How it works
Two things are on offer here
One is free and one is paid, and it is worth being clear about the difference between them.
Industry Guide
An illustrative look at one industry — the published benchmarks buyers use, the questions a buyer will ask, and what those numbers can and cannot show. It is about the industry, not about your business specifically. It appears on your screen immediately and a PDF copy is emailed to you.
- Appears on screen immediately, and is emailed to you as a PDF
- The published benchmarks buyers use
- The questions a buyer will ask
What we ask for: An email address and a business ZIP code.
Buyer’s First Look
A short report using the three most recent completed years of revenue you enter, showing how a buyer may first look at your business. It uses suggested benchmarks for your industry, and it is emailed to you as a PDF.
- Uses the three most recent completed years of revenue you enter
- Uses suggested benchmarks for your industry
- Arrives as a PDF by email
What we ask for: In addition to an email address and a business ZIP code, we ask for your three most recent completed years of revenue.
Be clear
What neither one is
Not a formal valuation
Neither is a formal valuation, an appraisal, or a broker opinion of value. Neither should be relied on for litigation, tax, estate or lending purposes.
Revenue is a starting point
Two businesses with identical revenue can look completely different to a buyer, depending on how much of that revenue repeats, who holds the licenses, whether staff will stay, and what obligations come with the business.
Questions
Common questions
Do I need an account?
No. There is no account or password to create. The free guide appears on screen immediately and is also emailed to you as a PDF.
What do you ask for?
For the free industry guide: an email address and a business ZIP code. Nothing else — no name, no phone number, no business name. If you go on to buy a report, we also ask for your three most recent completed years of revenue.
Will anyone contact me after I get the free guide?
No. We send you the guide and that is it. No mailing list, no drip campaign, and no follow-up. If you later buy a report, a free 15-minute call with Mike is available to you either way. If you came to us directly rather than through a broker, we also send one brief email a few days after delivery asking whether you have questions — one email, and nothing after it.
Is this a valuation?
No. It is a starting reference, not a formal valuation, appraisal, or broker opinion of value. Those require more information than three revenue figures can provide.
What if my industry isn't listed?
We're always adding industries, and we use those requests to help decide what to build next. Some businesses need a different approach: start-ups with fewer than three full years of operation, businesses with more than $10 million in annual sales, and primarily online businesses and restaurants, which contain too many materially different business models for one set of industry benchmarks to fit them well.
What if I enter something wrong?
If you make a typo in the information you entered, we will correct it once at no charge within 30 days.
Who is behind it
About
Mike Wilson
Business Valuation Services
Business Valuation Services was created by Mike Wilson, a retired CPA and business broker. His brokerage work is done separately, through Sunbelt Business Brokers of Charleston — Business Valuation Services is not a Sunbelt product and is not owned, sponsored or operated by Sunbelt.
That background is why the material here is careful about what it claims. The aim is to give an owner something genuinely useful to think with, rather than a number that looks precise and is not.
- Business broker
- Retired CPA
Ready to look at your industry?
The guide is free, and takes an email address and a ZIP code.