NEW BOOK FROM
DAVID C. BARNETT &
ALP Ltd. Valuation Services
Business and Asset Values
How Owners, Buyers, Sellers, Lenders, and Advisors Should Think About Small Business & Equipment Value
A valuation is not useful simply because it produces a number. It is useful when the number makes sense for the decision being made.
In Business and Asset Values, David C. Barnett brings together decades of experience in small business ownership, commercial finance, business brokerage, small business transactions, and machinery and equipment appraisal. He explains why the same business or asset can reasonably have different values depending on who is asking, the purpose of the assignment, the assumptions being made, the risks involved, and the conditions under which value may be realized.
This is not a textbook built around formulas alone. It is a practical guide to the judgment behind the number.
The Better Question Behind Every Valuation
People often ask: “What is it worth?” The better questions are:
- Worth to whom?
- For what purpose?
- Under what assumptions?
- With what risks?
- On what date?
- Under what terms?
The book explains why business value, equipment value, goodwill, collateral value, and the price negotiated in a transaction are related—but are not interchangeable. It helps readers understand how cash flow, financing, transferability, time, market exposure, and deal terms affect the conclusion. It also shows why the value on a balance sheet, the value used by a lender, the value concluded by an appraiser, and the price negotiated between a buyer and seller may all be different.
The goal is not to turn every reader into an appraiser. It is to help owners, buyers, sellers, lenders, and advisors recognize whether a valuation conversation is answering the right question and whether the resulting number is fit for the decision at hand.
What Experienced Practitioners Are Saying
“Barnett makes valuation mechanics genuinely understandable without dumbing them down. His running examples, especially the equipment scenarios, teach how value really works. Any business owner, lender, or advisor confused by why the same asset can have multiple ‘correct’ values will find clear answers here.”
“Most valuation books are written for accountants. This one is written for people who actually close deals. David’s core idea—that value depends on who’s asking, why, and under what conditions—sounds obvious until you realize how much money people lose ignoring it.”
Choose your Next Step...
Do You Need an Appraisal or Valuation?
The book can help you ask better questions. When you need a defensible conclusion for a business purchase or sale, bank financing, refinancing, or a collateral decision, tell us what is being valued, who will rely on the report, and what decision the work needs to support.
Buy the Book: Business
and Asset Values
Available through Amazon in the United States, Canada, UK and all Amazon stores worldwide.
Download the FREE Companion Resources
No purchase, signup or email address required.