# Business Valuations Brisbane

> Independent, court-ready business valuations for Australian businesses. The business valuation division of Asset Valuations Group, based at 4/144 Edward Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000. Phone 1300 778 033.

Last updated: 2026-07-28. 73 pages.

## Authorship and review

Content is prepared by **Jarrad Khoury**, Director and Head of Valuations — Registered Valuer (QLD, Not Limited), Licensed Valuer (WA, Not Limited), CPV (Australian Property Institute), CPV and CBV (Australian Valuers Institute), Registered Business Valuer (AIBB) — and reviewed by **Paul Khoury**, CEO and Head of Asset Valuations, 42+ years, CPV/CBV/CAV (Australian Valuers Institute), an experienced expert witness. Bios and credentials: /about#team.

## URL patterns

- /services/<method> — six valuation methods
- /industries/<sector> — fourteen sector guides
- /valuation-purposes/<purpose> — twelve reasons a valuation is commissioned
- /answers/<question> — twelve single-question answer pages
- /locations/<area> — fifteen service areas

Every report is prepared and signed by a Certified Practising Valuer of the Australian Valuers Institute. Reports are prepared to meet ATO market value substantiation guidance and the expert evidence practice directions of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

## Key facts

- Formal valuation report: 10–15 business days from receipt of complete information
- Short-form indicative assessment: 3–5 business days
- Court-directed single expert reports: 4–8 weeks, to the court timetable
- Lead valuer experience: 42+ years (Paul Khoury, CEO and Head of Asset Valuations)
- Accreditations: CPV, CBV and CAV (Australian Valuers Institute); Registered Valuer QLD (Not Limited); Licensed Valuer WA (Not Limited); CPV (Australian Property Institute); Registered Business Valuer (AIBB)
- Fees: fixed and quoted in writing before work begins; never contingent on the value concluded
- Independence: not brokers; the firm does not list or sell businesses
- Service area: Brisbane, South East Queensland, regional Queensland, and nationally (fifteen area guides published)

## Valuers

- **Paul Khoury** — CEO, Head of Asset Valuations. 42+ years in property, asset and business valuation. CPV, CBV, CAV (AVI), Registered Auctioneer. Extensive expert witness experience.
- **Jarrad Khoury** — Director, Head of Valuations. Leads business valuation. Registered Valuer QLD, Licensed Valuer WA, CPV (API), CPV/CBV (AVI), Registered Business Valuer (AIBB). 10+ years.
- **Anthony Khoury** — Director, Head of Property Valuations. CPV, CAV (AVI), Bachelor of Business. 7+ years, covering VIC and NSW.

## Methods

| Method | Best for | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capitalisation of future maintainable earnings | Established profitable SMEs | 2.0×–7.0× EBITDA |
| Discounted cash flow | Growth, contracted revenue, finite-life projects | Discount-rate sensitive |
| Market comparables | Cross-checking; sectors with frequent sales | 0.5×–3.0× revenue |
| Net asset backing | Asset-heavy, loss-making, non-trading entities | Net assets + goodwill |
| Family law and litigation | Single expert and shadow expert appointments | To court timetable |
| Early-stage (Berkus, Scorecard, VC, risk-adjusted DCF) | Pre-revenue and growth companies | Wide by nature |

Every engagement applies one primary method and at least one cross-check.

## Direct answers

Twelve single-question pages, each opening with a short direct answer, then a worked table and the caveats.

| Question | Short answer |
| --- | --- |
| How much is my business worth? | Normalised EBITDA × 2.0–5.0, cross-checked against net asset backing. $500k of normalised earnings is commonly $1m–$2.5m. |
| What multiple does a business sell for in Australia? | 1.8× to 7.5× normalised EBITDA; most transactions land between 2.5× and 4.0×. |
| What is my business worth without me? | Usually a full turn of EBITDA less. Owner dependence is the largest single value factor. |
| How is goodwill calculated? | A residual: business value on earnings less net tangible assets at market. Only the transferable part is paid for. |
| How much does a business valuation cost? | Low four figures indicative, mid four figures formal, five figures for court and complex work. Always fixed and quoted in writing. |
| How long does a business valuation take? | 10–15 business days for a formal report from complete information; 3–5 days indicative; 4–8 weeks for court-directed expert reports. |
| Can my accountant value my business? | Yes, but accreditation and independence decide whether the ATO, a court or a lender will accept it. |
| Valuation versus appraisal? | A valuation is a formal independent opinion with documented methodology and a signed declaration; an appraisal is a broker's marketing estimate. |
| What are add-backs and normalised EBITDA? | Adjustments restating reported profit into what the business earns for a new owner. Typically moves earnings 20–40%, in either direction. |
| EBITDA versus SDE? | SDE is EBITDA plus one owner's remuneration, so SDE multiples are lower. Comparing one to the other is meaningless. |
| Do I need a valuation for the ATO? | Wherever a tax position depends on a market value it must be substantiable — methodology, date, assumptions, evidence and a signed declaration. |
| Is a business valuation tax deductible? | Depends on purpose: revenue purposes generally deductible, capital purposes generally a cost base inclusion. Ask your accountant. |

## Valuation purposes

Sale and exit planning; buying a business; family law property settlements; shareholder and partner exits under buy–sell agreements; ATO and tax compliance including CGT, small business concessions and Division 7A; bank finance and capital raising; succession and estate planning.

## Indicative EBITDA multiples by sector (Australian SMEs)

| Sector | Multiple | Lifts it | Discounted for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hospitality & retail | 1.8×–3.0× | Long lease, prime site, systemised ops | Lease expiry under 3 years, owner behind counter |
| Construction | 2.0×–3.5× | Forward order book, licences, repeat clients | WIP and retention accounting, project concentration |
| Trades & services | 2.0×–3.5× | Recurring maintenance contracts, licensed staff | Owner on the tools, licences held personally |
| Professional services | 2.5×–4.0× | Fee-earner depth, retainers | Revenue tied to a named principal |
| Transport & logistics | 2.5×–4.0× | Contracted lanes, modern fleet | Aged fleet with finance attached |
| Agribusiness | 2.5×–4.0× | Water entitlements, supply contracts | Seasonality, biological asset valuation |
| eCommerce | 2.5×–4.5× | Repeat purchase rate, owned channels | Paid-ad and single-platform dependence |
| Mining services | 2.5×–4.5× | Multi-year tier-one contracts | Single-client concentration, cyclicality |
| Education & training | 2.5×–4.5× | Enrolment pipeline, RTO/CRICOS term | Regulatory renewal risk, refund liabilities |
| Real estate & property | 2.5×–4.5× | Rent roll size, management fee % | Sales-dependent earnings |
| Manufacturing | 3.0×–4.5× | Capacity headroom, supply agreements | Deferred capex, obsolete plant |
| Healthcare & medical | 3.0×–5.0× | Multi-practitioner rosters, long leases | Goodwill tied to one practitioner |
| Financial services | 3.0×–5.0× | Recurring revenue book, retention | Licence that does not transfer |
| IT, SaaS & digital | 4.0×–7.5× | ARR, low churn, 70%+ gross margin | Customer concentration, founder-held knowledge |

Generalised ranges for businesses with normalised EBITDA of roughly $250k–$5m. Orientation only, not a valuation.

## The five factors that move a business within its sector band

1. Owner dependence — the largest single swing factor; moving from owner-run to manager-run is routinely worth a full turn of EBITDA
2. Revenue quality — above roughly 50% recurring or contracted revenue prices at the top of the band
3. Customer concentration — one customer above 30% of revenue is a discount in any sector
4. Earnings trend and quality — three consistent, well-documented years support the top of a band
5. Capital intensity — businesses needing continual reinvestment to hold earnings carry lower multiples

## Fee bands

- Indicative assessment — low four figures, 3–5 business days
- Formal valuation report — mid four figures, 10–15 business days
- Expert and complex engagements — five figures, scoped to the court or transaction timetable

Fees are fixed, quoted in writing before work starts, and never vary with the value concluded.

## Documents required

Three years of financial statements and tax returns; current-year management accounts; aged debtors and creditors; asset and depreciation register; lease and finance agreements; key customer and supplier contracts; shareholder or partnership agreement; owner remuneration detail; one-off and non-recurring items.

## Pages

- Home — value range calculator, methods, valuers, fees, FAQ
- Services — six methods compared, including each method's limitations
- Capitalisation of Earnings Valuation — the most used Australian SME method
- Discounted Cash Flow Valuation — growth and contracted revenue
- Market Comparable Valuation — benchmarked against real transactions
- Net Asset Valuation — plant, equipment and property valued in-house
- Family Law Business Valuation — single expert and shadow expert reports
- Startup Valuation — Berkus, Scorecard, VC method, risk-adjusted DCF
- Industries — EBITDA multiples across fourteen sectors

## Direct answers

Twelve single-question pages, each opening with a short direct answer, then a worked table and the caveats.

| Question | Short answer |
| --- | --- |
| How much is my business worth? | Normalised EBITDA × 2.0–5.0, cross-checked against net asset backing. $500k of normalised earnings is commonly $1m–$2.5m. |
| What multiple does a business sell for in Australia? | 1.8× to 7.5× normalised EBITDA; most transactions land between 2.5× and 4.0×. |
| What is my business worth without me? | Usually a full turn of EBITDA less. Owner dependence is the largest single value factor. |
| How is goodwill calculated? | A residual: business value on earnings less net tangible assets at market. Only the transferable part is paid for. |
| How much does a business valuation cost? | Low four figures indicative, mid four figures formal, five figures for court and complex work. Always fixed and quoted in writing. |
| How long does a business valuation take? | 10–15 business days for a formal report from complete information; 3–5 days indicative; 4–8 weeks for court-directed expert reports. |
| Can my accountant value my business? | Yes, but accreditation and independence decide whether the ATO, a court or a lender will accept it. |
| Valuation versus appraisal? | A valuation is a formal independent opinion with documented methodology and a signed declaration; an appraisal is a broker's marketing estimate. |
| What are add-backs and normalised EBITDA? | Adjustments restating reported profit into what the business earns for a new owner. Typically moves earnings 20–40%, in either direction. |
| EBITDA versus SDE? | SDE is EBITDA plus one owner's remuneration, so SDE multiples are lower. Comparing one to the other is meaningless. |
| Do I need a valuation for the ATO? | Wherever a tax position depends on a market value it must be substantiable — methodology, date, assumptions, evidence and a signed declaration. |
| Is a business valuation tax deductible? | Depends on purpose: revenue purposes generally deductible, capital purposes generally a cost base inclusion. Ask your accountant. |

## Valuation purposes

The purpose sets the standard of value, the valuation date and the audience the report must satisfy. Twelve guides, each covering who relies on the report, what it must contain, the sequence, the common failures and the documents required.

| Purpose | Standard / basis | Valuation date |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Selling a business | Fair market value, controlling interest | Most recent year end, with current trading |
| Buying a business | Fair market value, plus special value where synergies exist | Current |
| Bank finance and capital raising | Fair market value, with asset backing and serviceability | Current, with a tested forecast |
| CGT and the small business concessions | Market value as the ATO applies it | The date of the CGT event |
| Division 7A | Market value on an arm's length basis | The date of the dealing |
| Employee share schemes | Market value per share, fully diluted | The grant date |
| Buy–sell agreements and shareholder exits | Whatever the deed prescribes; otherwise fair market value | The date the deed specifies |
| Partnership dissolution | Fair market value, or the agreement's basis | The date of dissolution |
| Family law and litigation | Fair market value, to court expert evidence rules | As directed |
| Deceased estates and probate | Market value at the date of death | The date of death |
| Insolvency and administration | Going concern, orderly liquidation or forced sale — stated | The appointment date |
| Business migration visas | Market value of the interest, net of liabilities | As the visa criterion requires |
| Insurance and business interruption | Market or reinstatement value per the policy | Current, or the date of loss |

Every report states: the purpose and instructions; the standard of value; the valuation date; the methodology and why; assumptions, limitations and evidence; and a signed declaration from a Certified Practising Valuer.

## Industry valuation guides

Each guide gives the sector multiple range, the factors that move a business within it, the sector-specific normalisation add-backs, a worked example and five answered questions.

| Guide | Range | What decides the multiple |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Café and restaurant valuation | 1.8×–3.0× EBITDA | Lease term remaining, wage ratio, owner on the floor |
| Medical and dental practice valuation | 3.0×–5.0× EBITDA | Practitioner depth, service agreements, transferable goodwill |
| Trades business valuation | 2.0×–3.5× EBITDA | Whether the owner is still on the tools; recurring maintenance |
| Construction company valuation | 2.0×–3.5× EBITDA | WIP and retention treatment, signed forward order book, QBCC capacity |
| Transport and logistics valuation | 2.5×–4.0× EBITDA | Contracted lanes, fleet age, finance netted against fleet value |
| Childcare centre valuation | 3.5×–5.5× EBITDA | Sustained occupancy, licensed places, lease term, ACECQA rating |
| Accounting and legal practice valuation | 2.5×–4.0× EBITDA | Fee-earner depth, fee retention; cross-checked at 80c–$1.20 per fee dollar |
| SaaS and software company valuation | 4.0×–7.5× EBITDA or 1.5×–5.0× ARR | Net revenue retention, gross margin, what genuinely counts as ARR |
| eCommerce business valuation | 2.5×–4.5× EBITDA | Owned demand versus paid acquisition; stock aged and valued at market |
| Manufacturing business valuation | 3.0×–4.5× EBITDA | Capacity headroom, supply agreements, deferred capex; plant sets the floor |
| RTO and education business valuation | 2.5×–4.5× EBITDA | Registration term and scope, audit history, deferred revenue |
| Real estate agency and rent roll valuation | Rent roll 2.0×–3.5× annual management income; sales business 2.5×–4.5× EBITDA | Fee percentage, arrears, geographic clustering, manager stability |
| Mining services business valuation | 2.5×–4.5× EBITDA | Contract term and counterparty, commodity spread; earnings read across a five-year cycle |
| Agribusiness and farm valuation | 2.5×–4.0× EBITDA on the trading business | Land, water entitlements and business valued separately; five seasons averaged |

- Guides — twelve guides on valuing an Australian business
- Glossary — 46 valuation terms defined
- FAQ — 26 answers with real numbers
- Answers — twelve single-question pages with worked tables
- About — the valuers, their credentials, how we work
- Contact — free scoping call, fixed-fee quote request
- Why you need one — twelve valuation purposes, each with what the report must show
- Areas we serve — six South East Queensland regions
- Brisbane — professional services, health, technology, TradeCoast logistics
- Gold Coast — tourism, construction, marine; seasonality and lease term dominate
- Ipswich — manufacturing, Amberley defence supply chain, transport; asset schedule dominates
- Logan City — freight and distribution, manufacturing, trades; contracted vs won work dominates
- Redland City — small owner-run retail, health, marine; transferable goodwill dominates
- Toowoomba — agribusiness, food processing, freight; land, water and business valued separately
- Sunshine Coast — hospitality, health, construction; seasonality and lease term dominate
- Moreton Bay — trades, health, retail; growth attribution is the central question
- Cairns and Far North Queensland — tourism, marine, tropical agriculture; visitor cycles and buyer depth
- Townsville and North Queensland — defence support, mining services, transport; counterparty concentration
- Rockhampton and Gladstone — resources services, heavy industry, beef; plant valued at market
- Mackay and the Whitsundays — mining services and engineering alongside marine and tourism, valued differently
- Sydney and New South Wales — professional services, health, technology; director-led coverage
- Melbourne and Victoria — manufacturing, health, professional services; plant inspected and valued
- Perth and Western Australia — mining services, trades, professional; Licensed Valuer WA (Not Limited)

## Contact

- Phone: 1300 778 033
- Mobile: +61 422 026 728
- Address: 4/144 Edward St, Brisbane City, QLD 4000
- Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm AEST
- Response time: within one business day