Merger & Acquisition Services

The Value of an Efficient BusinessWhen selling a business, people often woo buyers with hard numbers such as cash flow, customer count, inventory, and tangible assets. Or they tout the benefits of an experienced management team, distinctive products, or a strong brand. One important factor that is frequently overlooked is efficiency.Maximizing efficiency in business operations

Is Now the Right Time for an Acquisition?Merger and acquisition (M&A) activity tends to wax and wane along with the ups and downs of the national and global economy. Savvy business leaders know that an acquisition can be a great way to grow a company. If a deal comes your way, how can you judge

Watch out for these common M&A deal obstaclesEverything may be going according to plan in an M&A negotiation, until something suddenly puts the entire deal in doubt. Perhaps the buyer gets cold feet after conducting a round of due diligence or the selling owner feels insulted by what he considers a lowball offer. Whatever the

First-time business sellers often must negotiate an M&A deal with far more experienced buyers. If your buyer already has several acquisitions under its belt, you could be at a competitive disadvantage. Experienced M&A advisors, who can fight on your behalf for the best price and deal terms, are essential to overcoming this strategic disadvantage. Survey

Business sellers who aren’t ready for retirement may wish to retain a management role in their companies after they’ve been sold. Such arrangements can offer buyers advantages, including a smoother integration process and higher customer and employee retention. For these reasons, a buyer may even require its seller to remain with the company for a

The period immediately following the close of an M&A deal is a fragile one for customer relations. If you don’t address misgivings and fears, you could face substantial customer attrition — and imperil the value of your acquisition. Learn why customers depart following a merger and how you can create a plan to prevent it.

Before starting M&A negotiations, both buyers and sellers can benefit from setting a “walk-away price.” Consider it a safeguard measure. An amount below (for sellers) or above (for buyers) the walk-away price signals the end of merger negotiations. For sellers, anything below the walk-away price grossly undervalues the company’s assets and earnings, and suggests that

Employee benefits can be critical to the success of an M&A deal’s integration phase. If handled poorly, the process of transferring and restructuring benefits might alienate key employees — and even expose buyers to legal claims. To avoid such consequences, review your target company’s current benefits package before the deal closes. In particular, keep an

How quickly can you sell or acquire a business? As with most major transactions, it depends. Once parties agree to merge, deals typically take six to 18 months to conclude. The selling company’s size and industry, the complexity of the transaction, and the buyer’s ability to get financing, among other factors, can all affect timing.