Business valuation: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering business valuation
Owners want a defensible value they can explain. Showing your methods and independence earns trust.
What customers ask
- Which method do you use?
- Is the value what I can sell for?
- Can the report be used in court?
- What records do you need?
- How long does it take?
How to win the job
- Ask the purpose and date of the valuation first
- Explain your methods in plain words
- Provide a document request list before engaging
- State that your fee does not depend on the value you reach
- Disclose any relationship with the parties
- Describe your report format and whether you support testimony
What to put on your profile
- Credentials and memberships
- Industries you value
- Report types you offer
- Purposes you serve, such as sale, divorce or estate
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Offer an update after a year or major change
- Offer a brief on actions that may affect value, without promising results
- Coordinate with the client's attorney or CPA
Licenses and permits
Hold any credentials you advertise and follow professional standards. If you are a CPA, keep your license current. Check state rules on testifying as an expert.
Questions
Can I tie my fee to the value?
Professional standards generally advise against it.
What should a report include?
Purpose, date, standard of value, methods, assumptions, sources and conclusion.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer business valuation remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
More accounting, tax and finance guides for pros
Start here
About this guide
Get business valuation requests
Customers pick you by name. Signup is free, and you pay only for leads you accept.
Join as a pro