Privately-held business owners might need appraisals of their interests for many reasons, including: Strategic planning, Mergers, acquisitions and shareholder buy-ins (or buy-outs), Equitable distributions of marital estates, Minority shareholder disputes, Bankruptcy, Small business loans, and Gifts and estate planning. Some owners may be tempted to seek the offering with the lowest price tag. After all, a…

Noncompete agreements are commonly included in business purchase transactions to prevent the seller from competing against the buyer for the term of the noncompete agreement. These arrangements are also sometimes called covenants-not-to-compete or noncompete covenants. Important: Laws regarding noncompete agreements vary from state to state. For example, courts in California generally reject noncompete agreements because state law…

Over the last two years, market conditions — from cost increases and forced shutdowns to shortages of labor and supplies — have taken their toll on many businesses. While owners of distressed businesses may hope to turn things around, some will unfortunately shutter. Valuation is a prophecy of the future, not the past. So valuing a…