Let’s say you have identified a specific company as a prospective acquisition. To get to know that company, you must do primary research, not just secondary (online or library) research. This involves getting on the phone and talking to people who deal with the company on a regular basis, and eventually to the principals themselves. …
Category: M&A and External Growth
The Prospect Funnel
If you have started to look at individual acquisition prospects, you may be wondering, why use a prospect funnel? That’s to say, why pursue lots of possible acquisitions, rather than focus on just one? I have frequently been approached by clients after a deal suddenly fell through—a deal they had been working on for months …
From Markets To Prospects: “Taking The Emotion Out”
When you’re on the path of acquisition, there’s a shift that happens when you turn from the bigger strategic questions to looking at individual prospects. Now you’re dealing with real companies and real people. At this point, I have noticed that acquisition teams tend to become much more emotionally involved—sometimes to the detriment of the …
How Long Does an Acquisition Take?
As you consider acquisition as a route to growth, you may be wondering: How long will the whole process take? This is one of the most frequent questions I hear when laying out an acquisition plan. The answer is never easy to pin down. I’ve worked on acquisitions that were completed in a month, while …
Strategy: US Airways and American Airlines
The $11 billion merger between US Airways and American Airlines offers a striking example of current trends in mergers and acquisitions: strategic acquisitions. The US Airways and American Airlines merger is an all-stock deal that should bring cost benefits and synergies which allow the company to better handle fixed assets. In order to remain viable …
Growth Pathway # 5: Pursue External Growth
The fifth and final pathway to growth is external growth. Here, expansion is achieved by engaging with entities outside your company. There are many forms of engagement, of which acquisition is but one. External growth can be one of the most exciting paths to growth and in many cases, it should top your list of …
Prepare to Buy: Planning A New Acquisition
The decision to make an acquisition is no small step. While there is risk inherent in any acquisition, the downsides can pale next to the potentially enormous rewards. In my post on the Association for Corporate Growth blog, I outline how to plan a new acquisition so you can minimize the risk and reap the …
Future Demand
Future demand is king for reasons that are self-evident, once you pause to think about it. Ultimately, your growth depends on your success in meeting the needs of customers you have yet to capture. What do they want today? What will they want in the future? Business winners are the ones who best answer these …
Less is more?
When you hear the word “grow,” you probably think of getting bigger: having more customers, more markets, more products, or more revenue. I prefer to see growth strategy as a way to recalibrate your company, enabling you to become increasingly focused and effective. Recalibration is a continual necessity today, because economic and technological changes are …
Seven Strategic Questions
Last week, I wrote about the importance of self-exploration. To begin your journey of self-exploration, here are seven strategic questions you may find helpful: 1) What business are we in? 2) What is our core competency? 3) What are we not? 4) Where is our pain? 5) What are our dreams? 6) What is our …
