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Prepared, you will be in a position to achieve your goals and a maximum valuation.
Unprepared...it’s just not a good idea to go there.
We drill down and push hard to get you prepared and successful:
Build realistic expectations—shoot for the achievable
- It is critical that you start from a realistic perspective on what you can and should be able to achieve
- Understand the prospective investor/purchaser landscape
Build performance momentum—not what you might do, but what you are actually doing
- Make, or at least identify, those operational changes which will show momentum and improving results
- Identify and address and margin cost issues
Remove uncertainty—answer the questions before they are asked and you will appear totally different from other sellers
The thing acquirers fear most is uncertainty. You can address these issue in advance:
- Build a detailed understanding and explanation of profit dynamics (at product/project/customer level)
- Get the "noise" out of your financial statements and reporting
- Clean up any accounting issues
- Clarify any “deals” or special relationships with employees, management or investors
- Define the investments that could, should or must be made
- Build credible forecasting and sales management processes
- Build a credible opportunity and backlog story
- Validate your inventory and WIP
- Address A/R and cash management issues
- Address key customer issues
- Identify and set a path to resolve any disputes
- Address and explain customer concentration issues
- Resolve corporate structure and contract issues
- Address holes or ambiguity in the management structure
Build the story—connect the dots on the key issues a purchaser cares about
- Build a realistic long-term forecast
- Build the case for your competitive position and revenue sustainability
- Identify and explain the case for future combination opportunities
- Build the case for purchaser "add-backs"
- Explain trends in sales and margins
- Make the case for growth
- Explain the surprises
Align your team—build the case the company is bigger than you
- Address weaknesses in management process and structure
- Get your executives committed and on board
Align your investors and lenders—secure control of the mandate and avoid 11th hour surprises
- Understand and resolve views
- Identify and address ownership agreement issues and rights
- Understand the implications of your tax position
Facilitate a smooth process—be ready to move quickly when the time comes
- Be ready to be responsive to questions and data requests without disrupting you business
- Have your documents ready
- Have your financial reporting ready
- Prepare an audit or financial review (as required)
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