Assess the value of your business before sale

Updated March 2026 - When a manager wants to assess the value of his business, he rarely looks for an abstract figure. He wants to know at what level to open the discussion, how to justify the value, and how to avoid a negotiation turning against him. In practice, the valuation of a business or a goodwill cannot be reduced to either a scale or a mechanically applied multiple. It requires a combined reading of the activity, profitability, lease, customer base, equipment and market context.

See also: Final transfer deed, The memorandum of understanding in a business transfer and Family business transfer.

Value is not price. Service Public Entreprendre points out that valuation gives orders of magnitude which serve as a basis for negotiation. The final price then also depends on supply, demand and the file.

For a business, it is necessary to distinguish:

• ▸intangible elements;
• ▸the equipment;
• ▸goods;
• ▸contracts and operating context;
• ▸the digital elements which contribute to the continuity of the activity.

The criteria cited by official sources and recovery practice often converge around:

• ▸historical turnover;
• ▸profitability;
• ▸the financial structure;
• ▸the quality of the clientele;
• ▸reputation;
• ▸competition;
• ▸the commercial lease;
• ▸the condition of the materials and equipment.

What not to forget

In the sale of a fund, all the elements are not housed in the same value. Service Public reminds, for example, that the stock of goods does not automatically enter into the value of the fund and can be evaluated separately. This is a crucial point to avoid price confusion.

Hayot Expertise Advice: a good valuation is not intended to inflate the price. It aims to make the price defensible. It is this difference that changes the quality of a negotiation.

Serious expertise allows you to:

• ▸set a consistent starting price;
• ▸anticipate the buyer’s objections;
• ▸prepare the transfer documents;
• ▸save time in the discussion;
• ▸limit the risk of a sudden gap between expectation and offer.

• ▸confuse fund value, stock and real estate;
• ▸overweight an exceptional year;
• ▸do not reread the commercial lease;
• ▸forget the investments to be planned;
• ▸enter into negotiations without a figure file.

CTA: Frame the valuation and documentation of your transfer

Assessing the value of your business means transforming an intuition into a defensible case. In 2026, the right approach is to document profitability, funds, lease, risks and recovery levers rather than looking for a magic number.

Do you want to prepare a business transfer with a more solid and more readable valuation? Our firm helps you structure data, pricing logic and trading pieces. Make an appointment with an expert

(Official sources: Service Public Entreprendre, Entreprendre.Service-Public.fr, Bpifrance Creation)