Business Value Estimator

You and your company

So we know who to send the valuation to and which market to compare against.

First name*

Last name*

Email*Your value range is emailed here.

Mobile phone*

Company name*

Website

Industry*Pick the closest match. Each industry carries its own multiple range.

City and state*

Years in business*

Owners who work in the business Full-time, part-time, or absentee. Only one owner's pay is added back; additional working owners are replaced at a market salary.

When are you thinking about selling?

Please fill in the starred fields so we can send you the result.

Last year's numbers

Use your most recent full-year tax return where you can — buyers and lenders will. Whole dollars; estimates are fine for now.

Year these numbers are for

Gross revenue*

Form 1120-S line 1c · 1065 line 1c · Schedule C line 3

Pre-tax net profit*

Ordinary business income before any owner add-backs. 1120-S line 21 · 1065 line 22 · Sch C line 31. Can be negative.

Cost of goods sold

Line 2 on the return. Optional — used for the margin read.

Owner's salary (all working owners)

W-2 officer compensation or guaranteed payments actually expensed on the P&L — not distributions.

Owner's benefits and perks

Health insurance, retirement, payroll tax on your pay, personal auto, phone, travel, family on payroll — anything that would disappear if you did.

Depreciation and amortization

Form 4562 plus any depreciation inside cost of goods sold.

Interest expense

Business loan interest only.

Revenue and pre-tax profit are the two numbers we can't estimate without.

Adjustments

The things a buyer's lender will normalize. Each one is optional — leave blank if it doesn't apply.

One-time expenses last year

Lawsuit, storm repair, a one-off consultant. Added back.

One-time income last year

PPP or ERC money, insurance payout, gain on selling equipment. Removed.

Do you or a related party own the building?

Equipment, vehicles, FF&E included in the sale

Book or appraised value. Not real estate.

Normal operating inventory

Stock you need on hand to operate.

What would it cost to hire someone to do your job? (annual salary + benefits)

Leave blank if a manager already runs the business. This is how owner cash flow becomes the EBITDA a buyer or lender underwrites.

How the business runs

These answers set the risk rate on your earnings and move the multiple inside the industry range. Answer as a buyer would see it.

Anything else we should know?

Your estimated value range

Estimated value range –

Your seller's discretionary earnings (SDE)

The cash flow the business produces for one owner-operator. Buyers apply a multiple to this number; if you entered a replacement salary for your role, the EBITDA below is what a lender underwrites and it also feeds the range. The multiples shown above are the implied multiples of your SDE at each end of the range.

What is moving your number

Based on your answers. These are the factors buyers price most heavily, and most of them can be improved before you go to market.

Want to raise this number, or take it to market? A Sailfish advisor can walk you through what would move your valuation higher before a sale and what going to market looks like from here.

Speak to an Advisor

Please note: this range is based solely on the information you provided and has not been independently verified. It is an estimate, not a formal valuation, appraisal, or offer. Actual value depends on verified financial statements and tax returns, the quality of the add-backs claimed, real estate and working-capital terms, deal structure, current buyer demand and lending conditions, and facts a buyer would learn in due diligence. A Sailfish advisor will review your submission and may follow up with a refined range.

Find Out What Your Business is Worth in Minutes