Business owners and leaders often use the terms “business appraisal” and “business valuation” interchangeably, but they refer to distinct processes with unique objectives, methods, and applications. Understanding when each one is appropriate can have significant financial and strategic implications.

 

Defining Business Appraisal

 

A business appraisal focuses on assessing the fair market value of specific tangible assets and operations within a company. It usually zeros in on a particular department, product line, piece of property, or equipment.

 

Appraisals resonate most with external stakeholders like potential buyers, creditors, or litigation parties. Common reasons for an appraisal include establishing a selling price during a business sale, securing financing from a lender, risk management, divorce proceedings, and lawsuits related to shareholder disputes or damages.

 

The appraisal process involves clearly defining the engagement first, followed by extensive information gathering through management interviews and site inspections. The appraiser then thoroughly analyzes historical financial statements tied directly to the assets in scope before conducting comparative market research of similar assets. The end deliverable is a detailed report concluding the asset’s fair market valuation.

 

Distinguishing Business Valuation

 

Unlike appraisal, business valuation aims to gauge the comprehensive worth of an entire company, encompassing both tangible assets like property and inventory as well as intangible components like brand equity, intellectual capital, and goodwill.

 

The audience for a valuation tends to be wider, including everyone from C-suite executives and shareholders to potential investors, all needing the same authoritative measure of a business’s holistic value for varying strategic purposes. These use cases include buying or selling a company, equity transactions, liquidations, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and even tax planning.

 

The Valuation Process

 

Leading a business valuation engagement starts by clearly defining objectives and scope based on the intended purpose, such as an imminent sale. The extensive process examines all key financial statements, including assets/liabilities, earnings history, cash flow, and outstanding debt positions.

 

It also studies the organizational structure, management competencies, the competitive landscape, market share, industry trends, macroeconomic factors, and historical milestones. Valuators synthesize findings to model the company’s investment potential across three core methodologies – asset, market, and income approaches. This leads to a wide valuation range. Reconciling all factors into a final number requires seasoned judgment.

 

Key Differences in Practice

 

While appraisals and valuations both aim to quantify business worth, key differences emerge in practice:

 

• Appraisals have a narrower focus, often centered on tangible assets related to a specific objective. Valuations take a comprehensive, company-wide perspective with both tangible and intangible components.
• Appraisals derive value mainly from asset costs and comparable sales. Valuations also factor in future earnings potential, brand equity, and competitive advantage.
• Appraisal reports conclude a specific fair market value. Valuations provide value ranges across different scenarios.
• Appraisals have lower costs starting from a few thousand dollars. Valuations are more complex, ranging from $10,000 to over $100,000 for larger companies.

 

Choosing the Right Approach

 

Should owners opt for an appraisal or valuation? The best approach depends entirely on the intended objectives. Appraisals work well for financial transactions centered on hard assets, like securing bank financing against property or equipment. But strategic decisions like selling an entire business, assessing potential IPO readiness, or navigating shareholder buyouts require holistic valuations to quantify the fullest range of tangible and intangible factors influencing worth.

 

Ultimately, business appraisals and valuations serve complementary yet distinct purposes. Understanding their unique applications empowers leaders to commission the right assessment to meet financial, transactional, or strategic needs at various junctures of their company’s journey.