Discover the true value
of your business.
Whether you're selling, raising equity capital, or planning your exit — understanding your business's value is the foundation of every strategic decision. Achieve Corporation applies multiple valuation methods to provide a balanced, defensible, and accurate picture of what your business is worth.
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All valuations conducted by Mark Ross Roberts FMVA · CBCA
Valuation is an art,
not just a science.
No single method tells the full story. A business valued on earnings alone may understate the worth of its asset base. A business valued on assets alone may miss the earning power that drives a buyer's price. Achieve Corporation applies multiple methods to every engagement — producing a valuation range that is balanced, defensible, and built to withstand scrutiny.
The right method — or combination of methods — depends on the nature of the business, its financial profile, and the purpose of the valuation. What follows is a plain-language explanation of each approach we use.
Valuation methods tailored to your business
EBITDA
Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & AmortisationEBITDA is the most widely used reference point in UK SME valuation. It standardises operational performance, enabling like-for-like comparison across businesses and industries. By excluding non-operating costs, it isolates core profitability — providing buyers, lenders, and acquirers with a reliable measure of maintainable earnings. EBITDA also underpins debt-service capacity assessments in M&A and credit evaluations. It is the starting point for most mid-market transactions.
Primary method · M&A standardEarnings Multiples
Price / Earnings ratio adjusted for business-specific factorsIdeal for established, profitable businesses with a track record of consistent earnings. Earnings multiples use the Price/Earnings ratio as a market benchmark, then apply adjustments based on sector, growth trajectory, customer concentration, management depth, and risk profile. The adjusted multiple produces a valuation that reflects both the business's earnings and the specific factors that would influence what a buyer is prepared to pay.
Established businesses · Profit-drivenDiscounted Cash Flow
DCF · Long-term intrinsic value based on future free cash flowAppropriate for cash-generating, mature businesses where forward visibility is strong. DCF focuses on long-term cash flow forecasts and discounts them back to a present value, producing an intrinsic valuation that is independent of market sentiment. It captures the full economic value of future earnings after reinvestment and working capital requirements. DCF is the most rigorous method available — and the most sensitive to assumptions, which is why every assumption must be explicit and defensible.
Mature businesses · Cash-generativeEntry Cost
Replacement cost of building the business from scratchThe Entry Cost method considers what it would cost a buyer to replicate the business from the ground up — including capital expenditure, recruitment, licences, systems, customer relationships, and the time value of reaching the current trading position. For buyers weighing acquisition against organic build, this method provides a direct economic comparison. It is particularly relevant for businesses where the value lies as much in what has been built as in what is currently being earned.
Build vs. buy · Capital-intensiveAsset-Based
Net asset value · Tangible assets minus liabilitiesOptimal for asset-rich businesses — manufacturing, real estate, infrastructure, and capital-intensive sectors — where the balance sheet carries significant value independent of earnings. The asset-based method focuses on the realisable value of tangible assets minus liabilities. It establishes a valuation floor and is frequently used alongside earnings methods to provide a more complete picture, particularly where EBITDA alone may understate what the business owns.
Asset-rich · Manufacturing · PropertyIndustry Rules of Thumb
Sector-specific benchmarks derived from transaction evidenceIn industries where transactions are frequent and comparable, market-specific conventions develop — such as a multiple of recurring monthly fees for professional services firms, or a per-outlet figure for retail businesses. These rules of thumb are derived from observable deal evidence and reflect what informed buyers in a specific sector are prepared to pay. They are most useful as a cross-check against earnings or asset methods, grounding the valuation in sector reality.
Sector-specific · Cross-check methodOther factors that influence value
The method provides the framework. These factors move the number within it — sometimes materially.Growth Potential
A business demonstrating credible, evidenced growth — expanding revenue, improving margins, or entering new markets — typically commands a stronger multiple. Buyers price forward trajectory, not just current earnings. A business growing at 15% per annum in an attractive sector is worth more than an identical business generating identical profits but standing still.
External Conditions
Economic conditions, sector appetite, and credit market availability all influence what buyers are prepared to pay and how transactions are structured. Achieve Corporation works on live transactions continuously — which means current market context informs every valuation we produce, not a desktop estimate based on stale comparables.
Intangible Assets
Brand strength, customer relationships, proprietary processes, licences, and key personnel can add significant value beyond what the accounts reflect. An independent model makes the contribution of intangibles explicit rather than leaving them as an unarticulated premium in the asking price.
Context of Valuation
The purpose of a valuation determines which method is most appropriate and what level of rigour is required. A shareholder dispute requires different evidence from exit planning. A lender's credit assessment requires different outputs from a buyer negotiation. Context shapes both method and output.
Your valuation, simplified.
"Valuation is an art, not just a science. We apply multiple methods to produce a balanced and accurate estimation of your business's value — and translate the output into decisions you can act on." Mark Ross Roberts · FMVA · CBCA · 30 Years UK M&AValuing your business is a complex but necessary process — whether the context is a sale, a legal requirement, a funding round, or strategic planning. No single method is definitive. No single number tells the whole story.
Achieve Corporation applies multiple methods to every engagement, producing a range that reflects the business accurately, with every assumption visible and every figure supported by the model. We also assist in developing an effective exit strategy, ensuring you realise the maximum potential of what you have built.
All valuations conducted by:
Mark Ross Roberts — Senior Partner. Financial Modelling and Valuations Analyst (FMVA) and Commercial Banking and Credit Analyst (CBCA) through the Corporate Finance Institute. 30 years of UK mid-market deal experience across £5m–£75m enterprise value.
Every valuation is built by the principal — not delegated to junior staff. The analyst who produces your model is the analyst who walks you through it.
Don't leave your business's worth
to speculation.
An informed, strategic decision starts with an accurate number. Achieve Corporation's Business Valuation Report delivers an independent, FMVA-standard analysis — with a clear, defensible value range, plain-language narrative, and a working Excel model. Delivered in 2 working days at a fixed fee.
Order your valuation report → Fixed fee · 2 working days · All work conducted by Mark Ross Roberts FMVA CBCAUnlock the Power of EBITDA
The primary measure of maintainable operating earnings and the starting point for most mid-market valuations.
Focused PE Ratio / Multiples
Market-benchmarked and adjusted for the specific characteristics of your business and sector.
Expertise in Discounted Cash Flow
Intrinsic value derived from long-term free cash flow — the most rigorous method available.
In-Depth Entry Cost Analysis
What would it cost to build this business from scratch? The answer defines the buyer's acquisition floor.