As a business valuation professional, oftentimes your work effort goes beyond the preparation of an appraisal report. Business owners may engage with a more comprehensive advisory team to accomplish their goals, including tax, accounting, and legal representatives. With the potential threat of audits and legal disputes involved with certain ongoing project requirements, this team of experts may all have a role in the successful outcome for your client.
As the valuation professional, ensure that you include a clear delineation of the scope of work and fees associated with preparing and delivering the appraisal report and any follow-up consulting work which may arise as the transactions or cases develop. One option to accomplish this is to have a fixed cost for your initial report and hourly rates specified for any work pertaining to the continuing efforts related to the larger advisory team.
If you know the valuation work will be included as part of an ongoing or potential audit, or if litigation consulting and testimony may be involved, discuss these issues with the client and other members of the advisory team, so you can gauge the depth of additional time involved and look to better plan the future scope of work.
Ensure you document all your discussions, both by phone and email, while tracking your time on a weekly or monthly basis so you can support the additional costs involved with the prolongation of the appraisal engagement.
Look to these kinds of projects as an excellent tool to gain additional experience while working within a team environment where a common goal is to bring value added to your client’s transaction or legal case. Better understand the larger perspective of the matter so you can best prepare and potentially bring thoughtful suggestions to the table which relate to your role in the scope of work effort.
The most successful service providers understand how to look outside of their day-to-day analysis and report responsibilities and develop expanded opportunities in a business consulting and support environment. In a professional world where disputes are common and must eventually be ironed out, you can leverage your expertise to involve yourself in these cases and become a more diversified appraisal firm.