Whether looking at acquisitions or disposals, understanding the factors that drive the valuation of a company is a crucial first step in the
process, but one that parties often fail to invest sufficient resources into. So, in general terms, what dictates the multiplier attributed to the valuation of a company, and ultimately as Business Owner, what is the answer to your question – “how much is my Company
worth?”
1. Supply & Demand –
Companies in attractive, high demand industries will command a higher multiplier than those in more basic or out of favour sectors.
Today Oil & Gas, Renewables, Technology and Business Support & Services are examples of high demand industries which are generating very attractive multipliers. The supply aspect is also critical. If there are plenty of attractive, profitable and well managed operations on the market for disposal (ie oversupply), prices will generally be lower as it will be a ‘Buyers’ market’. On the other
side, if there is a high demand but a low number of quality companies available for acquisition, this will force Buyers to pay a premium.
As a Vendor therefore, timing the sale of your company to coincide with demand in your market being at its highest, will help you achieve the highest value. Many Vendors I speak to think (wrongly) that increasing profitability is the only thing that they need
to focus on, when in fact their company could be worth more with lower profits if they time the sale right. Potentially this can allow knowledgeable Vendors to exit earlier than they first perceived.
2. Growth –
Despite every Buyer focusing on historic financial performance, typically ranging from the last 12 months to three years of earnings, in reality Purchasers are buying the future. What ultimately matters to a Buyer is not what the company earned last year; it’s what the company could earn in the future once they own it. Therefore businesses with high potential growth rates will sell for higher multiples than their slow growth counterparts. Understanding the dynamics of your industry, along with the scalability of your company in line
with its peers, is a key aspect of maximising value.
3. Risk –
Risk plays a role in every business decision. It is common knowledge that safer assets have lower rates of return than high risk
investments. The more risk a Buyer is willing to take, the higher return they will demand. Therefore a Buyer will offer less for a company that they perceive carries a lot of risk, whether that be from a high concentration of revenue to clients, reliance on one or two key members of staff or financial sustainability. As a Seller there are ways to mitigate the majority of risks a Buyer will identify, albeit
these risk mitigation strategies take time to instigate and mature. Therefore planning an exit years before implementation is critical to
allow sufficient time for change, working in conjunction with an external expert to assess and mitigate the perceived risks that a Buyer may identify.
4. Volatility –
This is closely related to risk, although often linked with external factors rather than competition or dependency on clients. If the industry that a company operates within is heavily influenced by external factors, then the future earnings of the company are less secure, and therefore a Buyer will look to protect their investment accordingly. For example, those companies operating within the public sector are subject to cuts in spending or budget changes which often occur when new Governments are elected. Therefore if the sale is closely timed to a General Election, a Buyer may well take this into account when making an offer. Likewise, those companies operating in the Lettings/Estate Agency sectors or those linked within the wider Construction industries, can be significantly affected by changes in the property market and the economic climate, not just for the UK but the Eurozone and USA. As seen in 2008, if the Housing Market crashes due to issues in the financial world, then the revenues generated by these companies are highly likely to be affected. Another final example is Recruitment Agencies or Training Operators, whose revenue streams are heavily influenced by employment levels within the private sector. Again revenues in these industries will experience peaks and troughs linked to growth curves and recessions accordingly, and this external volatility of the industry will be factored into the valuation.
5. Synergetic values & savings –
A strategic Buyer will often pay more for a business if they believe the combination of the two companies presents synergies for further sales, along with the opportunity for cost reductions. This might be a company that operates within your industry but with a different revenue stream; a trade buyer that operates within different geographical regions; or a company in a different sector providing different
products or services to your client base. These Buyers are more likely to pay a ‘premium’ to secure a deal, rather than risk the target company being acquired by a competitor, who could potentially threaten the growth of their company going forward.
Adam Croft
[email protected]
process, but one that parties often fail to invest sufficient resources into. So, in general terms, what dictates the multiplier attributed to the valuation of a company, and ultimately as Business Owner, what is the answer to your question – “how much is my Company
worth?”
1. Supply & Demand –
Companies in attractive, high demand industries will command a higher multiplier than those in more basic or out of favour sectors.
Today Oil & Gas, Renewables, Technology and Business Support & Services are examples of high demand industries which are generating very attractive multipliers. The supply aspect is also critical. If there are plenty of attractive, profitable and well managed operations on the market for disposal (ie oversupply), prices will generally be lower as it will be a ‘Buyers’ market’. On the other
side, if there is a high demand but a low number of quality companies available for acquisition, this will force Buyers to pay a premium.
As a Vendor therefore, timing the sale of your company to coincide with demand in your market being at its highest, will help you achieve the highest value. Many Vendors I speak to think (wrongly) that increasing profitability is the only thing that they need
to focus on, when in fact their company could be worth more with lower profits if they time the sale right. Potentially this can allow knowledgeable Vendors to exit earlier than they first perceived.
2. Growth –
Despite every Buyer focusing on historic financial performance, typically ranging from the last 12 months to three years of earnings, in reality Purchasers are buying the future. What ultimately matters to a Buyer is not what the company earned last year; it’s what the company could earn in the future once they own it. Therefore businesses with high potential growth rates will sell for higher multiples than their slow growth counterparts. Understanding the dynamics of your industry, along with the scalability of your company in line
with its peers, is a key aspect of maximising value.
3. Risk –
Risk plays a role in every business decision. It is common knowledge that safer assets have lower rates of return than high risk
investments. The more risk a Buyer is willing to take, the higher return they will demand. Therefore a Buyer will offer less for a company that they perceive carries a lot of risk, whether that be from a high concentration of revenue to clients, reliance on one or two key members of staff or financial sustainability. As a Seller there are ways to mitigate the majority of risks a Buyer will identify, albeit
these risk mitigation strategies take time to instigate and mature. Therefore planning an exit years before implementation is critical to
allow sufficient time for change, working in conjunction with an external expert to assess and mitigate the perceived risks that a Buyer may identify.
4. Volatility –
This is closely related to risk, although often linked with external factors rather than competition or dependency on clients. If the industry that a company operates within is heavily influenced by external factors, then the future earnings of the company are less secure, and therefore a Buyer will look to protect their investment accordingly. For example, those companies operating within the public sector are subject to cuts in spending or budget changes which often occur when new Governments are elected. Therefore if the sale is closely timed to a General Election, a Buyer may well take this into account when making an offer. Likewise, those companies operating in the Lettings/Estate Agency sectors or those linked within the wider Construction industries, can be significantly affected by changes in the property market and the economic climate, not just for the UK but the Eurozone and USA. As seen in 2008, if the Housing Market crashes due to issues in the financial world, then the revenues generated by these companies are highly likely to be affected. Another final example is Recruitment Agencies or Training Operators, whose revenue streams are heavily influenced by employment levels within the private sector. Again revenues in these industries will experience peaks and troughs linked to growth curves and recessions accordingly, and this external volatility of the industry will be factored into the valuation.
5. Synergetic values & savings –
A strategic Buyer will often pay more for a business if they believe the combination of the two companies presents synergies for further sales, along with the opportunity for cost reductions. This might be a company that operates within your industry but with a different revenue stream; a trade buyer that operates within different geographical regions; or a company in a different sector providing different
products or services to your client base. These Buyers are more likely to pay a ‘premium’ to secure a deal, rather than risk the target company being acquired by a competitor, who could potentially threaten the growth of their company going forward.
Adam Croft
[email protected]