Few Business Owners Seem to Even Know How to Make a Good Guess at What Their Business is Worth.  NY Times Introduces Technology to Help—and Certified Advisers Provide Extra Value.  Mark Cohen, at The New York Times Small Business Guide, reports:  "At 53, Joe Ritz is old enough to remember a time when many of the classic cars that now pull into his specialized repair shop were new. “It’s one field where it p ...

With Limited Resources, the SEC is Using a "Risk Analytics" Strategy to Target Areas of Concern, Explains Exec at Conference Recent examinations of newly SEC-registered private equity firms is helping regulators understand the complex world of private equity, according to delegates and speakers at PEI’s CFOs and COOs Forum 2013 in New York, writes Nicholas Donato at Private Equity Manager.  More: ...

Deal Activity Will Likely See a Surge in 2013 if a Meaningful Deficit-Reduction Compromise Can Be Reached  Wallace Witkowski at Marketwatch reported in mid-December that deal activity will likely see a surge in 2013 if a meaningful deficit-reduction compromise can be reached.  Otherwise the market will remain stunted as it was in the past year.   Democrats and Republicans didn't come to a full agreement by ...

There's good news and bad news.  Here's the low-down.   Dean Zerbe offers his take at Forbes on how the current deal will affect small-business owners: ...

Most Business Owners Understand Interim Cash Flows.  But Terminal Cash Flow May Be Most Important: More Detail on Standards of Value.  Lucas M. Parris at Mercer Capital has authored a white paper at Mercer Capital that posted last month titled Understand the Value of an Insurance Brokerage that guides consultants through the process of selling out, selling in [transferring ownership to heirs], putting toget ...

This Long Term Plan Is of Particular Use to Owners of Illiquid Privately Held Companies Consultants can help business owners planning a sale by helping them understand how a charitable remainder trust might help. These trusts can significantly reduce owed taxes and ensure owners receive regular income in return for donating cash, securities, or real estate to a charity. It’s of particular use for owners of ...