Most business owners are reactive when it comes to having their businesses valued. But it sometimes pays to be proactive. Some valuations are necessities, such as for determining the value of the business interest in an estate. Others are obtained for more elective reasons but are helpful to business owners nevertheless. Buy-Sells Can Achieve Non-Tax Objectives Buy-sell agreements offer…

Buy-sell agreements protect businesses with multiple owners in the event that an owner dies, becomes disabled or voluntarily decides to leave the company. They should dictate who can buy the departing owner’s interest, when, how and for how much. Ideally, these contracts are drawn up when a business is launched, but they can always be entered into…

When selling a business, there are some buyers who would be willing to pay a premium above the fair market value of the business on a controlling basis. These strategic (or synergistic) buyers might include competitors looking to build market share, joint venture partners who already understand the business model or players that are vertically…