Antique Value

Archaeology has long since identified modern-day Swat (North-West Pakistan) with ancient Uddiyana, known in the past as one of the most sacred lands of Buddhism. The landscape of Swat, indeed, still bears conspicuous traces of this. The profusion and splendour of monuments, which one can still easily imagine based on the ruins, and the luxuriant beauty of the surrounding scenery provide eloquent evidence of the fascination this land held all over the ancient Buddhist world.

A woman looking to retire said to author and valuation expert Tim McDaniel, “I need to sell my business for $2.5 million to support my country club lifestyle.” The reality was that her business was worth $750,000. How could she have been so wrong? As McDaniel—a veteran of over 2,000 valuation engagements and dozens of M&A deals—knows all too well, most owners work in their businesses and not on their businesses. He has seen the look of surprise on client faces far too often: “It’s only worth that much?!”