We recently had a situation where our client, the buyer, was pursuing the acquisition of one of their suppliers. The buyer expected the process to be relatively easy because he and the seller had known each other for years. However, when he tried to speak to the owner about possibly selling his company, he was …
Tag: Buyer
What Is Happening with Valuation Multiples Today?
In 2015, record valuations drove a boom in mergers and acquisitions activity, leaving many to wonder when the deal bubble would burst. In 2015, US buyout firms paid an average of 10.3 times EBITDA compared with the previous record of an average 9.7 times multiple in 2007. Despite hitting a peak, valuations are still expected …
Why Use a Nonbinding Letter of Intent?
There are many tools available to help move a transaction forward, ranging from a simple handshake agreement to a formal purchase agreement with contingencies. We have found one of the most useful tools for moving the M&A process along is the nonbinding letter of intent. To further understand the advantages of the nonbinding LOI, we’ve outlined …
How to Conduct Functional Due Diligence and Maintain Seller Confidentiality
Q: How often are you able to bring together both buyer and seller functional personnel during due diligence? Some sellers might be sensitive to confidentiality and not open to bringing their personnel into the fold. A: When conducting due diligence, we advocate a functional approach, where leaders from the buyer’s organization meet with the seller’s. There …
5 Ways to Quickly Lose a Deal
It goes without saying that the introductory meeting is a crucial step of the acquisition process. If it goes well, your partnership could result in a successful deal. If it goes badly, you may be throwing away a great opportunity and have wasted hours of time and resources chasing the deal. Your goal for the …
What Are Buyers Really Looking For in M&A?
What is the best way to position your company to be sold? I’ve often heard this question from owners and executives who aren’t quite ready to exit their business but who may be thinking about its future over the next five to 10 years. If you’re in this position, you’re wise to begin thinking about …
Who is Your M&A Champion?
Q: Who is the internal champion on the M&A team? What is their role? A: The internal champion is an important member of your M&A team. Your acquisition team should include people from your own company such as the CEO, CFO, the internal champion, and functional leaders, and external experts such as lawyers, accountants, valuation experts, due diligence experts …
Why Price Is the Last Thing to Talk about When Buying a Company
Time your negotiations by understanding owner psychology. Everyone wants to talk about price in mergers and acquisitions. It’s often the number one focus of buyers and sellers…but for opposite reasons. Both are likely to say they are looking for a “good deal,” but this can have a completely different meaning depending on the perspective. Buyers …
High or Low? What Price Should You Put in the LOI?
I’m frequently asked about the “right” price to put in the letter of intent. As you will know, the LOI is an important milestone in the M&A process, because it establishes a “gentleman’s agreement” before the formal deal is settled. You have yet to compete due diligence at this stage, and figuring out the right …
How to Get a “Fat Cat” to Buy Your Small Business
How do you get a large company to buy your small business? In this video interview with Matthew Lesko, I’ve shared some of my tips & tricks. In many ways, selling a company is like selling a house. My number one recommendation is to make your company easy to buy. How can you do that? …
