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Exit Advisory Group

Business valuations

Business Valuations in Australia

Before you sell, plan your succession or step back from the business, you need to know what your business is worth. Not a guess, not a broker’s flattering estimate. A defensible number from a Registered Business Valuer who will tell you straight.

Or call us directly on 1300 133 540

Signed by a Registered Business Valuer (RBV)
Prepared to the International Valuation Standards (IVS)
Australian Financial Services Licence 700378
$1.5B+in transactions our team have been involved in
As featured in
Australian Financial ReviewForbesSmartCompanyFinancial StandardDynamic BusinessYahoo FinanceThe CEO MagazineFirst 5000

A business valuation puts a defensible number on what your company is worth today. When it is for a sale, a tax matter or a partner buyout, that number has to stand up to scrutiny, which means it should be independent and prepared to a recognised professional standard. Ours are signed by a Registered Business Valuer and prepared in accordance with the International Valuation Standards (IVS). Below: when you need one, how we work it out, and how to start.

What’s driving your decision?

When do you need a business valuation?

A valuation gives you a clear, defensible number. Here are the moments that most often call for one.

  • You are selling, and you want to go to market with evidence instead of a hunch
  • A partner is buying in or buying out, and both sides need a number they can trust
  • A tax or CGT event, a restructure, or small-business CGT concessions
  • An employee share scheme (ESOP)
  • You simply want to know your number, as the baseline for a plan to grow it
  • Succession and estate planning
  • Raising capital or bringing in an investor

Valuation options

What type of valuation do you need?

The right valuation depends on where you are in the process and what you need the number to do. We offer three, each suited to a different stage.

Tier 1

Business Appraisal

A market-based indicative range for what your business could sell for today. It draws on comparable sales data, current market conditions and a high-level assessment of your business. The output is a range, not a certified figure.

Best for

  • You want a quick, indicative market-value range
  • You are weighing up a sale, not yet going to market
  • You need a realistic starting point, not a formal report
  • The number need not yet satisfy a buyer, bank, court or the ATO

Tier 2

Business Valuation

A formal, documented assessment prepared by a Registered Business Valuer, applying recognised methodologies and prepared in accordance with the International Valuation Standards (IVS). It produces a defensible figure you can put in front of buyers, financiers and legal advisers.

Best for

  • You are preparing to sell and need a defensible number
  • You are resolving a shareholder dispute or family-law matter
  • You have an ATO, CGT or restructure event to satisfy
  • You want a report to the IVS, signed by a Registered Business Valuer (RBV)

Tier 3

VALUE360™ Assessment

Goes beyond the number. It scores your business across the five dimensions a buyer assesses, so you get a clear picture of where your business sits and what needs to change.

Best for

  • You are 12 to 36 months from a potential exit
  • You want to see where value is being left on the table
  • You want a prioritised plan to grow value and cut owner-dependence
  • You are choosing between growing and exiting

Good to know: if you go to market with us, ask about crediting your appraisal toward the engagement.

We value established businesses across Manufacturing, Professional Services, Technology and SaaS, Healthcare, Engineering, Architecture, Wholesale and E-commerce (and many other industries), and we work with owners across Australia, from Sydney and Melbourne to Brisbane, Perth and regional centres, in person and remotely. If you are not sure we cover your industry, it is worth asking. Chances are we do.

The process

How a business valuation works

A valuation should be clear from the first call to the final report. Here is the path, and what we need from you at each step.

  1. Scoping conversation

    We agree the purpose, the standard of value and the deadline. Confidential from the first call.

  2. Information gathering

    Two to three years of financials and an asset register. We normalise earnings and identify genuine add-backs.

  3. Analysis

    We value it the way a buyer will, applying income, market and asset approaches. This is where the VALUE360™ lens works.

  4. Draft and review

    You see the findings, assumptions and sensitivities, and we answer your questions before anything is finalised.

  5. Signed report

    An independent report, signed by a Registered Business Valuer and prepared in accordance with the IVS, typically within two to three weeks.

How is a business valuation calculated?

We normalise your earnings, usually EBITDA, then apply the method that fits your business: capitalisation of future maintainable earnings (FME) for stable, profitable businesses; discounted cash flow (DCF) where future growth drives the value; a market approach using multiples from comparable transactions; and an asset approach (net tangible assets) where the balance sheet leads. We also weigh the intangibles that carry real value, brand equity, goodwill and intellectual property. We cross-check the result against real comparable sales, so the number holds up in front of a buyer, a bank or the ATO.

Multiples vary widely by industry. A SaaS platform and a manufacturer earning the same profit are rarely worth the same. Read: business valuation multiples by industry.

An owner reviewing the numbers behind a business valuation with an adviser

VALUE360™: the five dimensions a buyer examines

VALUE360™ does two jobs at once. It tells you what your business is worth today, and it shows you where that value is at risk. We score the business across the five dimensions a buyer’s diligence team looks at, so you can fix what costs you value and build on what drives it.

  • Financial PerformanceHistorical health, trends, efficiency and working-capital management
  • Growth SystemLead generation, sales process, customer retention and future pipeline
  • Fulfilment SystemDelivery processes, customer experience and quality control
  • People and LeadershipTeam depth, capability, succession planning and cultural stability
  • Operating SystemStrategic planning, accountability rhythms, documented systems and risk management
FINANCIALPERFORMANCETRENDSEFFICIENCYWORKINGCAPITALCAPITALSTRUCTURERELIABILITYGROWTH SYSTEMLEADGENERATIONSALESPROCESSCUSTOMERRETENTION& STABILITYGROWTHOPPORTUNITIESFULFILMENT SYSTEMMANUFACTURINGSUPPLY CHAIN& INVENTORYMGMTDELIVERYPROCESSCUSTOMEREXPERIENCEPEOPLE & LEADERSHIPSTRUCTUREATTRACT,RECRUIT& RETAINCOMPLIANCECULTURE &ENGAGEMENTSUCCESSION &EXIT PLANNINGOPERATING SYSTEMSTRATEGICPLANNINGOPERATINGCADENCESYSTEMS &PROCESSESINNOVATION& CONTINUOUSIMPROVEMENTRISKMANAGEMENTVALUE360

Your indicative value range, not a single guess

Indicative lowWhere your value drivers place youIndicative high

From your VALUE360™ assessment

A valuation with actionable insights

If you are looking to exit or grow, understanding what your company is worth is the first step. Our valuation does not stop at the number.

  • Identify the key strengths and risk factors driving your value
  • Benchmark your business against others to see where you stand in your industry
  • Receive strategic recommendations for lifting value and making the business more saleable

Growth strategy

If your goal is to increase your valuation before you sell, we give you a targeted roadmap and work alongside you to execute a high-impact growth plan.

Exit strategy

If your valuation aligns with your goals and you are ready to exit, we guide you through a sale, divestment or transition to the outcome you want.

Exit Advisory Group path to success: value your business, close the gaps, grow value, and exit on your terms

Why choose us

Why choose Exit Advisory Group for your valuation

Your report is prepared and signed by senior valuers who have valued and sold businesses like yours, never handed to a junior. The number is independent, and it arrives with a clear view of how to lift it.

The Exit Advisory Group advantage

VALUE360™: the number, and where to lift it

Our proprietary VALUE360™ assessment is your diagnostic. It tells you what your business is worth today and scores it across the five dimensions a buyer examines, so you know exactly where to focus for maximum return before you go to market. It is the difference between a number on a page and a plan to grow it. See the five dimensions.

Simon Bedard, Managing Director of Exit Advisory Group and Registered Business Valuer

Simon Bedard, Managing Director of Exit Advisory Group. Simon is a Registered Business Valuer (RBV) and the National Chair of the Australian Institute of Business Brokers (AIBB). He is a Licensed Business Broker, the author of Exit Like an Expert, and the host of the Buy Grow Sell podcast, with more than 25 years across finance, investment, energy and technology.

Simon leads a senior valuations team, including Chartered Accountants with decades of commercial and financial experience across the Big Four accounting firms and banks. You work with senior people at every step.

Meet the team

Credentials that matter for your business valuation

AFSL 700378Australian Financial Services Licence
Exit Advisory Group holds Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) 700378, granted by ASIC. That oversight sits behind every engagement and gives your valuation added standing with financiers, regulators and buyers.
RBVRegistered Business Valuer
An accreditation from the AIBB for specialists who value businesses to a professional standard. An RBV-signed report carries weight with buyers, banks and the ATO that an informal appraisal never will.
AIBBAustralian Institute of Business Brokers
The national body for business brokers and valuers in Australia. Simon Bedard is its National Chair.
IVSInternational Valuation Standards
The global framework for how a valuation is scoped, evidenced and reported. Our valuations are prepared in accordance with the International Valuation Standards (IVS).

We are not a broker offering a free appraisal to win your listing. Our valuation is an independent piece of work. Where it points to a sale, the next step is yours, on your terms.

Recognised

Bx Business Excellence Awards, Business Consulting Company of the Year 2024Australian Small Business Champion Finalist 2024 and 2025Business NSW Regional Finalist 2024

Exit Advisory Group has won the Bx Business Excellence Awards’ Business Consulting Company of the Year, and has been named a finalist in the Australian Small Business Champion Awards and the Business NSW Regional Awards.

Proof

How we’ve helped companies achieve higher valuations

$1.5B+
in transactions our team has been involved in
100+
transactions across sectors
2016
established
Brooks Australia, a family-owned fire detection business acquired by Ei Electronics

Case study · Brooks Australia

45%

Sold for almost 45% above the initial valuation estimate

Brooks Australia worked with Exit Advisory Group across a five year journey that started with a valuation report. We showed the owners where transferable value could be lifted, they put the plan to work, and the business that reached the market was demonstrably stronger than the one we first valued. It sold to Ei Electronics, a European manufacturer, ten months after going to market. Lead advisor: Simon Bedard.

Read the Brooks Australia case study
Australian automotive software platform sold in a competitive process

Case study · Automotive software

A $3M offer became a $15.5M deal

An Australian automotive software business was sitting on an unsolicited $3M offer that did not reflect what it was worth. We repositioned the platform against the wider second hand car wholesale market and ran a competitive process. It closed at $15.5 million, five times the opening offer.

Read the case study
I have had many conversations with Simon at Exit Advisory Group about what my business is really worth, and his understanding of what drives business value is second to none. He is one of the best professional advisors I have met. If you want to know your number and maximise your company’s value before you sell, Simon is the person to speak to.
Lorraine GnanadickamLorraine GnanadickamFounder, Food Street
Simon is a strategic thinker who can also apply or execute a plan at the ‘coal-face’ and that is a rare skill. He was able to articulate the key drivers in our business, and how best to extract maximum commercial value.
Nate GodfreyNate GodfreyCEO, Canterbury Rugby Union

Watch: what is my business worth, and how do you value it?

Simon Bedard on why the number matters, the methodologies real valuers use, and how to triangulate what your business would be worth in someone else’s hands.

Simon Bedard, Exit Advisory Group, on what a business valuation tells you

What you get

What’s included in a valuation engagement

  • An independent, market-evidenced business valuation, signed by a Registered Business Valuer and prepared in accordance with the IVS
  • A VALUE360™ assessment of your value drivers and the risks weighing on your multiple
  • Benchmarking against comparable transactions and relevant industry multiples
  • A clear view of your likely valuation range, in plain English
  • A prioritised roadmap to grow transferable value before you go to market

Book a confidential valuation conversation

A private, no-pressure conversation with a Registered Business Valuer. Not a sales pitch. We talk through your situation, what a valuation involves, and the right next step for you.

Book a confidential valuation conversation

Confidential · No obligation · Speak directly with a senior valuer

Free tool

What’s my multiple?

Knowing your multiple is the starting point for determining your company’s market value. Find out the multiple range that applies to your industry.

1
Your industry
2
Revenue band
3
Your multiple

Step 1 of 3

Choose your industry

Select the ANZSIC Division that most closely describes your business.

Every valuation engagement is strictly confidential, governed by a confidentiality agreement. Your financials, your valuation, and the fact that you have engaged us all stay private. You work directly with senior valuers, never a junior, and the number is independent. There is no obligation to do anything with it.

Common questions

Business valuation FAQs

Still have questions? Talk to Simon on a confidential call.

What is a business valuation?

A business valuation is an independent assessment of what your company is worth today, based on its earnings, its assets, the market, and the risks a buyer would weigh. When the number has to stand up, for a sale, a tax matter or a partner buyout, it should be independent and prepared to a recognised professional standard. Ours are signed by a Registered Business Valuer and prepared in accordance with the International Valuation Standards (IVS).

How do you work out what my business is worth?

We combine your normalised earnings, usually EBITDA, with an appropriate market multiple, then cross-check against comparable transactions and the specific risks and strengths of your business. Depending on your business, we apply recognised methods including capitalisation of future maintainable earnings (FME), discounted cash flow (DCF) and, where relevant, net tangible assets (NTA). Every assumption is explained in plain English, so the number is never a mystery.

How much does a business valuation cost?

The fee depends on the scope you need, not a fixed price list. A market appraisal is a lighter piece of work than a formal, IVS-based report that has to stand up to a buyer, a bank or the ATO. What shapes it is the size and complexity of your business, the purpose of the valuation, and the standard of value you need. We scope it with you on a confidential call and agree the fee before any work begins, so there are no surprises.

How long does a business valuation take?

Most valuations are completed within two to three weeks of receiving your financial information, depending on complexity and how quickly documents come through. If you are working to a transaction deadline, tell us and we will work to it.

Who can value my business?

Any adviser can give you an opinion, but a number that has to hold up should come from an independent specialist, not the broker hoping to win your listing. Our valuations are prepared and signed by a Registered Business Valuer, with senior Chartered Accountants on the team. You work with senior people at every step, never a junior.

Is a free broker appraisal the same as a professional valuation?

No. A free appraisal is a tool to win a listing, so it carries a built-in conflict and little formal rigour. An independent valuation, signed by a Registered Business Valuer and prepared in accordance with the IVS, is unbiased and defensible. For a decision that matters, get the independent valuation.

Can the valuation be used for ATO, CGT or restructure purposes?

Our reports are independent and prepared in accordance with the International Valuation Standards (IVS), which set the basis of value, the methodology and the assumptions expected for ATO, CGT and restructure matters. That gives you a defensible, well-substantiated valuation prepared to that standard. The ATO assesses each matter on its own facts, so the report is prepared to withstand that scrutiny rather than to guarantee an outcome.

How does a valuation help when selling my business?

A valuation sets a realistic asking price grounded in your financials and the market, surfaces the risks and gaps a buyer will question, and gives you the evidence to negotiate with confidence. Much of the groundwork for a sale gets done in the process, so you go to market prepared rather than reactive.

How can I increase the value of my business before selling?

Focus on the drivers buyers pay for: improving profitability, documenting your systems and processes, diversifying your customer base so you are not reliant on one or two clients, and building a team that does not depend on you. Our VALUE360™ assessment maps where your value is sitting today and gives you a prioritised plan to lift it before you go to market.

What size businesses do you value?

We specialise in established Australian businesses with enterprise value between roughly $3 million and $100 million. If you are close to that range, we are happy to talk it through.

Still have questions? Talk to Simon
Business owners and advisers reviewing financial reports around a table ahead of the 2027 CGT changes

Business valuation update

What the 2027 CGT changes could mean for your sale

From 1 July 2027, the Government plans to replace the 50% capital gains tax discount with cost-base indexation and a minimum 30% tax on capital gains. There is a transitional rule for assets you hold across that date, which means if you sell later, you may need a defensible market value of your business around the transition to separate the gain that accrued before from the gain after.

That is a valuation question, and it pays to get it done properly and early. On the other side, the small-business CGT concessions are set to reach more owners, with the turnover threshold rising from $2 million to $10 million.

Held through a family trust? From 1 July 2028, a minimum 30% tax will apply to distributions from discretionary trusts, with rollover relief available for three years from 1 July 2027 for small businesses that want to restructure. If your business sits in a trust, understanding your valuation and exit timeline now gives you time to work with your advisers on the right structure before these changes take effect.

This is general information, not financial or tax advice. The rules are still moving through Parliament, so speak with your accountant or registered tax professional about your position.

Across Australia

Business valuations across Australia

We value businesses in every capital and major region, in person where it helps and remotely where it does not. Wherever you are, you work with the same senior valuers and the same International Valuation Standards (IVS).

New South Wales

Business valuations in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and across regional NSW. Our office is at Three International Towers, Barangaroo.

Victoria & Queensland

Valuations for owners in Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and their surrounding regions. Our team in Melbourne and Brisbane support with these valuations.

WA, SA, ACT and beyond

Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and Darwin, and everywhere in between. Our team are consistently on the ground in these locations, with the same rigour.

Know your number, then know how to grow it

A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a senior adviser. An honest read on what your business is worth today, and the right next step, whether that is a plan to build value or a move toward sale.