- Are you considering selling your business?
- Are you considering acquiring a business, or several businesses?
- Do you need to understand if you and your business are prepared for any of these transactions?
- Are you looking to buy an interest in or sell an interest in an existing business?
Selling Businesses.
With our success fee business model, we seek qualified buyers, negotiate and close the winning bid to buy your business; while minimizing your risk and maximizing your net proceeds through a structured and confidential process.
We are proficient at providing advice and managing a complex sale process on behalf of our clients.
We are involved in every aspect of our business sales engagements from the initial meeting through to closing.
Business owners can rely on our years of experience, knowledge and skill from hundreds of transactions to sell the business you’ve built. Your success is a result of your passion, know-how and desire to win in your industry. We share that mindset in our industry. You know your business better than anyone and we know how to sell it.
Our full service business sale engagements typically involve established and successful businesses with an Enterprise Value between $2 Million and $75 Million.
Limited-scope or targeted engagements are undertaken for smaller businesses where there is an interested 3rd party buyer or potential Management Buyout.
Pre-Sale Workup
- Owner & Management succession
- Tax implications
- Build Value Proposition
- Income Statement Planning
- Forecasting/Budgeting
- Visibility to Results for Sale Period
- Optimize Timing
- Balance Sheet Planning
- Capital Expenditure Planning
Marketing Stage
- Market Value Assessment
- Drill down on Value Proposition
- Assembly of documents into online Data Room
- Creation of Marketing Documents (Blind Summary, Confidential Information Memorandum)
- Identifying buyers; contacting and developing their value proposition
- Disclosure of Material Contracts and relevant information
- Negotiating Terms with multiple parties
- Letter of intent
Closing Stage
- Manage Due Diligence
- Assist in drafting of Purchase Agreement with professional advisors
- Finalize the Asset or Share Purchase Agreement
- Cash the cheque
Acquisitions.
Our business owner clients benefit from our experience, knowledge and skill in analysis of the target, modelling synergies, valuation, negotiation, deal structuring, capital structure, managing the closing process and integration.
Acquisition engagements usually begin in the early planning stage and conclude when the transaction closes.
Our Acquisition engagements are typically on a fixed success fee model. A modest upfront fee is typically collected and credited to the success fee.
Mergers.
Our clients benefit from our experience, knowledge and skill in analysis of the target, modelling synergies, relative valuation, negotiation, due diligence, capital structuring and integration.
As expert intermediaries, we understand the complexity of a merger transaction and the importance of a partnership approach with the target to realize the optimal potential upside for our client.
Our Merger engagements are typically on a fixed success fee model. A modest upfront fee is typically collected and credited to the success fee.
Capital Restructuring.
Our clients benefit from our experience, knowledge and skill in:
- financing
- subordinated debt
- venture capital
to best identify financing options, optimize capital structure, negotiate shareholder buyouts, negotiate new subordinated debt or venture capital investment and to negotiate exits from subordinated debt or venture capital providers. We do not raise debt or equity capital from private individuals or businesses.
Capital Restructuring engagements are typically on a fixed success fee model. A modest upfront fee is typically collected and credited to the success fee.
Market Assessment & Readiness.
Selling your business is a significant milestone. Whether you have been approached (unsolicited offer) by a third party or whether you have been planning to exit for some time, your business should be put through a Market Readiness “systems check” to assist in maximizing your net proceeds.
How important is understanding what your business is worth?
Market Value Assessment:
A key step early on in the process of deciding when to sell the business is understanding how much the business is worth. “Worth” or value is referred to in different circles in a number of ways and confusing to many people. The breakdown often happens when calculations are made to determine the Net Value to the shareholders from the Enterprise Value or Purchase Price.
We spend time ensuring that our clients understand the valuation process and principles and have the same expectations on closing as we do.
Our Market Value Assessment assists owners in understanding the probable value range their business might sell for in current market conditions.
Market Readiness:
Answers to the following questions will help guide you toward your goal of maximizing value.
- Management team
Is a management team in place? How talented are the managers? Will they stay post close? What happens if one or more leave?
- Reliance on owner
Will this business work well without you around? Have key aspects of the business been delegated? Are you currently able to be away for extended periods of time?
- Transparent and accurate legal & financial records
Is your Minute Book up to date and in order? Are your financial records clean and up to date? Are your accounting systems providing accurate reports? Have your financial statements been audited or reviewed by a professional accounting firm? Have your discretionary expenses been identified and adequately detailed?
- Customer base (concentration and future prospects)
Are the customer relationships with your business or with you? What is the extent of reliance on individual large customers? What are the future prospects for your key customers? Your industry? Your specific business?
- Growth Strategy
Growth rate is one of the most significant contributors to business value. How does your business compare to your competitors? What strategies are in place to improve market access for your products or services now and into the future? How will you assure your prospective buyer that sales and market share can grow, not just be maintained? What trends affect your industry? What potential disruptors could impact your industry overnight? What contingencies do you have for these scenarios?
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