• Financial Forensics - QuickRead Top Story - Valuation/Appraisal

    The January Hangover

    January 28, 2026

    A 10-Day Fraud Detection Sprint That Protects Business Value It is important to not only establish next steps but attempt to blur the line between fraud-driven forensic investigations and valuation to provide the connective tissue; explaining how they overlap resulting in misleading valuation calculations. In this article, the author shares a 10-day fraud detection “sprint” to identify the reliability of earnings and balance sheet integrity. This past December, I authored a short article titled, “’Tis the Season (for Fraud): How Businesses Can Be On-Guard”[1], which discussed many of the tactics that are employed by fraudsters during those chaotic periods such…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickRead Top Story

    M&A Multiples: Business Value v. Balance Sheet Value

    February 27, 2013

    Buyers and Sellers Need to Negotiate Delivery Targets for Working Capital and Agree on a Fair Market Value for Fixed Assets. Valuation principles generally hold that the value of a business is largely a function of return on invested capital and growth, writes Ron Stacey, since these are the primary drivers of free cash flow. But how does this cash flow relate to the asset and liability values on the balance sheet?

  • Practice Management - QuickPress

    5 Things Small Business Investors Need to Know about “IP”

    May 20, 2012

    The Wall Street Journal’s Small Business Blog featured recently a guest column by Antone Johnson on the use, misuse, and misvaluation of intellectual property.  It’s probably of interest to valuators and financial consultants who are working with small business owners to value and growth their businesses.   Venture capitalists, angel investors and start-up lawyers these days tend to be obsessed with “intellectual property,” or IP.   And for good reason: In the information economy, the core assets of a new venture are likely to be talented people, the IP they create, and little else. To maximize future value, founders should…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickPress

    The Exit Planning Institute Opens Northeast Ohio Chapter

    October 26, 2011

    The Exit Planning Institute Opens Northeast Ohio Chapter  The Exit Planning Institute (EPI), NACVA’s Exit Planning partner and issuer of the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credential, has opened a new chapter that will be serving the Cleveland and Akron region in Northeast Ohio. The chapter president will be Christopher M. Snider, a partner at Aspire Management in Cleveland. Christopher M. Snider, CEPA and Exit Planning Institute Northeast Ohio Chapter President The chapter currently has approximately 30 members.  Its mission is to build collaboration among professional advisors in order to promote common business interests, develop educational events for business owners and…