Business valuation calculator NZ

It's free and private. Use it to get a feel for where you sit before you talk to anyone.

Your result is an indicative estimate based only on the figures you enter. It isn't a valuation or a broker's appraisal, and it shouldn't be relied on for lending, tax, legal or sale decisions. We'll email your result and may follow up about a free appraisal. You can unsubscribe at any time. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle your information.

What the calculator asks for

Most owners can answer every question from their latest annual accounts:

• Your industry and region
• Annual sales
• Net profit before tax
• What you pay yourself, whether as wages, salary or drawings
• Interest and depreciation for the year
• Personal or one-off costs that went through the business

If you're not sure about a figure, use your best estimate. It's a starting point, and you can run it again once you've checked with your accountant.

How your range is worked out

Buyers of owner-operated businesses mostly look at one number: what the business earns for its owner each year before tax, finance and depreciation. Brokers call that EBPITDA.

The calculator adds back your wages, interest, depreciation and the one-off costs you entered to get an adjusted earnings figure. It then applies a band of multiples typical for your industry. That's why you get a range rather than one number. Where your business lands inside it depends on things the calculator can't measure.

What a calculator can't see

A spreadsheet has no idea whether your lease has two years or ten left on it. It can't tell that one customer makes up a third of your sales, or that your manager is ready to run the place without you.

Those details often move a price by tens of thousands of dollars in either direction. Profit trends matter too. Two businesses earning $150,000 this year will be priced differently if one has grown for three years and the other has slid.

So treat your result as a conversation starter.

Calculator, appraisal or valuation?

Each one does a different job:

• This calculator gives you a private, indicative range in minutes.
• A broker's appraisal is a written opinion of what your business would sell for, prepared by a licensed broker and backed by comparable sales. Ours is free and confidential.
• A formal valuation is an independent report prepared by a chartered accountant, used for banks, tax, shareholder exits and relationship property.

If you're not sure which one you need, the difference between a business appraisal and a valuation mostly comes down to who will rely on the result.

Getting the most from your estimate

Owners who run the calculator a year or more before selling get the most out of it. Note the range, then look at what would push you to the top of it.

Usually that means a cleaner set of accounts, a lease renewal signed early and less of the business depending on you. Start with the practical steps for preparing your business for sale.

When you want a figure you can plan around, book an appraisal. It looks at everything the calculator can't.

Book a free, confidential appraisal

Calculator questions

Is the result a valuation of my business?

No. It's an indicative estimate generated from the figures you enter. A valuation is a formal report prepared by a chartered accountant, and a broker's appraisal is a written opinion backed by comparable sales.

Can I use the estimate for my bank or accountant?

No. Banks, Inland Revenue and the courts need a formal valuation from a chartered accountant. The calculator is for your own planning only.

Is my information kept private?

Yes. Your figures are used to produce your estimate and to follow up if you'd like an appraisal. We don't share them with buyers or anyone else.

Why did I get a range instead of one figure?

Because the calculator can't see the things that decide where a business lands, such as the lease, customer spread, staff and profit trend. An appraisal narrows the range down.