As a general rule of thumb, sellers should expect to spend at least one month working the same number of hours in post-sale support as they did operating the business. In the case of larger acquisitions, the support period may be longer. In most instances, a seller is expected to offer support to the buyer for a fixed period of time following the sale of the business. The sale contract should indicate the term of post-sale support, https://quick-bookkeeping.net/ expected response times, and the number of hours per week/month that the seller must be available to offer assistance. Sellers need to pay close attention to the exact wording of the “Restricted Business” definition, which specifies the activities restricted post-sale. A non-compete should be highly specific to the company being sold so as not to unduly restrict the seller’s ability to start and operate a business going forward.

Just as it sounds, this method assumes that the cost of inventory purchased first will be recognized first. Because It aligns current inventory costs with the actual flow of products out of a business, FIFO provides the most accurate picture of real-time inventory cost. Accountants would not use the specific identification method in this example because retailers do not track snowboards with unique identification 4 Inventory Valuation Methods Used By Ecommerce Businesses codes. Specific identification would be a good method if the company were selling snowboards that are one-of-a-kind pieces of art or collectibles from famous athletes. In these cases, tracking the physical flow of the goods is easier than in high-volume retail operations. To calculate the ending inventory in the specific identification method, tally the cost of each item in inventory at the end of the period.

Inventory Replacement Cost Method

While this is excellent news for consumers, the cost of offering free returns can quickly eat into an e-commerce merchant’s margins. Potential e-commerce business buyers will likely examine the rate of refunds, returns, and chargebacks closely. If they are substantially higher than the average for the vertical, there may be a number of operational reasons for this. Better product descriptions, faster shipping with tracking info provided, and improved customer service can all lead to lower return rates. Customer returns, refunds and chargebacks are a fact of life for virtually all e-commerce businesses. In 2021 approximately $218 billion of online purchases were returned, for an average of 20.8% of sales, up from 18.1% in 2020.

• Adding owner compensation back into revenue helps uncover the true earnings power of the business.
• Before diving into the inventory valuation methods, you first need to review the inventory formula.
• Raw materials are commodities companies use in the primary production or manufacturing of goods.
• With LIFO, the costs of the most recent products purchased or produced are the first to be counted as goods sold.
• In some cases, one style of inventory valuation model may be the optimal choice for your brand forever.
• If you plan to apply for a loan, always choose the technique that provides the highest inventory value.

Many buyers will want to see a minimum of three years of operation, while an e-commerce business that has shown steady growth for five years or more will tend to fetch a premium multiple. That’s not an easy question to answer, but we’ve written this resource to help merchants arrive at a ballpark estimate of how much their e-commerce business may be worth. We also hope to show e-commerce business owners the fundamentals of raising their business’ value. Some of the benefits of FIFO include increased warehouse space, warranty control and minimal stock handling.

How to Value an E-Commerce Business

Together, the COGS and the inventory valuations add up to the actual total cost available for sale. When your oldest stock is more expensive than your newest, you inevitably face higher COGS rates and lower inventory valuation figures. This can be helpful from a tax perspective, but it has a definite negative impact on your overall profitability ratios. Another way to understand inventory is that inventory’s replacement cost.