How much profit should a company be making before we can realistically value it at X amount of money?

I'm looking for a real world calculation for how much profit or projected profit we should expect a company to be making before we apply a valuation of X amount of money.

What is a realistic calculation? (i.e. Not a "Facebook" calculation!)

Thanks

You don't need to be making a profit to evaluate a company. Most startups get evaluated way before they make a profit.
Typically, people use some general rules to gage a companies worth. These include:

• 10x Money In: Usually, an investor wants at least 10 their money as a return
• 3-5x Revenue: This can be discounted revenue over time as well.
• 7x Profit: The profit one is a little tricker since profit can be increased at the expense of growth.

All of these models are for growth companies. A main line, brick and mortar type, where the market is mature or predictable, will have a vastly different model.