Call: 540-782-0801
Email: achille.ekeu@washingtonvaluation.com
Know How Much Your Business Is Worth
ABOUT
Our Team
Areas of Expertise
Area 1: Business Valuation for Estate and Gift Tax.
Area 2: Business Valuation for Acquisition, Sale, Buy-Sell Agreement, Startups, SBA Loans.
Area 3: Business Valuation for Divorce, Partnership Dispute, Shareholders Disputes, and others.
Affiliations
Affiliation 1: National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) Salt Lake City, Utah.
Affiliation 2: Institute of Management Consultants (IMC-USA) National Capital Region - Washington DC.
Affiliation 3: Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation (PGCEDC).
Affiliation 4: Financial Services Corporation First (FSC-First).
Achille Ekeu, MBA, CVA
President & CEO
Phone: 240-274-9570
Email: achille.ekeu@washingtonvaluation.com
Achille is a financial professional with over 20 years of experience in the banking and business valuation industries. He is a book Author and a Public Speaker. His book titled "30 Frequently Asked Questions in Business Valuation" published on May 1st, 2017, answers many pertinent, critical, and recurring questions from small business owners, financial advisors/planners, wealth strategists, business brokers, and divorce, trust, and business attorneys. He speaks at business conferences, board meetings, seminars, webinars, and provides expert interviews to the traditional media (radios, newspapers, magazines, journals, and podcasts).
Achille left his marks as a successful banker, vice-president, and regional manager at the former Chevy Chase Bank, now part of Capital One Bank, and at PNC Bank. He successfully managed a regional market of over $450 MM in assets and increased the deposit base by 30 percent during his tenure.
Following his passion for helping small businesses, Achille decided to leave the retail banking business to pursue a business valuation certification that helped him open his business valuation firm called The Washington Valuation Group (WVG), after a partnership with another firm for a few months. As a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), he is a member of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA). His areas of expertise include income/gift/estate tax valuations, divorce and shareholders/partnership disputes, and valuations for acquisition, sale, buy-sell agreements, and working capital financing (debt Financing) for small businesses.
Achille is a graduate of American Intercontinental University (AIU) located in Chicago, Illinois, where he obtained his MBA with a 4.0 GPA. Achille is a multiple Awards winner among which is the 2008 Great Gallup Workplace Award for Management Excellence. He is very active on his blog and on social media especially LinkedIn, where he publishes frequently on topics related to business valuation.
Thanks to his demonstrated commitment to helping business owners, he was recently elected Board Member of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) where he served on the Valuation Credentialing Board (VCB) for three years. He is the current State Chapter President of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA) for the Maryland and DC regions. He also seats on the board of The Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation (PGCEDC) and the Financial Services Corporation First (FSC-First). He is a true community leader.
Selecting a Valuation Professional
A valuation professional should be able to demonstrate through education, training, and experience that he or she has the knowledge and a level of competency in valuing business enterprises. Of the utmost importance is one’s affiliation with a recognized valuation organization such as the NACVA. NACVA credential holders are required to adhere to industry standards in performing valuation services and communicating their value determinations. Standards are intended to assure users the services they receive meet an industry-acceptable level of due care, including the thoroughness of the analysis and communicating the results. Furthermore, industry standards require adherence to ethical guidelines in the performance of valuation engagements—providing added assurance to users that the CVA they hire performs his or her services conscientiously and competently.
The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts® (NACVA®) trains and certifies holders of the Certified Valuation Analyst® (CVA®) designation to perform business valuations as a service to the business, professional, and legal communities. Through training and rigorous testing, CVAs demonstrate they are qualified to provide capable and professionally executed valuation services. NACVA recommends specific training as a prerequisite to certification to assure that credentialed practitioners have the knowledge and understanding necessary to perform competent services, and to assure a level of consistency and continuity in their work product. Users of a credentialed practitioner’s services benefit by having greater confidence that the service they receive is professional in quality, adheres to industry standards of practice, and meets a level of expertise the Association deems credible and worthy of one of its credential holders.
Compliance with Recertification
To further its service to the business valuation industry, NACVA seeks assurances from its credential holders that they are staying current on matters and issues that lead to, and promote, quality in their work. To effect these assurances, NACVA has in place periodic recertification requirements which require: training on current developments in the valuation field; and skills development by taking continuing professional education in business valuation, litigation financial forensics, and areas related to these disciplines. Through compliance with recertification, credential holders demonstrate their commitment to the business valuation discipline and to keeping themselves current on the changing dynamics in the industry, which impacts the performance and quality of their services.
How Can A Certified Valuation Analyst Help You?
Many business owners believe the value of their business is net profit, or gross sales, multiplied by an industry rule of thumb. This is simply not the case. In fact, the application of an industry rule of thumb formula often results in a value determination that differs greatly from the actual value that could be determined by a CVA.
Accurate Value Determination
The result of an inaccurate value determination, regardless of whether it is high or low, generally leads to undesirable consequences. For instance, if the value is too high, estate taxes will be too high; savvy investors or prospective buyers will usually disregard a value that appears too high. If the value is too low, you can be sure savvy investors or prospective buyers will recognize it and take advantage. Likewise, if you are on the other side of the dispute in a dissenting shareholder action or divorce, you certainly want to know you are receiving an accurate value for your interest.
Careful Analysis
Determining the true value of a business enterprise requires a careful analysis of two primary components that make up value: tangible assets such as real estate, machinery, and furniture used by the business; and various intangible assets such as business or personal goodwill. Intangible assets might also include customer lists, trademarks, copyrights, distribution rights, a superior management team, non-compete agreements, physical location, special processes, and name recognition.
Understanding the Business
To properly value a business enterprise, the CVA must acquire a thorough understanding of every aspect of a company’s dynamics, including: management capabilities, company strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities, the competitive environment, overall expectations for the marketplace, and future economic prospects for the industry and the economy in the region and as a whole. All of these elements affect the risk of ownership in a particular enterprise, and risk directly impacts value. Additionally, the valuator must analyze the inherent financial health of the enterprise and its future profit potential.
Sorting Through a Complex Process
After a thorough analysis of all the company’s dynamics and its financial health, the CVA must select the most appropriate methodology from among the many accepted by the valuation industry, and apply a series of calculations and formulas to arrive at the ultimate conclusion of value. Overall, the process is highly complex and requires a significant amount of time. Indeed, this is what is required to determine the true economic value of a privately owned business enterprise, and this is what a CVA brings to your table.
The Washington Valuation Group
The Washington Valuation Group (WVG) is a valuation and management consulting firm offering independent valuation services to businesses, shareholders, attorneys, accountants, and estate planning professionals.
Our expertise and independent analysis are qualities our clients look for when seeking our advice for a wide range of valuation engagements.
As a full-service valuation firm, we have an outstanding reputation supported by years of experience. Our experienced analysts have a wide range of industry experience and an in-depth understanding of valuation theory.
WVG is committed to providing objective, supportable valuation conclusions in a well-organized valuation report, in a timely and professional manner.
WVG also helps improve the value of organizations across various industries by offering them strategic advice based on the identification of areas of opportunities for improvement.
We understand how important it is for business owners to know how much their companies are worth, and what to do to increase that value over time.
Vision Statement:
"To be the premier business valuation firm in the Washington Metropolitan Area, driving excellence, innovation, and trust in every valuation we perform."
Call The Washington Valuation Group for all your valuation needs.
