Valuation & Deals
4 posts in Valuation & Deals.
What a business is worth, what the diligence around a sale examines, and what the advice costs. Earnings times a multiple is the formula; everything here is about which earnings and which multiple. The valuation & deals section opens with the numbers that govern it.
- Valuation & Deals
409A valuation cost: what startups pay in 2026
A 409A valuation runs from $499 on an AI platform to $20,000 at a Big Four firm. Most startups pay $1,500 to $5,000. What drives the price, and what it buys.
- Valuation & Deals
Business valuation: SDE, EBITDA, and multiples
A business sells for a multiple of its earnings. How SDE and EBITDA differ, what multiple a business earns, and how to size up the number before a sale.
- Valuation & Deals
Fractional CFO cost: retainers, hourly, value
A fractional CFO runs $3,000 to $10,000 a month on retainer, or $150 to $500 an hour. What each model buys, and when a business actually needs one.
- Valuation & Deals
Quality of earnings cost: what a QoE report runs
A quality of earnings report runs $15,000 to $150,000, set by deal size and complexity. What a QoE examines, why buyers order one, and who pays for it.