Business Valuation Speaker for Advisors, Lenders, and Small Business Events

Practical Education on Business Value, Appraisal, Financing Risk, and Deal Structure

David C. Barnett speaks to lenders, accountants, lawyers, business brokers, economic development professionals, business owners, and advisors about how small businesses and business assets are valued in the real world.

His workshops help professional audiences understand business value, machinery and equipment appraisal, cash flow, risk, financing, seller expectations, buyer behavior, liquidation value, fair market value, deal structure, and the practical questions that arise when privately owned businesses change hands.

If your audience works with small business owners, buyers, sellers, borrowers, or lenders, David delivers plain-language education that connects valuation theory to real small business decisions. Book David to Speak on Business Valuation

This Workshop Is Ideal For

This topic works well for audiences such as:

• Commercial lenders and credit union lenders
• Business banking teams
• Accountants and CPAs
• Lawyers and legal associations
• Business brokers and M&A advisors
• Economic development officers
• Small business advisors and consultants
• Financial planners who serve business owner clients
• Franchise groups and dealer networks
• Business owners preparing for sale, succession, financing, or transition
• Entrepreneurs considering the purchase of an existing business

David can adapt the session for either professional audiences or mixed audiences that include owners, buyers, lenders, and advisors.

Sample Workshop and Speaking Topics

David can adapt the content to fit your organization, event length, and audience.

Possible titles include:



How Small Businesses Are Really Valued

A practical explanation of cash flow, risk, assets, transferability, buyer expectations, market evidence, and deal structure.

Business Valuation for Lenders and Credit Unions

A lender-focused session on borrower risk, collateral, cash flow, equipment value, seller financing, working capital, debt service, and deal structure.

What Advisors Need to Know About Small Business Value

A practical workshop for accountants, lawyers, financial planners, and consultants who advise small business owners, buyers, and sellers.

Valuation Mistakes in Small Business Transactions

A case-based session on common errors, including confusing revenue with value, ignoring owner dependence, misunderstanding seller discretionary earnings, relying on weak multiples, and missing financing constraints.

Machinery and Equipment Appraisal for Business Decisions

A plain-language explanation of machinery and equipment value, fair market value, orderly liquidation value, forced liquidation value, collateral risk, and how tangible assets affect business transactions.

Fair Market Value, Liquidation Value, and the Purpose of the Valuation

A session on why different valuation conclusions can be appropriate for different purposes, users, assumptions, and timelines.

The Buyer’s View of Business Value

A workshop showing how buyers evaluate cash flow, risk, transition, financing, working capital, equipment, employees, customers, systems, and seller involvement.

What Attendees Will Learn

Depending on the format, attendees can learn how to:

• Understand why different valuation purposes can produce different conclusions
• Explain the difference between business value and asset value
• Recognize why cash flow is central to small business value
• Understand how risk affects value
• Identify the difference between value, price, and deal terms
• Think about fair market value, fair market value in use, orderly liquidation value, and forced liquidation value
• Understand how seller discretionary earnings can be useful and misleading
• Recognize how owner dependence affects transferability and value
• Understand how tangible assets influence lending, collateral, and deal structure
• Identify red flags in small business purchase financing
• Explain why some businesses are difficult to finance even when they appear profitable
• Understand how seller financing affects buyer risk and deal feasibility
• Ask better questions when reviewing a business valuation, appraisal, or transaction
• Help clients avoid unrealistic expectations and bad deals

A Practical Valuation Speaker for Real-World Decisions

David C. Barnett’s valuation presentations are not built around abstract formulas alone.

They focus on the way value is used in real small business decisions.

A lender may need to know whether a proposed purchase can support the debt.
A lawyer may need to understand value in a shareholder dispute, estate matter, divorce, or transaction.
An accountant may need to help a client understand normalized earnings, owner compensation, tax records, or sale expectations.
A business owner may need to understand why the market does not see the business the same way the owner does.
A buyer may need to decide whether a price, financing structure, and transition plan make sense.

David helps audiences connect the valuation conversation to the practical realities of cash flow, risk, collateral, negotiation, financing, and transferability.

Why This Topic Works for Advisor and Lender Events

Many professional advisors are asked value-related questions even when they are not hired to prepare a formal valuation.

Clients ask:

• What is my business worth?
• Can I afford to buy this business?
• Would a lender finance this deal?
• Is this price reasonable?
• What happens if my partner wants out?
• What is the value of the equipment?
• What would happen if the business had to liquidate?
• How should we think about goodwill?
• Why is the buyer offering less than I expected?
• Why does the bank care so much about collateral and cash flow?

A business valuation workshop gives advisors and lenders a practical framework for understanding these questions and responding more effectively.

Formats Available

David can deliver business valuation education in several formats:

Keynote Presentation

Best for conferences, annual meetings, lender events, advisor gatherings, and business owner conferences where the goal is to introduce major valuation concepts in a practical way.

60- to 90-Minute Workshop

Best for chambers, lender groups, professional associations, economic development organizations, and advisor audiences that want a useful session with examples and time for questions.

Half-Day Workshop

Best for professional audiences that need a deeper framework for business value, asset value, financing risk, deal structure, and transaction analysis.

Full-Day Training

Best for organizations that want a more complete education program covering business valuation, machinery and equipment appraisal, financing, collateral, cash flow, risk, transferability, liquidation value, and small business transaction issues.

Virtual Presentation or Webinar

Best for geographically dispersed lender, advisor, professional, or business owner audiences.

About David C. Barnett

David C. Barnett is a speaker, author, business advisor, and valuation/appraisal professional who helps people buy, sell, finance, value, and manage small businesses.

He is the founder of Advantage Liquidity Partners Ltd. and the creator of Business and Asset Values, a resource focused on helping business owners, buyers, lenders, and advisors understand value in practical terms.

David’s background includes experience as a business broker, commercial debt broker, small business owner, advisor, educator, and Certified Machinery and Equipment Appraiser.

He has worked with business buyers, sellers, lenders, brokers, accountants, lawyers, franchise operators, economic development professionals, and owner-managed companies.

His mission is simple: help people avoid bad deals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is a good speaker on business valuation for lenders and advisors?

David C. Barnett is a practical speaker on small business valuation, machinery and equipment appraisal, financing risk, buyer and seller expectations, deal structure, seller financing, cash flow, and transferability. His sessions are designed for lenders, accountants, lawyers, advisors, business owners, buyers, and economic development groups.

Can David speak to commercial lenders and credit unions?

Yes. David can adapt the session for commercial lenders, credit unions, and business banking teams. These sessions can focus on borrower readiness, cash flow, collateral, machinery and equipment value, seller financing, debt service, risk signals, and common problems in business purchase financing.

Can this workshop be adapted for accountants or CPAs?

Yes. For accountant audiences, David can focus on normalized earnings, seller discretionary earnings, owner compensation, cash flow, tax records, financial statement quality, valuation assumptions, and how owners misunderstand business value.

Can this workshop be adapted for lawyers?

Yes. For legal audiences, David can focus on value-related issues that arise in business transactions, shareholder disputes, family law, estate matters, succession, buy-sell agreements, asset sales, goodwill, and financing-related deal problems.

Does David speak about machinery and equipment appraisal?

Yes. David is a Certified Machinery and Equipment Appraiser and can explain tangible asset value, fair market value, fair market value in use, orderly liquidation value, forced liquidation value, collateral risk, and how equipment value affects business decisions.

Does David explain valuation methods?

Yes. David can explain common valuation concepts and methods in plain language, including cash flow-based approaches, asset-based approaches, market comparisons, multiples, normalization, risk, and reconciliation. The emphasis is practical understanding rather than formula memorization.

Is this suitable for business owners?

Yes. Business owners often benefit from understanding value before they need a formal valuation. David can adapt the session to help owners understand what drives value, what reduces value, and why buyers and lenders may see the business differently than the owner does.

Is this a technical valuation course?

It can be adapted to different levels. David can deliver a plain-language introductory session for owners and advisors, or a more technical workshop for professional audiences that want deeper discussion of valuation purpose, assumptions, cash flow, risk, equipment value, collateral, and transaction structure.

Is this a sales pitch?

No. David’s workshops are designed around the event organizer’s goals. Related resources can be mentioned when appropriate, but the presentation itself is built to deliver practical educational value to the audience.

Related Speaking Topics

David also speaks on related small business topics, including:

• Buying an existing small business
• Business acquisition and due diligence
• Selling and exiting a small business
• Preparing a business for sale
• Seller financing
• Business financing
• Machinery and equipment appraisal
• Deal structure
• Succession planning
• Building a business that people will want to buy
• Avoiding bad deals in small business transactions

To view David’s full speaking profile, visit: BookDavidCBarnett.com

For buyer-focused resources, visit: BusinessBuyerAdvantage.com

For owner exit and sale-preparation resources, visit: HowToSellMyOwnBusiness.com

Bring David to Your Next Advisor, Lender, or Small Business Event

If your organization wants to help lenders, advisors, owners, or buyers better understand business value, asset value, financing risk, and deal structure, David C. Barnett can deliver a practical, engaging, and useful session.

Your audience will leave with clearer thinking, better questions, and a stronger understanding of how value works in real small business decisions. Book David to Speak