The Master Plan

Interview with a Business Evaluator

by Anne Marie Schlekeway – August 4, 2010
I had the privilege of interviewing Katherine Puffer CPA/ABV, CFF, CPUU, MBA (University of Chicago) from VH Valuations not long ago. I wanted to find out what a business evaluator looked for when determining a business’ value so I could build my company with value in mind. Our meeting was fascinating. As you can see, she is immensely qualified and quite frankly, brilliant!  What I like about Katherine is that she loves working on the hard stuff and the complex cases and she has the ability to synthesize the details into basic guidelines a layman like me can follow.
Katherine Puffer’s 10 Things You Can Do to Increase the Value of Your Business:
The obvious:
  • Increase your revenues
  • Decrease your expenses
The not so obvious:
  • Collect your receivables
  • Manage your inventory down
  • Delay paying your bills until they are due
  • Take on debt
  • Reduce the interest rate you are paying on your debt
  • Don’t have customers that make up more than 10% of your business
  • Treat your employees well
  • Organize an advisory board
People need a business evaluator when they:
  • Determine the value of their business for a buy/sell
  • Have a disagreement with their partners
  • Have a business interruption loss
  • Have a breach of contract involving their business
  • Are getting a divorce
  • Want to gift stock to their children or a charity
  • Want to sell their business to an employee
Looking at my business from this point of view has my eye on new measures and is making me track other indicators beyond sales and revenue. I am now clear about how the objective observer would value my business and I can manage for growth accordingly. If you are in need of a business evaluation, I highly recommend Katherine who can be reached at kpuffer@vhvaluations.com and is a remarkable resource.

About the Author: Anne Marie Schlekeway

In loving memory of Anne Marie Schlekeway, the Cheekiest Chick we've ever known, who recently lost her admirably courageous battle with the very disease she fought so hard against, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). In her honor, please support a charity that Anne Marie was extremely passionate about: Augie's Quest. Augie's Quest, an ALS research initiative, is an aggressive, cure-driven effort focused on finding treatments and cures for ALS. Anne Marie, thank you for your words of wisdom - it has been a privilege and an honor to publish them. You have affected everyone who has ever had the privilege of reading them. Thank you from the bottom of our heart. We are raising a glass of pink bubbles to you. August 12, 1966 - December 9, 2010

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Who is the Cheeky chick?

She is fun, fabulous and fierce. She is chic, intelligent and in-the-know. But most of all, the Cheeky chick is the kind of woman who embraces, admires, respects, smiles at and opens her heart to other fabulous chicks. Now THAT'S Cheeky, darling!