When it comes to selling your business — or even just preparing for a potential exit — knowing what it’s worth is the first step.

But not every business owner needs a 168-page valuation report packed with financial theory and complex modeling. Sometimes, you need practical clarity. You need a number you can trust. You need a decision-making tool that doesn’t take months to produce or tens of thousands of dollars to commission.

That’s exactly what our Light Valuation delivers.

This is the valuation report we build when an owner is serious about selling — but not interested in wasting time. It’s lean, comprehensive, and focused on the variables that actually impact what your company is worth in the current market.

Here’s a breakdown of what it includes and why it matters.

Fast, Focused, and Built for Real Decisions

The Light Valuation isn’t just “shorter.” It’s purpose-built to strip away the fluff and focus on what buyers care about most — cash flow, risk, and return.

Whether you’re a founder trying to set a realistic asking price or a business owner evaluating whether now is the right time to exit, this report helps you answer key questions:

  • What’s my business actually worth today?
  • What kind of buyer would be interested?
  • What’s holding my valuation back?
  • How much could I walk away with after the deal closes?

This is the kind of clarity that changes your posture — from guessing to negotiating with confidence.

What’s Inside the Light Valuation?

We take a structured, data-backed approach that covers five core components:

1. Normalized Financials

We go beyond your tax filings to uncover what your business is really generating in free cash flow. Many owners deduct personal expenses or structure earnings to reduce taxable income. We recast your financials to reveal what a buyer will actually value.

2. Projections & Assumptions

Future performance matters. We include realistic growth assumptions and analyze fixed vs. variable cost structures so we can forecast profitability under different scenarios.

3. Risk Ratings Across Key Areas

We score your business in four major risk categories:

  • Marketability Risk: How attractive is your business to buyers?
  • Operational Risk: Are you overly dependent on key people, customers, or suppliers?
  • Growth Risk: Can your business scale? Is there a proven growth engine?
  • Capital Risk: How much working capital or CapEx is needed to sustain operations?

These risk scores help shape the multiple your business can demand.

4. Industry Benchmarking

We benchmark your business against hundreds of real transactions in your industry using data from Business Valuation Resources (BVR) and Vertical IQ. This gives you a market-based sense of where you stand — and what similar businesses are selling for right now.

5. Valuation Methods and Weighted Averages

We apply 11 different valuation methods — including asset-based, income-based, and market-based approaches — and weight them based on relevance. You get a clear value range supported by math, not guesswork.

But What Will I Walk Away With?

Valuation is just part of the story. That’s why we also model Cash at Close — the number that really matters.

We factor in:

  • Working capital adjustments
  • Debt repayment
  • Closing costs (legal, accounting, M&A advisory, insurance)
  • Deferred payments or earn-outs
  • Tax impact

This gives you a real-world look at how much you’ll actually keep after the deal closes — not just the headline sale price.

With proper tax planning, we’ll even show you how much more you could save by structuring things right before the sale.

Why Do We Offer This?

Because not every business is ready — or willing — to spend $20,000 on a full valuation. Our Light Valuation is the perfect fit for:

  • Owners thinking about selling in the next 12–18 months
  • Sellers receiving unsolicited interest from buyers
  • Brokers and advisors who need a fast pricing benchmark
  • Owners curious about how to increase business value before listing

It’s built to help you take the next step — whether that’s going to market now or preparing to do so down the line.

Know Your Value. Control Your Exit.

If you’re even thinking about selling your business — now or a few years down the line — the smartest move you can make is understanding what it’s worth today.

Our Light Valuation gives you:

  • A real-world number buyers would pay
  • Insights to improve your value before going to market
  • Clarity on what you’d actually walk away with after taxes and fees

No fluff. No jargon. Just a practical, deal-ready valuation built for business owners like you.

Still have questions? Email Raph directly at raph@zatatratransactions.com. No pressure — just honest answers.