How Business Valuations Drive Smarter Lending Decisions This article provides a case study that highlights the methodology behind SBA-compliant business valuations. The article underscores the importance of grounding the analysis in standard valuation techniques, using reliable industry benchmarks, and properly documenting adjustments. The role and value of business appraisers to the lender and parties invo ...

Utilizing Data Analytics to Investigate Ponzi Schemes This article examines how data analytics combined with other forensic accounting tools can help investigators uncover how investors in both traditional and newer types of Ponzi schemes were victimized, and how data can be compiled to locate stolen assets and create an analytical report that aids regulators and in legal proceedings focused on recovering f ...

For Business and Financial Consultants (Explained Simply) Prompt engineering is just a fancy term for “asking better questions” when using AI tools like ChatGPT. Think of it like giving clear instructions to a smart assistant. The better your instructions, the better and more useful the answer. Why It Matters for Consultants If you are a business or financial consultant, you use your brainpower to solve pro ...

Tips to Successfully Transition to the Expert Level There are several steps to making the transition from generalist to specialist. For those who have gone through this process, the primary regret is often that they did not make the transition earlier. To help anyone sitting on the fence, I am sharing some brief tips from my own experience. There are several benefits to being highly specialized. One of them ...

The Importance of Growth Assumptions in Delaware Appraisal Rulings An important input to many valuations for disputes in the Delaware Court of Chancery is a business’s terminal value; the future value of a business that reflects all the cash flows expected to occur after the period for which management or analysts typically prepare cash flow projections. In this Q&A, the article’s authors explain how th ...

Beyond Heating and Cooling From coast to coast and everywhere in between, HVAC plays a critical role in economic performance and presents compelling opportunities. This article discusses factors business valuators must consider when they are engaged to value HVAC companies. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) services are not only essential, they are foundational to modern comfort and thriving ...

Self-reflection and the Engagement Process The buying process begins when a prospect or a referral source considers you for a new engagement, or when a client considers you for a repeat performance. In this article, Rod Burkert reflects on this aspect of the engagement process. The buying process begins when a prospect or a referral source considers you for a new engagement, or when a client considers you f ...

In First Month of 2025 In the first month of 2025, hospital revenue and expenses both increased, balancing each other out and resulting in continued steady financial performance for hospitals, according to Kaufman Hall’s January 2025 National Hospital Flash Report. This article reviews the report and the current state of hospital operations. In the first month of 2025, hospital revenue and expenses both inc ...

Forecasting Errors One of the common pitfalls in applying the income approach is committing forecasting errors. To understand the impact of this error, this article discusses the importance of the income approach in business valuations and areas that require careful evaluation. One of the common pitfalls in applying the income approach is committing forecasting errors. To understand the impact of this error ...

Gemini 2.5 Pro EXP Shines and Your Shortcut to Staying Current Just like I predicted in my last post, the AI chatbot race is heating up, with models leapfrogging each other constantly! This time, Google's new Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental made a splash, and based on my own quick test, it is impressively capable. [Check it out here: https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/pro/] Putting Gemini 2.5 Pro to th ...