What brings you here today?
Grow Your Enterprise Value
The decisions you make today shape what your business will be worth when it’s time to sell or pass it on. Knowing what drives value lets you focus your time and capital where they count most.
Questions Owners Ask Us
Value is built long before a sale.
Buyers pay for what they can rely on after you step back. The sooner you know what helps and hurts your value, the more time you have to act on it.
“What do buyers pay a premium for?”
“Which risks are holding my value back?”
“How dependent is the business on me?”
“How far ahead should I start preparing?”
What Buyers Pay For
Eight drivers of enterprise value.
Why can two companies with the same earnings sell for very different multiples? Buyers pay more when they see greater expected benefit and less risk. These eight drivers, along with how well that value transfers to a new owner, explain most of the difference.
01
The Earnings Engine
Financial Performance & Earnings Quality
How strong, sustainable and believable are the company’s earnings?
02
The Runway
Growth Potential
How much credible room does the company have left to grow?
03
The Revenue Backbone
Revenue Quality & Predictability
How much of future revenue can a buyer reasonably see and count on today?
04
The Dependency Web
Diversification & Concentration Risk
How much damage could the loss of one critical dependency cause?
05
The Moat
Competitive Advantage & Market Position
Why does the company win, and what keeps competitors from taking that advantage away?
06
The Platform
Scalability & Operating Leverage
Can the business become much larger without requiring proportionately more resources?
07
The Bench
Management Depth & Organizational Infrastructure
Does the company have the people and infrastructure to perform without relying on a few indispensable individuals?
08
Market Proof
Customer Strength & Market Validation
Do customers’ actions prove that the company’s value proposition is genuinely strong?
At the Center
Transferability
The Value That Survives a Change of Ownership
Does the value built into the company actually transfer to the buyer?
Value can be lost at the closing table when key relationships depend on the owner, contracts can’t be assigned, licenses don’t survive a sale or essential knowledge sits with a few people.
How it Works
A baseline, a plan and a way to measure progress.
01
Establish a baseline
We start with a clear valuation of where your business stands today.
02
Identify the drivers
We assess your business against the eight value drivers and transferability to see what’s helping value and what’s holding it back.
03
Set priorities
We help you focus on the changes likely to have the greatest effect on value.
04
Revisit and measure
Periodic updates show how your efforts are paying off and where to focus next.
Coming Soon: Multiple IQ
What multiple has your business earned?
We’re building Multiple IQ, a brief online diagnostic that combines real market benchmarks with an assessment of the eight value drivers and transferability. Until it launches, we’ll walk you through the same framework in a conversation.
Be the first to know when Multiple IQ launches
What You’ll See
01 An estimated range of multiples your business may support
02 What’s pulling your multiple up
03 What may be holding it down
04 How a buyer might view what you’ve built
What You Come Away With
A roadmap, not just a report.
A baseline value
A clear, independent starting point to measure progress against.
A prioritized list of value drivers
The strengths to build on and the risks worth reducing first.
A way to track progress
Periodic check-ins that show whether the changes you’re making are moving the number.
Led By
Value-building engagements are led by Cornerstone Valuation, with Windward Advisors adding a buyer’s-eye view of what the market rewards.
Related Situations
Where owners often go next.
I want to know what my business is worth
An independent valuation that shows what your company is worth today, and why.
I'm thinking about selling
Understand your options, timing, and readiness before you commit to a process.
I need help with an ownership transition
Plan a transfer to family, partners or management on solid footing.
Let’s Talk
Build the Value You’ll Eventually Realize.
Let’s talk about what’s driving your value today, and where your time and capital will make the biggest difference.
Confidential
Your information is always protected.
No Obligation
An open conversation with no pressure.
Focused on You
Guidance tailored to your goals and situation.
Mergers, acquisitions and business valuation for middle-market business owners.