Write a one-page brief first
Describe what is being valued, the purpose, relevant date, intended recipients and decision timetable. Explain whether the work concerns the whole business, shares or selected assets. Mention a proposed transaction or dispute early. This allows the provider to consider the role, conflicts and suitability before asking for a large set of records.
Organise the financial baseline
Useful starting records may include annual accounts, current management figures, bank and borrowing schedules, debtor and creditor information and available forecasts. Identify which periods are final and which are provisional. Explain how management information reconciles to the accounts. The agreed scope determines the actual request; there is no universal pack that makes every valuation complete.
Collect ownership and commercial context
For a shareholding, gather the share register, articles, shareholder agreement and details of other share classes or options. Identify shareholder loans separately. Commercial records may include important contracts, customer concentration information, property commitments and explanations of the owner’s responsibilities. Legal interpretation or rights verification may require the appropriate adviser; a financial document pack does not establish that position.
Give adjustments and forecasts an evidence trail
For each proposed earnings adjustment, record the amount, period, reason and supporting document. Note any ongoing replacement cost. For forecasts, document assumptions about sales, margins, staffing, collections and investment. An illustrative issue log might mark an unusual expense as “awaiting invoice” rather than treating its removal as already agreed. This keeps uncertainty visible.
Share deliberately and keep a version index
Agree a suitable sharing method before sending sensitive financial or employee records. Maintain a list of files, reporting dates and outstanding questions, with one contact responsible for updates. If information changes after the analysis begins, identify the new version and what has changed. A tidy pack helps the professional work proceed; it does not replace the valuation analysis or guarantee a particular conclusion.
Your starting checklist
- One-page purpose, date and intended-use brief.
- Dated financial and ownership records with a file index.
- Evidence-backed adjustments, forecasts and outstanding questions.
Questions before commissioning the work
Must every document be ready before I enquire?
No. Start with the brief and describe what is available. The information request can be agreed around the assignment.
Should I upload accounts through the initial enquiry form?
No documents are needed for the first enquiry. Agree a suitable sharing method before supplying confidential material.
Further reading: ICAEW: business and share valuation scope.
General preparation information. Illustrations are not client cases or valuation opinions. Any work is subject to an agreed scope and intended use.