M & A Process

Here are the key stages in the merger and acquisition process. We’ll be by your side every step of the way.

Prepare offering package

We’ll prepare a detailed offering package with a full description of your business, including historical financial information. You’ll review and approve the offering package before we present it to anyone.

Business valuation

We can prepare the valuation report or arrange for an independent third party to conduct the appraisal.

Develop marketing plan

We’ll collaborate with you to develop a marketing plan and identify prospective buyers for your business. These may be private equity groups, corporate buyers or wealthy individuals.

Contact prospective buyers

We’ll make initial contact with prospective buyers without disclosing your company’s identity. When we’ve received a signed confidentiality agreement, we’ll provide them with the offering package about your business. We’ll coordinate and attend all planned visits and help you answer all buyer questions.

Negotiate offers to purchase or letter of intent

We’ll assist you in negotiating the details of the transaction with the buyer. Based on our training and experience, we can frequently assist in drafting the term sheet or letter of intent for review by your attorney and the potential buyer’s attorney.

Negotiate purchase and sales agreement

We’ll assist you in negotiating the details of the purchase and sale agreement that frequently include a non-compete agreement, employment agreement, real estate leases and loan agreements if you’re providing seller financing. Our negotiating experience and knowledge of legal, financial, accounting and tax matters enable us to you coordinate the details of these complex transactions with your legal, financial and tax advisors.

Due diligence

Because we’ve worked with you to identify and disclose all pertinent issues in the offering package, due diligence becomes a much simpler process. The buyer only needs to confirm that what we’ve told them about your business is true.

Financing and funding

Thanks to our strong network of debt and equity finance sources, we can assist the buyers of your business find outside sources of capital to eliminate or reduce the amount of seller financing you may be expected to provide.

Closing and transfer

We’re by your side all the way to the successful completion of the sale of your business. If you and the buyer desire it, we can help you in making a smooth transfer of ownership and working out any issues that may arise.