The Evolution of Digital Forensics and Growth of the Industry The rapid growth of technology has resulted in the computer age, which has given rise to cybercrimes. Savvy criminals today use devices such as tablets, computers, smartphones, and cloud storage in the planning and commission of cybercrimes, whether to wreak havoc in the system of an organization or in the commission of a crime of self-enrichment ...

A Data Analytics Approach The valuation of minerals and renewables falls outside the usual guidelines of real property appraisal, where real property broadly defined includes land, everything permanently attached to it, at, above, and below the earth’s surface and all the interests, benefits, and rights inherent in the ownership collectively referred to as “the bundle of sticks”. This is because most apprai ...

How Does it Work? Everyone seems to be talking about cryptocurrency these days, but many are unsure how to define it and fewer still, know exactly how it works. Cryptocurrency is a digital construct without physical substance; the only evidence of its existence is the digital record or ledger indicating balances held (like a balance sheet) and transactions that have occurred (like an income statement). What ...

Communicating Value “Comparing apples to oranges” refers to contrasting two or more items that are similar, but that have important differences. While apples and oranges are both fruits, they have different flavors, colors, textures, etc. In a business valuation, comparing enterprise value to equity value is like comparing apples to oranges. Both measure the value of a business, but the results can differ s ...

Diversify the Revenue Sources Valuation consultants usually have training and experience with the process of normalizing owner compensation. They may also have access to compensation comparability data, which is a collection of actual amounts paid by other employers which can be sorted. Therefore, valuation specialists may already have what they need to begin adding compensation consulting services to their ...

Risks in a Post Pandemic Environment The pandemic placed many individuals into an environment where they had to rely on technology to conduct daily life and the financial transactions associated with it. This was a major change; especially for a generation that was accustomed to handling their banking and financial transactions face to face. Forcing a generation to begin to conduct banking and purchasing on ...

Analysis of Deal Stats Pre- and Post-COVID-19 This article will review PE activity generally, and in the healthcare industry, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and discuss what is expected for the remainder of 2021, as the economy evolves in response to a post-pandemic America. The involvement of private equity (PE) in the healthcare industry in the first quarter of 2021 disappointed investors after the number ...

You Should Feel the Same Way There is a great expression that is used as advertising in our industry: the business we value most is yours. (It is like: The customer is always right.) It is a great slogan and one the author quoted in his LinkedIn profile! And then, as the author states, he wised up and discovered that the business he valued most was his own. In this article, he explains why the reader should ...

When Guideline Companies are Not Very Good? When given a choice, do you prefer to minimize errors of commission or omission? The answer will likely influence your view as to whether the market approach should be used when valuing a company with guideline companies that are not very good. Someone who seeks to minimize errors of commission will likely exclude the market approach due to the difficulties in exe ...

Probability and Scenario Analysis In this article, the author explores considerations in valuing SPAC founders’ equity for these purposes. Marcum LLP has been active in assisting sponsors of special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC) with registration and other aspects of initial public offering (IPO). Where appropriate and permissible under the relevant independence rules, we have also assisted our non-a ...

Spotting Internal Fraud Schemes To identify whether an organization is vulnerable or has been a victim of fraudulent behavior, it is critical to spot common warning signs of internal fraud schemes. The first step is knowing where to look. The company’s general ledger (GL) is a good place to start. It is a book that can tell stories of fraud, manipulation, and betrayal. Unfortunately, few know how to read th ...

The two most widely approaches used by valuators to determine a discount for lack of marketability (DLOM) are restricted stock studies and IPO studies. The restricted stock studies compare transaction prices in restricted shares with contemporaneous trading prices for unrestricted shares. The pre-IPO studies, on the other hand, according to the author, lead to conclusions that are unsound in theory and in p ...

The Ratios and Use of Comparative Analysis Accounts receivable are such an important asset class that company management will be anxious to convert these to cash as soon as possible so that the company is not “overinvested” in its accounts receivable. Accounts receivable ratios are essential analytical and planning tools. There are various analytical tools that can be used by management to compare performan ...

Key Components How did so many business owners succeed in this current crisis? How did some business owners even thrive during the most challenging year one will hopefully ever experience? Because they stuck to the basics—staying focused. These business owners continually promoted their vision, ensured they had the “right people in the right seats” throughout their organization, used scorecards and measurab ...

How to Make Pricing Your Competitive Advantage This article is a follow up to the author’s April 2021 QuickRead article: “Here is What Prospects Believe About Our Pricing.” The lesson by the author is that prospective clients believe what the professional believes about pricing. If the professional believes that the price is too high, so will the prospect. If the professional believes that the price is a ba ...

Not Just for the End of Your Career What is the value of an independent insurance company? In this article, the author shares the reasons—other than for transactional reasons—for knowing the value of an independent insurance agency. Over the past several years, I have worked with many agency owners across the country helping them understand the value of their agencies. It is some of the most rewarding work ...

Healthcare Valuation 2021 Update The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly all businesses and is poised to continue to do so through at least the end of 2021. In healthcare, there has been additional issues due to the industry’s unique position at the crossroads of the front line of care and policy response. As of January 19, 2021, important updates have gone into effect concerning the two most significant ...

After the COVID-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic put a strain on the U.S. and global economies as well as individual lives throughout the world. As much as most people would like to put 2020 behind us, experts will have to continue to review financial returns from 2020 in the historical data for businesses claiming to have been injured by wrongful acts in 2021 and the future. As much as an expert would lik ...

Implementing the Practicability Exception under ASC 2016-01 An adverse economic consequence of COVID-19 that has made headlines is the significant impairment charges business entities have taken related to their non-financial assets, such as intangible assets and goodwill. Less notable has been the pandemic’s similar effect on an entity’s financial assets, including equity securities without readily determi ...

Then and Now The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. It is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals in areas of public life, including jobs, transportation, schools, and most private and public places open to the public. The ADA has been amended over the years and this article provides an overview of the ADA, the proof that must be met to bring an action, an ...