Is Your Business Worth as Much as You Think?

As a successful business owner, you know that your business has value. It likely supports the lifestyle you and your family live. It provides a paycheck and perhaps benefits to the people you employ. The products or services you provide are meaningful to your clients.

But if someone asked you, “How much is your business worth?” could you confidently provide a dollar amount?

Many business owners aren’t exactly sure what their businesses are worth. More commonly, 90% of business owners overestimate the value of their businesses, based on rules of thumb, comparing what outwardly similar businesses have sold for, or simple gut feeling. Less commonly, owners undervalue their businesses for the same reasons.

But one thing is clear – failing to know what your business is worth right now can have negative consequences for how you plan for the future of your business and your future.

Why is knowing the value of your business today so important?

Knowing Your Business’s Value Can Guide Growth

A business’s value can be indicative of how well (or whether) it’s growing. While factors, such as gross sales and cash flow, play an important role in determining business value, they aren’t the only factors.

For example, if your business’s yearly cash flow is around $3 million, and the equipment and property the business owns is worth $1 million, you might assume that the business’ value is around $4 million at the low end.

However, if your business’s cash flow results from two or three big clients, potential buyers may value the business below $4 million due to the risk of large losses if one of those clients leaves after a sale.

Likewise, if you as the owner are the primary reason for strong cash flows, a potential buyer may reduce their assessment of the business’s value to reflect the cost and risk associated with you leaving.

This is because if you were ever to leave the company, whether by choice or chance, revenue and cash flow can decrease or cease. Even if you never intend to sell your business, its value is primarily based on what qualified buyers would be willing to pay for it.

In short, knowing what your business is worth right now – as a consequence of what you’re currently doing – can help you determine which areas of your business can improve to allow you to pursue your growth goals. Growth relies on numerous factors, some of which aren’t as obvious as hard numbers like cash flow.

Awareness of these less obvious factors can get you thinking about and acting on strategies to potentially strengthen them in your business. This  can help guide your business toward the growth you desire.