and market your business for sale

There's a range of ways to value a business. Valuations based on multiples of future earnings and the capitalisation of future cashflows are the most common. There are a number of common valuation methods:

• Businesses with a record of sustainable profits are often valued at a multiple of earnings. Profits are adjusted for any unusual, one-off items to arrive at an estimate of 'normalised' earnings. Smaller businesses are usually valued at a lower multiple than similar, larger companies.
• Mature, cash-generating businesses can be valued in a similar way but based on cashflow. Future cashflows are estimated and discounted - this is known as discounted cashflow. Long-term cashflow is worth less than cashflow due shortly.
• An asset valuation might be appropriate for stable businesses with significant tangible assets - property or manufacturing businesses, for example. Your starting point is the value of assets stated in the accounts - known as the 'net book value'. These figures are then refined to reflect factors such as changes in the value of assets or bad debts. See more on business asset valuation.
• The cost of creating a business similar to yours can be used as a basis for valuation. Costs could include buying equipment, employing staff, developing products, attracting customers, and so on. It may be possible to estimate this 'entry cost' as a benchmark of your business' value. Of course, if the cost of entry is low there's little likelihood of you achieving a successful sale.
• In some industries, there are established criteria for valuing businesses, eg by the number of branches an estate agency has.

A potential buyer may use more than one method to get a range of values for your business. In the end, however, any price will be a matter for negotiation.