How to Value a Small Business for Sale (The Way Serious Buyers Do)
How to Value a Small Business for Sale (The Way Serious Buyers Do)
If you’re preparing to sell your company, you’ve probably asked: “How do buyers come up with a valuation?”
Most founders assume it’s just a multiple of profit. But in reality, valuation is less about numbers… and more about narrative.
The DIY Method: Start With the Basics
Here’s how you can get a rough valuation on your own:
Calculate Normalised EBITDA
Adjust for one-off expenses, owner salary, or personal benefits.Apply an Industry Multiple
Use market data, broker sites, or industry reports to identify typical multiples for your sector. For small businesses, this often ranges from 2x–5x EBITDA.Factor in Deal Type
Asset sale? Share sale? Earn-out? Structure affects value — and risk.
This approach will give you a ballpark range. But it won’t tell you the whole story.
The Deeper Truth: Buyers Value What Reduces Risk
A professional buyer doesn’t stop at your financials. They go deeper — because they’re not just buying a business. They’re buying:
Predictable cash flow
Transferable operations
Scalable potential
A brand that holds weight without the founder at the centre
So if your business still relies heavily on you — or lacks process visibility — that 4x multiple you hoped for might quietly become 2.5x.
Common Blind Spots That Lower Valuation
Here’s what many founders miss in their DIY valuations:
Key Person Risk — “You’re the business” is not a compliment to buyers.
Weak Documentation — No SOPs? No dashboards? That’s a red flag.
Customer Concentration — 40% of revenue tied to one client? Risky.
Low Margin Complexity — Too many low-profit services? Hard to scale.
These are exactly the factors private equity firms and savvy buyers zoom in on.
How Unique Direction Helps:
USP Highlight — BuyerLens Business Audit
At Unique Direction, we don’t just plug numbers into a formula. We reverse-engineer your business valuation through a buyer’s lens.
Our BuyerLens Audit dissects your business the way an investor would during due diligence — surfacing operational risk, identifying transferable value, and giving you a clear RAG report across 8 buyer-aligned drivers.
This means:
You know your current valuation — and why it is what it is
You know exactly what needs to change to raise it
You control the exit narrative before anyone else does
Why Founders Value Our Approach
Most valuation services just give you a number. We give you insight. That’s what positions you for a premium sale — and it’s why founders use our audit long before they ever go to market.
DIY vs Strategic: Which Path Moves the Needle?
A DIY approach gets you started. But it can’t uncover the risks that kill deals or spot the levers that drive value.
Unique Direction gives you both: the clarity and the control.
Because in the end, valuation isn’t just a number. It’s a story buyers are either willing to believe in — or walk away from.
CTA:
→ Book a free discovery call and get a valuation report built around what serious buyers actually look for.
More Reads:
1.Should I use a business broker to sell my business?
