Confidential preliminary review

Find out what your business may be worth.

Discuss a practical value range, the evidence behind it, and the factors that may raise or lower buyer confidence—without committing to a sale.

Who should request a review

Useful before the decision is final.

  • Owners considering a sale now or in several years
  • Owners planning retirement or family succession
  • Owners who received unsolicited buyer interest
  • Partners discussing a possible transition
  • Owners who want to identify value-building priorities
What may be discussed

High-level information first.

  • Revenue, reported profit, owner pay, and add-backs
  • Industry, services, customers, and recurring revenue
  • Owner responsibilities and management depth
  • Licenses, contracts, assets, and real estate
  • Debt, working capital, growth, and material risks
What happens during the call

A simple, private starting process.

01

Clarify the purpose

Discuss why you want to understand value, the timing, and whether a formal assignment may be needed.

02

Review the business at a high level

Cover earnings, business mix, recurring revenue, staff, owner involvement, assets, and known risks.

03

Identify a useful next step

That may be a preliminary range, a records request, a readiness project, or a referral to a formal professional.

Scope and confidentiality

What the free review can—and cannot—establish.

The free conversation is intended to help an owner understand the valuation process, likely earnings measure, relevant market context, transferability questions, and possible preliminary range. It is not a full diligence process or a written formal appraisal.

The public website has no contact form, email address, or telephone number. Financial records are not uploaded here. The calculator operates in the browser. If you schedule a call, OneCal’s privacy terms apply to the information you choose to give it.

A preliminary business value estimate is intended for educational and planning purposes. It is not a certified appraisal, fairness opinion, tax valuation, legal opinion, or guarantee of sale price.

When to seek a formal professional

A certified or purpose-specific valuation may be appropriate for estate and gift tax, litigation, divorce, shareholder disputes, employee plans, fairness, lender requirements, financial reporting, or other legal and regulatory uses. The required credentials and standard of value depend on the assignment.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in the free review?

A private initial conversation about the company, its earnings, industry, transferability, buyer concerns, and a possible preliminary value range when the available information supports one.

Will I receive a certified appraisal report?

No. The free review is educational and preliminary. It does not include a certified or purpose-specific appraisal report.

Do I have to provide detailed records before the call?

No. A high-level conversation can identify which records matter. Better documentation allows a more useful follow-up review.

Do I have to be ready to sell?

No. Owners may be planning several years ahead, considering succession, responding to buyer interest, or learning what drives value.

Evidence notes

Sources and review date

Last reviewed: July 26, 2026. Sources are linked for context; a national benchmark is not a substitute for local comparable sales or a purpose-specific appraisal.

  1. IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60Foundational factors for valuing closely held interests; no single formula fits every case.
  2. U.S. Small Business AdministrationBusiness valuation guidance for owners considering a sale or acquisition.
  3. IBBA glossary and SDE guidanceDefinitions used by business brokers and advisers.
  4. BizBuySell valuation benchmarksReported sold-business data and industry context for Main Street transactions.