Morning All, I actually do this for a living....my firm has been around 40 years and personally I have been involved in 285 sold deals. Countless others that did not sell or get acquired....and those my friends are the consequence of not understanding this process at least at the macro level. As an owner you should solicit several opinions on valuation and it needs to come from the outside. Folks who are objective. There are several valuation methods and who the buyer is, what their needs are, and where you fit in a busy market matters. Some stuff to consider.... 1. clean records are vital 2. plan out 5 years and annually review with your m&a advisor or business broker as well as your cpa 3. understand the tax implications....they are unavoidable but can be mitigated with planning 4. understand where your business fits in the marketplace...multiples are not static by industry and the financing / world economic situation impacts your ability to sell and get funding for the buyer. Reach out if you ever want to chat twitter @mshea403