Add-Backs in Business Valuation: What Counts, What Doesn't, and How to Defend Them
A complete guide to add-backs in business valuation — which discretionary expenses qualify, how to document them, and how they impact your business's sale price.
Practical guides and insights for business owners planning their exit. From valuation to closing.
A complete guide to add-backs in business valuation — which discretionary expenses qualify, how to document them, and how they impact your business's sale price.
A step-by-step guide to the confidential business sale process — from blind ads and NDAs to managing employees, customers, and competitors during the sale.
Compare average EBITDA margins across industries including SaaS, services, manufacturing, and retail. Learn what a good EBITDA margin is and how it affects your business valuation.
A complete guide to using an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) as your business exit strategy — covering tax advantages, costs, ideal candidates, and how ESOPs compare to third-party sales.
Actionable strategies to maximize your business valuation before going to market, from recurring revenue models to reducing owner dependency.
Understand non-compete clauses, non-solicitation agreements, and employment agreements in business sales. Learn typical terms, enforceability factors, and how to structure post-sale restrictions.
Learn what a Quality of Earnings analysis examines, why buyers commission one, typical costs, and how sellers can prepare to avoid deal-killing surprises.
Explore every exit option available to retiring business owners — from third-party sales and management buyouts to ESOPs, family succession, and liquidation. Includes pros, cons, and timelines.
Learn the most common rule of thumb business valuation methods including revenue multiples and comparable transactions. Understand when they're useful and when they can be dangerously misleading.
A data-driven guide to SaaS valuation multiples in 2025, covering ARR and revenue multiples, the key metrics that drive premium valuations, and what software business owners should know before selling.
Learn how seller financing works in business sales, typical terms for seller notes, how to structure installment sales, and when offering financing helps you get a better deal.
A complete succession planning checklist covering family transitions, management buyouts, ESOPs, and third-party sales — with timelines and common mistakes to avoid.
Understand the capital gains tax, asset vs stock sale differences, and entity-specific tax treatment when selling your LLC, S corp, or C corp.
Understand the different types of business buyers — strategic buyers, financial buyers, PE firms, search funds, family offices, and individual buyers. Learn what each type looks for and how deal structures differ.
A practical guide to setting up a virtual data room for your business sale, including folder structure, document checklist, security features, and provider costs.
Learn how working capital pegs work in business sales, how the net working capital target is calculated, and how purchase price adjustments can add or subtract from your deal.
A detailed guide to the letter of intent in business sales — what it is, what clauses to include, binding vs non-binding provisions, exclusivity periods, and how to negotiate an LOI that protects your interests.
How customer lifetime value affects business valuation, including CLV formulas, the CLV-to-CAC ratio buyers evaluate, and practical steps to improve CLV before an exit.
A comprehensive guide to EBITDA multiples by industry for 2025, including what drives multiples higher or lower and how to use them to estimate your business value.
Learn what a Confidential Information Memorandum is, what it includes, who prepares it, and how sellers can use it to attract serious buyers and maximize deal value.
A practical guide to management buyouts — how they're structured, how they're financed, and when selling to your management team is the right exit strategy.
A clear explanation of enterprise value and equity value, how the bridge calculation works, what debt-free cash-free means, and how purchase prices are quoted in business acquisitions.
Learn the EBITDA formula, how to calculate adjusted EBITDA with common add-backs, and why buyers use this metric to value your business.
A practical guide to selling your business on an accelerated timeline, including realistic expectations, preparation shortcuts, strategies for finding motivated buyers, and the deal structure trade-offs involved in a faster sale.
A practical breakdown of the four main business valuation methods — EBITDA multiples, SDE, asset-based, and DCF — and which one applies to your business.
A comprehensive guide to the seven main business exit strategies — from strategic sales and MBOs to ESOPs, family succession, IPOs, mergers, and liquidation — with pros and cons of each.
Understanding what makes a business attractive to buyers — and what red flags kill deals — is the most valuable thing you can do before going to market.
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