1000+
Valuations delivered
17+
Years of experience
12
Sectors covered
100%
Independent & unbiased
We produce independent written valuations of private companies. We don't sell businesses and we don't do accounts.
Your business, independently valued in 72 hours. Fixed fee from £495.
A bespoke report by a valuer with 1,000+ valuations behind him — the kind HMRC, courts, buyers and co‑shareholders accept without argument. No sales pitch, no onward mandate, no incentive to inflate or deflate the number.
“Figures robust and accepted by all parties.”
“Amazed at the breadth and scope of the report.”
“Clear, independent and delivered on time.”
Valuations for
- —Selling
- —Buying
- —Tax, HMRC, EMI and probate
- —Shareholder disputes
- —Divorce and financial settlement
Typical response within the hour. No obligation.
James Nelson
Founder & M&A Valuation Director · 1,000+ valuations
Why do you need a valuation?
Choose the reason closest to your situation for a tailored page and fee.
Why independence matters
A valuation is only as useful as it is impartial.
Your accountant
Knows the business, not independent of it.
They prepare your accounts and tax — a different discipline from valuation — and the working relationship makes true independence hard to demonstrate to a third party.
A broker
Often pricing a mandate they hope to win.
A free broker valuation is a sales tool. The figure's job is to win the instruction, which creates a well-known incentive to flatter the number early and 'adjust to market feedback' later.
The Business Valuers
No onward service to sell.
We don't sell your business and we don't do your accounts. We are paid to produce a number that is right and that holds up in front of HMRC, opposing parties, courts and acquirers.
Who signs the report
James Nelson
Founder & M&A Valuation Director · 17 years, 1,000+ valuations, ex Head of Corporate Sales at Christie & Co.
What we value businesses for
Independence matters across every reason an SME gets valued, not only at sale. These are the engagements we take on most often.
Valuation for sale
Before you go to market, you need to know what your business is genuinely worth, not the figure a broker quotes to win the instruction. A clear, independent valuation sets a realistic asking price, exposes the value drivers worth strengthening first, and gives you firm ground to stand on when a buyer starts testing your number.
Read more →Valuation for tax, HMRC, EMI and probate
Tax valuations have to satisfy HMRC, which means the basis and the evidence behind the figure are as important as the figure itself. We produce valuations for EMI option schemes, share transfers, gift and capital gains positions, and probate, each prepared to the standard the relevant authority expects.
Read more →Valuation for shareholder disputes
When shareholders fall out, the value of the holding is usually the heart of the argument. We act as an independent expert, and where both sides agree, as single joint expert, producing a valuation that neither party can dismiss as partisan. The report is written to withstand challenge from the other side and their advisers.
Read more →Valuation for divorce
In a financial settlement, a business is often the largest and most contested asset on the table. An independent valuation gives both parties, their solicitors and the court a figure they can rely on, prepared to the standard family proceedings demand.
Read more →Not sure if you need a formal valuation? Tell us your situation — no charge, no obligation.
How it works
01
Send your figures.
You send us your accounts and a short briefing on the business. Typically the last three years of statutory accounts plus your latest management figures.
02
We build the valuation.
We analyse the figures, normalise the earnings, apply the appropriate basis of valuation for your purpose, and prepare your report.
03
You get the report.
You have it within 72 hours. A bespoke, written valuation with the basis set out so anyone who later challenges it can see exactly how the figure was reached.
There is no questionnaire that spits out a number, and no automated model standing in for judgement. Every valuation is the work of a valuer who has done this more than a thousand times.
What this normally costs.
Indicative UK market fees for a written SME valuation report. Fees and turnaround vary by firm and complexity.
Accountancy firms
£2,000–£10,000+
2–4 weeks
Often prepared as an add-on to compliance work; scope and depth vary widely.
Chartered valuation practices
From £2,500
10 working days
Formal reports, typically aimed at larger transactions and formal proceedings.
The Business Valuers
Typically £495
72 hours
Fixed fee agreed up front. Bespoke written report to the same standard used in HMRC, court and buyer settings.
Comparison based on publicly available fee guides and quotes reported by UK SME owners. No comment intended on the quality of work done by other firms.
See what you actually get.
A bespoke written report — usually 25–40 pages — that stands up to scrutiny from HMRC, opposing parties, courts and acquirers. Below are four sections from an anonymised sample.
Executive summary
Executive summary
Headline value, valuation range and the basis relied on — the page a buyer, HMRC or the court will read first.
Normalised earnings
Normalised earnings
Adjustments to reported EBITDA — director remuneration, one-offs, related-party items — with each adjustment justified.
Multiple & benchmarks
Multiple & benchmarks
The multiple applied, with comparable SME transactions in your sector and the reasoning for the range.
Cross-checks
Cross-checks
Net asset and DCF cross-checks, triangulated against the earnings figure to test the conclusion.
Name and email only. No sales calls.
How we arrive at the figure.
Earnings multiple
a normalised-EBITDA multiple, the primary lens for a trading business
Net asset valuation
what the balance sheet underpins
Discounted cash flow
the value of future cash, where the figures support it
Triangulated and benchmarked against comparable transactions in your sector — not a single formula.
Common questions.
How much does a business valuation cost?
An independent SME business valuation from The Business Valuers is a fixed fee, typically £495, quoted before any work begins. Across the wider UK market, formal written reports typically cost £2,000 to £10,000+. The fee is invoiced on instruction, with no success fees and no follow-on charges.
How long does a valuation take?
Reports are delivered within 72 hours of receiving your financial figures. Most other firms take two to four weeks. We work to that pace because the moments that call for a valuation — a buyer approach, an HMRC deadline, a dispute — rarely leave room to wait.
What size of business do you value?
We focus on UK SMEs with turnovers of £500,000 to £20 million. Businesses smaller than that usually don't need a formal report; larger businesses sit outside our fixed-fee product and we'll say so honestly at the quote stage rather than overreach.
Can my accountant value my business?
Your accountant prepares your accounts and tax, which is a different discipline from independent valuation, and they are not independent of the business. Most accountants refer valuation work to a specialist for exactly this reason — several of the firms we work alongside refer their clients here.
Will HMRC accept the valuation?
HMRC does not pre-approve most valuations, but a report prepared on a recognised basis with the evidence documented in full is far less likely to be challenged — and far easier to defend if it is. Our reports set out the methodology to the standard HMRC expects for share transfers, EMI, gifts, CGT and probate.
Is the valuation genuinely independent?
Yes. We don't sell your business and we don't do your accounts, so the figure carries no incentive to inflate it to win a sale mandate or deflate it to win a quick deal. Independence is what gives our reports standing with HMRC, opposing parties, courts and acquirers.
What method do you use?
We triangulate three methods on every report: a normalised-EBITDA earnings multiple as the primary lens, a net asset valuation, and a discounted cash flow as a cross-check. Each is benchmarked against comparable transactions in your sector rather than relying on a single formula.
What information do you need from me?
Typically the last three years of statutory accounts plus your latest management figures, and a short conversation about owner remuneration, one-off items and any customer concentration. We send a checklist when you get in touch and everything can be shared securely by email or upload link.
Not sure if you need a formal valuation? Tell us your situation — no charge, no obligation.
"James valued our business, asked some very sensible questions and provided an in-depth detailed report. Our accountant was amazed at the breadth and scope. The final figures were robust and accepted by all parties."
Find out what your business is worth, independently and within 72 hours.
Request a valuation or call to talk through your situation first.