How much is my business worth if I sell it?

You are contemplating a sale and want to know what price the market will realistically pay. You are trying to avoid guessing, relying on hearsay, or being talked down by buyers who claim that is just how deals work.

Sale value is determined by applying the 25 Factors Affecting Business Valuation with a buyer's mindset. The focus is first on Factor #6: Utility, Sustainability, and Scalability; Factor #11: Future Business Outlook; Factor #12: Processes, Procedures, Systems, and Documentation; and Factor #14: Client Base. These factors determine whether earnings are transferable — or dependent on you, the owner, personally.

The 5 Senses Inspection Report tests whether what appears on paper holds up in real life. If the business runs smoothly without constant owner intervention, value holds. If not, risk is priced in immediately — and buyers will find it whether the valuation acknowledges it or not.

"How much is my business worth if I sell it?" is not a mechanical calculation. It is a real-world judgment about risk, control, sustainability, and transferability — and that judgment is where 28 years of owner-operator and valuation experience does the heavy lifting.

Why It Is Not Mechanical

On paper, valuation appears formula-driven. In reality, governance rights, risk concentration, growth durability, market conditions, and stakeholder dynamics materially affect value. A buyer does not pay for what you built in the past — they pay for what they expect to receive in the future, and experience is what accurately prices that expectation.

Where Experience Changes the Number

Decisions around normalization, premiums, discounts, projections, and defensibility require judgment formed through lived ownership, negotiation, and financial accountability. Knowing which adjustments will hold up under buyer scrutiny — and which will collapse — is the difference between a valuation that closes deals and one that kills them.

Why the Gut–Brain Axis Matters

The brain performs disciplined financial analysis. The gut recognizes unrealistic narratives, hidden leverage, emotional distortions, and deal risk. Together they produce conclusions that withstand scrutiny — in negotiation, in due diligence, and in court.

Protecting Financial Lives

The final number affects wealth, control, solvency, tax exposure, and long-term relationships. Requiring experienced, documented valuation judgment ensures the answer is fair, defensible, and durable. See Eric's Experience page for a full background on qualifications and court-proven track record.

What determines how much a buyer will pay for my business?

Buyers price businesses based on transferability of earnings, sustainability of the client base, quality of systems and documentation, management depth beyond the owner, and overall risk. If the business depends heavily on the owner personally, buyers apply a risk discount that directly reduces the price they are willing to pay — and no amount of negotiating recovers that discount without addressing the underlying dependency.

Is my business worth more or less than I think?

Most owner-operators either overestimate value based on personal attachment or underestimate it by ignoring intangible assets. An independent valuation using the 25 Factors framework establishes what the market will actually pay — not what you hope for or what a buyer claims is the ceiling.

How do I know if my earnings are transferable to a new owner?

Earnings are transferable when they are generated by the business's systems, brand, client relationships, and staff — not by the owner's personal relationships or unique skills. The 5 Senses Inspection Report tests this directly by examining how the business actually operates day to day, not just what the financial statements suggest.

Can I get a higher price by waiting?

Sometimes yes — if the business has identifiable value drivers that can be improved before going to market. But waiting without a plan rarely increases value, and market conditions can move against you. A pre-sale valuation identifies exactly what is suppressing price and whether fixing it is worth the time and cost.

How long does a business valuation take before a sale?

Eric Jordan delivers Fair Market Value reports in 10 business days from receipt of the required financial documents. The report includes a defensible value range, the key factors driving or suppressing value, and the adjustments most likely to affect what buyers are willing to pay.

You receive a defensible fair market value range that reflects what an informed buyer would pay today, along with a clear explanation of what is increasing or suppressing that price — so you go to market with confidence, not guesswork.

Eric Jordan delivers Fair Market Value reports in 10 days for a basic flat fee of $3,500. Canada-wide. Call toll-free or email to discuss your situation directly.