Valuation Method Examples
Note: The following examples and supporting information has been excerpted from the 13th edition of Tom West's book the 2003 Business Referen... Read more
Exit Strategies
Recent Exit Strategies Articles
Priced to Sell
With all of the valuation methods out there, you'd think calculating a selling price for you business would be easy. Just sit down with your financial sta... Read more
More to It Than Numbers
Business owners seek business valuations for many different reasons -- partner buyouts, divorces, estate planning, death of a partner, and, as Randall Lan... Read more
Behind the Numbers
Shannon Pratt knows what your company is worth. Introducing the dean of business valuation. Read more
Valuations 2003: What's Your Company Worth Now?
Knowledge is power, and knowledge of your company's value is the ultimate power tool. Here's what you need to calculate your own magic number. Read more
Retiring Minds
In today's tough market, selling stock to employees may be the smartest path to an exit strategy. Read more
The Down-Round Dilemma
Once a rarity, down rounds are becoming the norm among firms lucky enough to get venture capital funding. But is topping off the tanks worth the drop in valu... Read more
IncQuery: A Mother of a Problem
Help! My key manager is going out on maternity leave. Plus: What to do when you have only one customer, and how to figure out how to price your business. Read more
Think of the End at the Start
It's never too early to create an exit strategy. It will help shape decisions you make now and give you a clearer direction of how to grow your company. Read more
FYI: Dr. Wall Street
Not in recent memory has it been so difficult to gauge the prospects for going public, but a veteran entrepreneur helps clear things up. Read more
The Road to Wall Street
Everyone thinks an IPO is the last hurdle to success, and everyone has it all wrong. It's what happens after you go public that makes all the difference. Read more
Inc's Business for Sale Roundup: Nothing's Moving
Times are tough for business owners looking to sell, and it's not clear when things will rebound. One thing is clear: the sellers and buyers who thrive will ... Read more
IncQuery: Paths to Glory
Finding key executives, using franchising to expand nationally, and getting a read on your company's market value. Read more
Building to Sell
Right now might not be the best time to sell your business. But that doesn't mean you can't start getting it ready for sale. Read more
Business for Sale: Itching to Make Your Mark?
Looking to make your mark in business? Check out this rubber-stamp manufacturer. Read more
Exiting Through an Initial Public Offering
Although this exit strategy is an option for only a select group of entrepreneurial companies, its rewards are well worth the careful planning required. Read more
Business for Sale: Looking for Heady Growth?
Looking for heady growth? Check out this Utah-based restaurant and microbrewery. Read more
For Sale: The American Dream
Need help selling your company? Lots of folks out there claim they can help you get the most for your business. Don't believe everything you hear. Read more
Planning for Succession
Succession planning is, to some, an admission of their own mortality. Understandably, many CEOs put it off. But without a plan, business owners miss out o... Read more
Core Competencies of a CEO
Chief executive officers and founding owners make one classic mistake when evaluating successors, says Mike Zwell, CEO of ... Read more
Choosing a Successful Successor
Choosing a successor for your business doesn't always mean choosing someone like you or even someone you like. It entails choosing someone who is not only... Read more
An IPO for Everyone
According to the cofounder of investment firm Hambrecht Quist, an entirely new way for companies to go public may bring the markets to the masses. Read more
More Strings Attached
Today, even veteran CEOs are having a tough time raising funds, and what money they do raise comes with a lot of strings attached. Read more
How do I value a sporting goods store?
Buying a Business mentor Tom West reponds to the following question from an inc.com user: How do you value a sporting goods stor... Read more
Strategic Sales
One way to get capital in hard economic times is to sell off part of your company. Read more
Business for Sale: Coastal California Art Gallery
Big Sur, big opportunity. Get a great deal on a well-situated California art gallery. Read more
Business For Sale: Maryland Day Spa
Ever have one of those "Calgon, take me away" moments? Buying a day spa could help you escape from the rat race -- not to mention give you soft, supple skin. Read more
Business for Sale: North Carolina-Based Photo Studio
The snapshot: this North Carolina-based photo studio has corporate customers any company should shoot for. But when you look at the big picture, does its ask... Read more
Business for Sale: Midwestern Outdoor-Advertising Company
Here's an eye-catching opportunity: A Midwestern outdoor-advertising company, complete with profitability and growth potential. But like Eva Gabor in Gre... Read more
How do I sell my professional service firm?
Buying a Business or Franchise mentor Tom West responds to the following question from an inc.com user: I own a law firm, and I ... Read more
The Right Debt Mix
The question of whether debt increases or decreases a company's value has no one-size-fits-all answer, but here are some guidelines as you think about your o... Read more
Giving Credit to Debt
You may think of debt as a drag on your business. But that's not necessarily how the experts see it. Read more
How to Take Stock
If you're thinking about taking equity instead of cash as payment for services, here's a checklist of things to consider. Read more
Inc. 500 CEOs and the Future
Statistics about the Inc. 500 class of 2000, gleaned from their Web sites and from their Inc. 500 applications, reveal much about growth... Read more
Forgoing the IPO in Favor of Selling
CEO/president: Mitchell Jones Company: W2Com (#162 on the 2000 Inc. 500), in Dayton, Ohio Bus... Read more
