RISR gives advisors several ways to collect and enter business owner data. The right path depends on what the advisor has available, how involved the business owner should be, and how quickly the advisor wants to get to a first valuation or planning conversation.
Quick recommendation
For most first cases, start with tax returns or financial statements, review the extracted data, confirm add-backs and owner compensation, then use the Fact Finder or data-entry link only for missing details.
The main ways to add data to RISR
- Upload business tax returns
- Upload financial statements
- Use the RISR Fact Finder PDF
- Send a data-entry link to the business owner
- Connect QuickBooks Online when available
Which method should I choose?
| Method | Best fit |
|---|---|
| Tax returns | Use when the advisor wants the fastest starting point. |
| Financial statements | Use when more current financials are needed. |
| RISR Fact Finder PDF | Use when the advisor wants a complete guided intake. |
| Data-entry links | Use when the business owner should provide information directly. |
| QuickBooks Online | Use when the business owner has clean, current accounting data. |
Send data-entry links
Use a data-entry link when the business owner should enter financial data, answer qualitative questions, or fill gaps after documents have been uploaded.
What data matters most
RISR can support a richer analysis when advisors collect the financial, ownership, and planning details that most directly affect valuation and recommendations.
- Revenue, EBITDA or net income, owner compensation, and add-backs
- Debt, cash, ownership structure, entity type, and industry code
- Basic business owner goals, including planning priorities and near-term decisions
Review before relying on the output
Before using RISR results with a client, check extraction accuracy, normalize EBITDA, confirm owner compensation, review the industry code selection, and document key assumptions.
Working with CPAs and bookkeepers
Advisors can ask CPAs and bookkeepers for business tax returns, a year-to-date P&L, a current balance sheet, payroll or owner compensation detail, and notes on one-time expenses or discretionary add-backs.
Common questions
Best first-case workflow
- Create the client.
- Upload available documents.
- Review extracted data.
- Confirm add-backs and owner compensation.
- Fill gaps with the Fact Finder or a data-entry link.
- Run the valuation.
- Review reports before the client meeting.
Related resources
- New User Orientation Guide: /help/getting-started
- How to add a new Business Owner client: resources.risr.com
- Data Entry Best Practices: /help/data-entry-best-practices
- Document Uploader FAQs: /help/document-uploader-faqs
- RISR Fact Finder PDF: /help/risr-valuation-fact-finder-pdf
- Using add-backs to normalize EBITDA: /help/using-add-backs-to-normalize-ebitda
- Choosing industry codes during data gathering: /help/choosing-industry-codes
- Tutorials & Best Practices index: /help/tutorials
- How Business Owners Enter Data in RISR - What to Expect and What's Necessary: /help/the-business-owners-data-entry-journey-what-to-expect-and-necessary-data