Electronics manufacturers, also known as Electronic Manufacturing Services, are the typical kind of business which is not easy to run. Electronic manufacturers owners and their staff are responsible for testing, manufacturing, distribution, repair services for electronics components and so on. The electronic manufacturing business is going well and it’s expected to improve in the next few years. But what’s your business really worth?
A broker will be able to help you find the value, but understanding how they get to the amount is essential and beneficial to you as the owner because, in the end, receiving the maximum value for your business is your main concern. In this article we will touch on points of how to figure out the valuation process.
What Goes Into a Valuation
You will find that there are many different approaches when it comes to finding an accurate valuation for your business, and when you find the best method of valuing it, this will give you the most accurate valuation.
Below are quick definitions of the types of valuations and what they are based off of. Do keep in mind that there are a variety of factors that play a part in the valuation of a business that determine what your business is worth, such as growth trends, finances, etc.
- Asset Methodology –— This method is based off the value of the assets that the company owns (e.g. plant and equipment).
- Future Earnings Methodology –— This method will give you a valuation based on the estimate of monies received from an investment in the future, discounting the time value of money.
- Comparable Sales Methodology –— This method will value based off the sales of a similar business and how closely the other business compares to yours.
The Average Multiple
The average multiple that electronic manufacturers sell for is 2.56. What does this mean? It means the average business in this industry sell for 2.56 times net profit. We have taken data of sales that consisted of businesses that range in the $50,000 to $10 million valuation range in the last 10 years and have broken it down for a closer look at understanding how the average multiple plays a part in the valuation process.
Looking at the data collected, you can see that in 2015 the average multiple was 2.56, but to have a complete understanding, you also have to look at the other data points as well, such as the average sale at $1,626,423 and the median sale at $600,000, that will all be factors in your valuation. Take a look at the example to further explain the data set.
Valuation Example
Electronic manufacturers are typically large businesses because they deal with huge amounts of money and a multiple variety of services. As it can be difficult to administrate an electronic manufacturer, you can profit at lot from it if you decide to sell it.
Let’s say that a large-sized electronic manufacturer is successfully making around a million per month. Below, you can find the data that is an estimate of their sales and profit projections based on the data collected and analyzed.
- Year 1 – Sales of $4,555,888 and profit of $999,654
- Year 2 – Sales of $3,252,451 and profit of $1,200,525
- Year 3 – Sales of $2,204,321 and profit of $1,140,884
- Year 4 – Sales of $3,451,784 and profit of $950,363
Looking at the data we analyzed, we can assume the business’ value at each year:
- Year 1 – Profit of $999,654 @ 1.5X multiple = $1,499,481
- Year 2 – Profit of $1,200,525 @ 2.3X multiple = $2,761,207
- Year 3 – Profit of $1,140,884 @ 3.1X multiple = $3,536,740
- Year 4 – Profit of $950,363 @3.7 X multiple = $3,516,343
As stated earlier, you can see that the larger your business, the higher the amount of money you can ask when ready to sell.
How Does Your Business Compare?
Keep in mind that there are always fluctuations on a daily basis in the market, and different variables will give you different values of a business. So, comparing your business directly to a firm next door will not get you the answer you seek; but, generally, the bigger your business, the more money you can ask for.
This graph below represents the total deals that were sold at each valuation range. For example, in 2014 (light blue line), there were three deals sold between $500,000 and $1 million.
The data below breaks down the analysis we have conducted on 127 business sales in the last 10 years and, as you can see, as your revenue increases, the higher your multiple becomes. What does a higher multiple get you? A better return on your investment.
The next graph represents the valuation multiple for deals completed at each valuation range. For example, in 2014 (light blue line), deals sold between $2 millions and $10 millions received an average multiple of 11.08X yearly net profit. So, if your business sold for $5 millions, it was likely making $451,264 per year in net profit ($5 millions divided by 11.08).
What If I Want To Sell My Business?
Broker –— best for deals of under $1 million in sales per year. Smaller and micro-businesses are usually best sold by brokers. Find a broker from these marketplaces:
- Bizbuysell.com – the largest marketplace for buying and selling small supply chain businesses
- Bizquest.com – the second largest marketplace for buying and selling small supply chain businesses
M&A Advisor –— best for medium businesses ($1 million to $50 million in sales per year). Medium-sized businesses are best sold through brokers who help with finding buyers, negotiating and structuring the deal. To sell your medium-sized business, check out:
Investment Banks –— best for large businesses ($50 million+ in sales per year). Larger businesses are best sold through investment banks or merger and acquisition companies. To sell your large business, check out:
Factors That Increase Valuation
When it comes to the valuation of your company, there are many factors that can increase or decrease the value. Potential buyers will look at things such as sales and profits as well as the length of the time your business has been around; however, those are not the only factors that increase a valuation because they do not completely tell the story of your business.
Take a look at the factors below and make sure that you can answer all these questions in order to get the best valuation for your business.
- What are the sales?
- What is the profit?
- What are the growth trends?
- What is driving new sales and is that sustainable?
- What channels do new customers come from and what is the breakdown of each channel?
- What is your market position?
- Is your location favorable?
- How reliant is the center on the owner?
- What systems and processes are in place to run the center?
Are You Ready?
Deciding to sell your business is not an easy decision for most. It can be overwhelming at times, and each owner does so for a different reason. But, whatever your reason, be sure that you possess the necessary tools to make and understand the correct valuation of your company.
To help you as a confident business owner, we have implemented a tried and true step-by-step process to give you the best valuation for your business. Many essential steps are forgotten or overlooked by some business owners in the selling process, but, by completing all the steps we’ve put forth, you are sure to receive the maximum profit for the sale of your business.