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Business Evaluation Form

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BUSINESS EVALUATION FORM AND SERVICES AGREEMENT

Parties and Recitals

This Agreement is entered into between Client Name: and Evaluator Name: (each a "Party" and collectively the "Parties").

WHEREAS, Client operates Business Name: and seeks an independent evaluation of its business operations, financial condition and market position; and

WHEREAS, Evaluator has the professional qualifications, experience, and capability to perform the evaluation services described herein and agrees to provide such services under the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.

Contact Information

Scope of Work

Evaluator will perform a business evaluation that may include market analysis, financial statement review, operational assessment, management appraisal, and growth potential analysis. The specific objectives and deliverables are described below.

Evaluation Criteria and Findings

For each criterion below, the Evaluator shall assign a numeric score (0–100) and provide concise comments supporting the score.

Payment Terms

Evaluation Fee (flat or estimated): $

Late Payment Fee: on overdue balances, calculated monthly and compounded as permitted by law.

Term and Termination

This Agreement commences on Start Date: and continues until End Date: unless earlier terminated in accordance with this section.

Either Party may terminate for material breach if the breaching Party fails to cure within Notice Period (days): days following written notice. Termination shall not relieve Client of obligations to pay for services performed prior to termination.

Confidentiality

The Parties acknowledge that, in connection with the evaluation, each may disclose Confidential Information. Confidential Information includes non-public business, financial, customer, supplier, pricing and proprietary information. Receiving Party shall maintain such information in strict confidence and shall not disclose it except to its employees, agents or professional advisors with a need to know and who are bound to confidentiality obligations at least as protective as those herein. Confidential Information does not include information that is publicly available through no breach by the Receiving Party or that is rightfully received from a third party without obligation of confidentiality.

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Jurisdiction: , without regard to its conflict of laws principles. The Parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve disputes by negotiation; failing which disputes shall be resolved by litigation in the courts of the stated jurisdiction unless the Parties agree in writing to an alternative method.

Representations, Warranties and Limitations

Each Party represents that it has authority to enter into this Agreement. Evaluator warrants that services will be performed with reasonable skill and care consistent with professional standards. Except as expressly stated herein, Evaluator disclaims all other warranties. Except for willful misconduct or gross negligence, Evaluator's liability for claims arising from this Agreement shall be limited to direct damages not to exceed the total fees paid by Client for the evaluation.

Entire Agreement

This Agreement, together with any exhibits or scopes of work expressly incorporated in writing, constitutes the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings and negotiations, whether written or oral.

Evaluator Certification

The undersigned Evaluator certifies that the evaluation reflected in this form will be conducted objectively, that all information provided in reports will be true and accurate to the best of the Evaluator's knowledge, and that any known conflicts of interest have been disclosed to the Client.

Conflict of Interest Disclosed: Yes

Administrative

Client:

By:

Date:

Evaluator:

By:

Date:

Enter text✕

What the Business Evaluation Form Is and when it’s used

The Business Evaluation Form collects structured information about a company’s operations, financial profile, market position, and management to support due diligence, internal reviews, financing decisions, or acquisition screening. Typical sections include company identifiers, ownership, revenue and expense summaries, risk factors, key contracts, and a subjective assessment of strengths and weaknesses. The form standardizes inputs so reviewers can compare multiple targets consistently, reduce follow-up questions, and document the facts underlying a valuation or strategic recommendation.

Why a standardized Business Evaluation Form matters

A consistent form reduces ambiguity, speeds review cycles, and creates a single authoritative record for decisions. It also supports auditability by capturing dates, preparer identity, and attachments tied to each evaluation.

Why a standardized Business Evaluation Form matters

Who prepares and who reviews the Business Evaluation Form

Common preparers include finance, corporate development, risk, and external advisors who gather and verify company data before submission.

  • Internal Finance teams responsible for financial summaries and ratio calculations.
  • Corporate development or M&A professionals performing strategic fit and valuation work.
  • External advisors (accountants, valuation specialists) providing independent review and supporting schedules.

Reviewers typically include senior management, investment committees, lenders, or legal teams who rely on the form to approve next steps or request additional documents.

Essential sections to include in a professional Business Evaluation Form

A complete form balances factual data, documentary evidence, and structured analyst commentary so reviewers can reach a reasoned conclusion quickly.

Company Info

Legal name, DBA, EIN, incorporation date, and registered state; foundational identifiers that must match government records and tax filings.

Ownership

List owners with percentage ownership, voting rights, and recent transfers; discrepancies here change valuation and control assumptions.

Financials

Prior three years of revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, and balance sheet highlights; attach supporting schedules and accountant-prepared statements.

Contracts

Material customer, vendor, lease, and loan agreements summarized with term, termination rights, and assigned risk exposure; include copies.

Operations

Key employees, customers concentration, supply chain risks, and contingency plans that affect business continuity and forecast reliability.

Analyst Notes

Structured qualitative assessment including strengths, weaknesses, valuation drivers, and recommended next steps to support committee decisions.

Security, privacy, and compliance checklist

Encryption: AES-256
Transport: TLS 1.2/1.3
Certifications: SOC 2 Type II
Privacy: GDPR
Healthcare: HIPAA (BAA)
eSignature Law: ESIGN/UETA

Step-by-step: completing and submitting the form

Follow this sequence to ensure a complete, auditable submission and reduce reviewer follow-up.

  • 01
    Gather Documents: Collect financials, contracts, and formation records.
  • 02
    Populate Fields: Enter data per fillable field guidance.
  • 03
    Attach Evidence: Upload supporting PDFs and schedules.
  • 04
    Sign and Submit: Apply signature and send to reviewers.

How eSubmission and review routing typically work

Most electronic workflows follow a simple sender-to-signer-to-reviewer sequence with an audit trail captured at each step.

  • Upload: Sender uploads form and attachments.
  • Assign Fields: Place signature, date, and data fields.
  • Send: Distribute via email link or bulk send.
  • Audit: System records timestamps, IP, and actions.

Typical workflow settings for online completion

Configure signer order, authentication, and retention to match your internal control and regulatory requirements.

Field Configuration
Signer Order Sequential or parallel signer routing.
Authentication Email link, SMS code, or KBA options.
Conditional Fields Show/hide fields based on answers.
Audit Trail Retain timestamps and IP addresses.

Technical requirements and integrations for eSubmission

Confirm that the chosen platform supports required authentication, retention, and compliance standards for your industry before eSubmitting the form.

  • File Formats: PDF, DOCX, XLSX
  • Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace
  • Browser Support: Modern browsers required

Timelines and processing expectations

Set clear internal deadlines for data collection, reviewer comments, and final approval to keep projects on schedule.

Data Collection Window:

Allow 5–10 business days for supporting document collection.

Reviewer Response:

Allocate 3–7 business days for initial review.

Revisions Period:

Allow 2–5 business days for corrections and resubmission.

Final Approval:

Target decision within 10–15 business days from submission.

Retention Start Date:

Retention begins on the signed date of the completed form.

Key risks of an incomplete or incorrect evaluation

Misleading Valuation: Incorrect data skews decisions.
Regulatory Exposure: Missing disclosures may breach rules.
Reporting Errors: Wrong TINs trigger penalties.
Contractual Risk: Undisclosed obligations cause liability.
Delayed Closings: Omissions slow approvals.
Audit Failures: Poor recordkeeping hinders audits.

Representative eSignature pricing and feature comparison for form workflows

Compare typical starting prices and basic feature availability for platforms commonly used to sign Business Evaluation Forms; signNow is listed first for comparison consistency.

signNow DocuSign Adobe Sign PandaDoc HelloSign
Starting Price $8/user/mo $15/user/mo $14/user/mo $19/user/mo $15/user/mo
Free Trial 7-day trial Yes Yes Yes Yes
Bulk Send Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Audit Trail Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Envelope Cap No cap 100 envelopes/user/year Varies by plan Varies by plan Varies by plan

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing the Business Evaluation Form

  • Submitting unsigned or partially completed sections that require reviewer follow-up and delay decisions.
  • Attaching inconsistent documents (mismatched dates or entity names) that reduce credibility and increase verification time.
  • Failing to identify material contracts or contingent liabilities that materially change valuation outcomes.
  • Using informal or ambiguous language in analyst notes that leaves key assumptions unrecorded or unclear.

Real-world examples of Business Evaluation Form usage

Examples show how organizations reduce cycle time and capture audit-ready evidence by using a structured form and electronic signing.

Optica Ventures — COO

Optica standardized evaluation templates to reduce back-and-forth with founders and advisors.

  • This reduced follow-up requests substantially.
  • The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers.

Martin Properties — Founder

A real estate firm used the form to combine tenant financials and lease abstracts into one review packet.

  • That enabled faster underwriting.
  • I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security.

Practical tips to improve accuracy and speed of completion

Adopt these practices to reduce errors, avoid rework, and make the form reliable for decision-makers and auditors.

Use a versioned template
Maintain a single, version-controlled form template and record changes; versioning prevents inconsistent formats and keeps reviewers aligned on the fields to expect.
Pre-fill known fields
Populate entity identifiers, contact details, and recurring data from corporate directories to reduce manual entry and typos during preparation.
Require attachments
Make key supporting documents mandatory fields so submissions cannot complete without required evidence like audited statements or contracts.
Log reviewer outcomes
Capture final reviewer decisions and rationale in a structured field to preserve the decision trail for audits and future reference.

Typical authorized signers for completed evaluations

Owner / CEO

The owner or CEO signs when the evaluation is used for external transactions or binding commitments; their signature confirms organizational authorization and acceptance of stated representations.

CFO / Finance Director

The CFO or finance director signs for financial attestations, confirming accuracy of reported financials, supporting schedules, and reconciliations included with the evaluation package.

Frequently asked questions about the Business Evaluation Form

Answers to common questions on completeness, signatures, and retention to help preparers avoid delays and compliance issues.


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