Equipment Appraisal Blog | Understanding Machinery Appraisals

When to Consider Appraising a Machine Shop

Posted by Equipment Appraisal Services on Tue, Jul 24, 2018 @ 10:23 AM

What's your machine shop worth? If you don't know, perhaps you need an appraisal to get the market value of your machine shop. Explore common reasons for appraising a machine shop today to learn when and why to get an appraisal. 

Keep Up With the Times 

If your shop is not keeping up with market trends, you may not be able to handle your customer's changing needs. Getting a valuation can help you tune-up your machine shop, because it will show you your shop's current value, your equipment's condition and remaining useful life, and current market demand for your assets.

When you know this information, you can stay current with the times by investing in the right pieces of new equipment. For instance, many machine shops understand the demand for additive manufacturing technology, yet few have made the investment in this technology. If you've been thinking of purchasing a 3D printer, a valuation can help you compare your existing assets' value and demand, so you can decide whether to sell underutilized equipment and buy a 3D printer or keep your existing assets and take out a loan for the new equipment. 

Lower Tax Liability 

Are you concerned you're paying too much in taxes? An appraisal can provide an up-to-date valuation of your machine shop, which can lower your tax liability. The money you save on taxes can then be reinvested in your business.

Protect Your Investment

Your machine shop is your livelihood, and if your equipment were damaged in a natural disaster or other incident, you would suffer. In order to protect your investment for business insurance purposes, you need to know the total value of your assets -- and this means you need equipment appraisal for all the big-ticket items in your machine shop.

For smaller items that you may not want appraised, you will need documentation to demonstrate your assets and their condition. Think photos of your equipment, serial numbers, make and model information, and even service records for your equipment. 

An appraisal can show your insurance company exactly how much everything is worth and help you determine how much insurance to purchase. By preparing ahead, you'll be covered whether there's a flood at your facility or an unexpected crash. 

Sell Your Shop 

With the economy doing so well, this is a great time to consider selling a successful machine shop. Maybe you'd like to retire, or maybe you're thinking of moving to another state. A machine shop appraisal will help you understand the worth of your shop so you can take it to market and sell for a fair price. If you're thinking of selling down the road, having your shop appraised now helps you make informed decisions for the next few years. For instance, you'll know whether it makes financial sense to repair or replace old equipment given the equipment's value in the appraisal. If your shop isn't valued as highly as you would like, you can make changes to the business to boost its value so you can earn more at the time of sale. 

A machine shop isn't something that you set up and leave alone. It's always changing. So while there are many reasons to consider appraising your machine shop, know that an old appraisal isn't necessarily reflective of your shop's current business valuation. If it's been a while since you've had your machine shop appraised, or if you've never appraised it, search for an appraiser with demonstrated experience with machine shop appraisals today. 

Tags: appraising a machine shop