The objective of this paper is to analyze the principles of economic valuation based on financial theory applied in the small and medium enterprises of Maracaibo- Venezuela. To develop it, a descriptive-an - alytical, field research was designed. The population was constituted by 15 SMEs of the sector of heavy load transport, located in Maracaibo. The information obtained was contrasted with the opinion of analysts of the financial sector of the study context. It was established that the observed companies use valuation techniques of a historical nature, based on the principles of liquidity and performance. Analysts and consultants indicated that the financial information provided by SMEs is not adequate to apply dynamic methods based on financial principles and that their opinions generally do not match the expectations of entrepreneurs. It is concluded that SME carriers apply non-appropriate financial valuation models in the Venezuelan environment and do not use methods to assess risk.