Joshua H.

I am a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA®) and private-company valuation specialist. My work is built around the purpose of the assignment—tax, litigation, partner disputes, acquisitions, retirement plans, financial reporting, strategic planning, or another defined need. I help business owners, attorneys, CPAs, investors, buyers, and lenders answer a deceptively difficult question: What is this business actually worth—and can the conclusion be defended? Over the past 15+ years, I have analyzed thousands of privately held small and midsize businesses, including complex assignments requiring judgment, financial normalization, and reconciliation of multiple valuation approaches. My principal focus is CERTIFIED BUSINESS VALUATION I am a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA®) through NACVA, Business Certified Appraiser (BCA®), and Certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA®), with an M.S. in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. in Finance from George Washington University. There is no one-size-fits-all valuation report. Scope depends on the purpose, standard of value, valuation date, ownership interest, evidence, and intended user. The deliverable may be a valuation memo, calculation, or full narrative report. I prepare valuations for: 🤝 Partner Buyouts & Shareholder Disputes — buyouts, minority interests, buy-sell agreements, and disputed ownership interests. 🧾 Estate, Gift & Tax Valuation — estate tax, gift tax, IRS Fair Market Value (FMV), Revenue Ruling 59-60, ownership transfers, and tax-reporting valuations. 🏛️ ROBS, 401(k) & Retirement-Plan Valuation — ROBS employer stock, annual/termination valuations, distributions, and self-directed IRA interests. 👥 ESOP & Employee Ownership Valuation — employer-stock and employee-ownership valuation. ⚖️ Litigation & Economic Damages — litigation business valuation, lost profits, economic damages, business divorce, and personal vs. enterprise goodwill. 🏦 Acquisition, SBA & Exit Valuation — acquisition valuation, SBA 7(a), succession planning, exit planning, and transaction support. 🚀 Startup, IRC 409A & Intangible Asset Valuation — startup/pre-revenue valuation, IRC 409A, intellectual property, goodwill, and promissory notes. 📊 Financial Reporting Valuation — ASC 805 purchase price allocation, ASC 820 fair value, ASC 350 goodwill impairment, and ASC 718 stock-compensation valuation. 🚚 Machinery & Equipment Valuation — desktop appraisal of machinery, vehicles, and equipment. COMPLEX VALUATION ASSIGNMENTS I specialize in assignments requiring judgment, reconstruction, and multiple layers of analysis: 📉 Inconsistent, Declining, or Limited Profitability 🧮 Complex EBITDA, SDE & Owner-Compensation Normalization 📊 Minority & Noncontrolling Interests | DLOC & DLOM 👤 Personal vs. Enterprise Goodwill & Key-Person Risk 🔗 Related-Party Transactions & Multi-Entity Structures ⚠️ Distressed Businesses or Unusual Debt & Capital Structures 🏭 Machinery, Equipment, IP & Other Intangible Assets ⚖️ Tax & Litigation Valuations with Complex or Unclear Financials A valuation should not be a spreadsheet that produces a number. It should explain the economics, assumptions, valuation approaches, and why the conclusion is reasonable. For disputed or high-scrutiny assignments, I clearly document the evidence, adjustments, and reasoning so sophisticated readers can follow the analysis. WHAT AN UPWORK CLIENT SAID “He understands business valuation forwards and backwards…” — IRS-Compliant Business Valuation Client REAL-WORLD TRANSACTION EXPERIENCE My perspective is not purely academic. I have personally invested in, operated, acquired, and sold private businesses—and I have made and lost money doing it. That experience changed how I evaluate sustainable earnings, add-backs, working capital, capital expenditures, concentration risk, debt service, and valuation assumptions. QUALITY OF EARNINGS & M&A DUE DILIGENCE Valuation is my primary focus, but I also assist buyers and investors with: 🧮 Quality of Earnings — reconstruct sustainable EBITDA/SDE and evaluate seller adjustments. 💵 Proof of Cash — compare reported revenue with deposits and cash activity. 🔄 Working Capital — estimate normalized operating working capital and a defensible working-capital peg. 🏦 SBA & Acquisition Analysis — evaluate debt-service coverage, financing structure, seller notes, equity requirements, and acquisition risk. FIXED-FEE VALUATION ENGAGEMENTS Most valuation reports are quoted on a fixed-fee basis. After a brief scope review, I provide a defined scope, professional fee, and delivery timeline before work begins. If you need a valuation for a specific purpose—even if it is not listed above—send me the assignment, intended use, and deadline. I can recommend the appropriate valuation scope and report type.