3. Determine Liabilities
Liabilities are the negative part of the equation; operational costs, debt and material expenses. Generally speaking, the lower your liabilities, the greater the value of your company (and equity) can be. “Current Liabilities” include cash spent, as well as any debts that must be paid out within one year, while “Fixed Liabilities” refer to bills due anytime after one year.
“Current Liabilities” may include:
Accounts Payable: money owed by a business to its suppliers or partners
Business Credit Cards: company credit card bills due
Operating Line of Credit: any money owed to a bank that has extended the business an operating line of credit
Taxes Owed: any federal and state taxes owed for one year
Wages and Payroll: employee compensation, including wages, medical insurance, etc.
Unearned Revenue: any revenue garnered from a service or product that has yet to be delivered to the customer or client
“Fixed Liabilities” may include:
Long-Term Mortgages: property or building mortgage expenses
Bonds payable: long-term bonds owed to the government, as well as any interest paid on the bond (this interest is often semi-annual, and can be added to “Current Liabilities”)
Pension Benefit Obligations: the total amount of money the company owes to employee pension plans up to the current date
Shareholder’s Loan: a form of financing provided by shareholders
Car Loan: any long-term car loans on company vehicles (plus insurances costs)