Pack the Toolbox With Preparation, Information, Persuasion, and Closure It does not matter if you are negotiating with a client, attorneys on the other side of a case, co-workers, or a family member, the more negotiation tools in the proverbial "toolbox" the better the outcome. There are several key areas that one needs using this toolbox to focus on and those include: advance preparation, persuasion, acqui ...

Moving Forward During COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has brought difficulties and major lifestyle changes for most of us. This is particularly true for the business world. Some firms have been negatively impacted. Some businesses have benefitted from the change in our lifestyles. Because causation is an important consideration in commercial damages cases, experts assigned to estimate lost profits must consi ...

Perceived Value is the Driver Alan Weiss wrote a book titled Value-Based Fees, How to Charge - and Get - What You’re Worth. Even though the book was published more than fifteen years ago, it still offers pearls of wisdom for consultants today. One key takeaway involves recognizing the importance of perceived value, which should be the basis of the contractual relationship. Alan Weiss wrote a book titled Val ...

A Business Valuation for a Controlling Interest CPAs are subject to multiple standards. Often, the standards prevent CPAs from exercising their judgment or applying common sense. The author describes this as “miss[ing] the boat.” This article illustrates this and provides an actual example where a group of valuators missed the boat. The purpose here is not to belittle, but to prompt CPAs to reflect on how t ...

Beyond the Tale of the Three Bears Terminal values deserve substantial attention for the reason that that is where (most of) the value is found. Some approaches to terminal value tend to result in higher values, whereas other approaches tend to result in lower values. This article provides some insight into the implied assumptions and relative biases of these approaches. Terminal values deserve substantial ...

Here is How I Changed my Mindset Asking for a referral may seem egotistical and a bit self-centered, but it is also a good business practice. In this article, Rod Burkert shares two personal obstacles he overcame that kept him from asking for referrals and what changed his mind on this matter. When it comes to building a pipeline of work, referrals are the lifeblood of a BVFLS practice. So why did I feel so ...

Reconsidering the Use of CEFs as a Proxy for DLOC The market pricing of publicly traded closed-end funds based on net asset values is not a reliable proxy for estimating discounts for lack of control for closely held businesses having a portfolio of marketable securities. Despite the acceptance for decades by the highest courts of this valuation method, the author, in this article, sets forth the basis for ...

Operational Finance—A New Way to View your P&L? Have you ever thought about your accounting systems as more than an expense, and how it may benefit you, above and beyond reporting numbers and forms? It can and should be more than an expense. In this article, the author discusses the potential insight gained by tracking the data. Books and records. Bookkeeping. Accounting. Tax returns and quarterly filin ...