FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Honest answers to the questions owners, attorneys and accountants ask most.
No — your accountant’s figure is built for tax, not for what your business is worth to a buyer. An independent valuation requires a different methodology, a different analysis and independence from any existing relationship with you. Your accountant’s number will not be accepted by a court, a bank or an opposing attorney as an independent opinion, because your accountant is not independent of you.
Fees are fixed and agreed before any work begins. The fee depends on the size and complexity of the business and the purpose of the valuation — not on the value of the business, and never contingent on the outcome. Tell me what you need and I’ll give you a fixed quote. The fee is a fraction of what is typically at stake in a sale, a dispute or a divorce settlement.
Most valuations are completed within about a week — once I have the information I need. Timing depends mainly on how quickly the financial statements and answers come back; once everything is in hand, turnaround is fast. Urgent matters can be prioritised for time-sensitive legal proceedings.
A report earns acceptance on the rigour of its methodology, the transparency of its assumptions and the independence of the valuer — not on who produced it. Every Bizplans valuation is built to the evidentiary standards SARS, the courts and lenders expect, so it stands up to scrutiny from an opposing expert.
Yes — a small or loss-making business often needs an independent valuation most of all. In a divorce, a partner dispute or a SARS matter, you need a defensible, independent figure even when that figure is modest or based on net asset value.
I use modern tools to do the heavy lifting faster — but the opinion, the judgement and the signature are mine. You are not paying for a printout anyone can generate in seconds; you are paying for a defensible opinion someone will stand behind when it is challenged. The tools make me faster and keep the fee fixed; they do not make the call.
Financial statements for three to five years, details of major customers and contracts, and the purpose of the valuation. I send a structured information request after our first conversation so you know exactly what is needed.
I apply all three internationally recognised approaches: the Asset-Based method, the Market or Comparable method, and the Income or Cash Flow method. I cross-check all three and test each under base, conservative and optimistic scenarios. This produces a defensible range rather than a single number, which is far more useful in a real negotiation and far more credible under scrutiny.
All valuation work is conducted remotely. Financial information is shared securely and all discussions take place by video call or telephone. I work with clients across South Africa and the United Kingdom. Site visits are possible by arrangement but are rarely necessary and add significant cost and time for the client. Remote working has no impact on the quality or defensibility of the report.
The same business can produce two completely different defensible values depending on the purpose and method applied, particularly in how goodwill and intangible assets are treated. A divorce valuation must meet South African family court requirements and may need to function as an expert witness report. A sale valuation is built to survive buyer due diligence and support your negotiating position. Every report is tailored to its specific purpose from the outset.
Yes, and this is one of the most common situations I am brought into. I act as an independent third party — not your expert and not theirs — producing an objective valuation that both sides and their attorneys can work from. This is almost always faster and significantly cheaper than allowing the dispute to escalate. An independent report at an early stage routinely prevents a legal process that costs multiples of what the report would have.
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