Our Proprietary Process

A comprehensive 5-step process to help ensure M&A success

Most owners looking to sell their companies have two main goals: maximize the value of the business and create a positive ongoing relationship with the buyer. Here at Strategic M&A Advisors, we have created a proprietary process that is designed to help our clients accomplish both of these goals simultaneously.

Following this structured and comprehensive process makes it easier for our clients to understand their options without getting overwhelmed with the complexities in business M&A transactions. The process consists of 5 key steps:

1. Initial Consultation and Evaluation

   Our process starts with a confidential, no-obligation (and no-cost) conversation at a time and place that’s convenient for you. During this meeting, we will learn more about your business and your M&A goals while explaining how we can help maximize the value of your company to make it as attractive as possible to potential buyers all over the world.

2. Creation of a Market Value Study
   Next, we will conduct a study to determine the current market value of your business. This is a crucial step because it helps determine if your valuation goals and expectations are realistic and whether we should proceed with a full engagement.

   For a small fee, we will gather the information necessary to determine within a fairly tight range the market value of your business and your company’s key value drivers. Based on these results, we will decide together if it makes sense to proceed to the next step.

3. Full Engagement and Creation of a Descriptive Report

   If there is agreement up to this point on goals and expectations for your company’s M&A, we will invite you to enter into a full engagement with Strategic M&A Advisors. At this stage, a one-time minimal fee is charged that secures the relationship and gives both parties some “skin in the game.”

   Next, we will conduct extensive research to produce a detailed descriptive report about your business. This report will be based on the accumulation of various objective materials and conversations with you and your management team about the history and future opportunities of your business.

   Once we have finalized and you have approved the descriptive report, we will create a blind profile to maintain confidentiality of your business. This profile will then be used to market your company to prospective buyers worldwide.

4. Worldwide Marketing of Your Business

   The marketplace for your business should not be limited in geographic scope or buyer stereotype. Potential buyers could be located anywhere in the world, so we conduct extensive worldwide market research to identify likely strategic and financial buyers for your business.

   Our research may identify thousands of potential business buyers on a global scale. Interested and qualified prospects will request the full descriptive report, which we will provide in exchange for a fully executed and legally binding Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in order to protect your company’s confidentiality and intellectual property.

5. Negotiation and Business Sale

   The structured process described here usually results in multiple interested and qualified potential buyers. In fact, there are often several buyers who begin to rally for a single business, which increases our negotiating leverage on behalf of our client and helps further maximize the company’s value.

   We will field questions from all qualified potential buyers and handle requests for Indications of Interest (IOIs) on behalf of your business. With the IOIs in hand, we arrange for management calls and/or site visits with potential buyers so both parties can get to know each other better.

   Finally, Letters of Intent (LOIs) are presented to us by potential buyers who want to make an offer for your business. Once you accept an LOI, we will work with you and the buyer during the due diligence phase to help facilitate the flow of information between parties. We will then remain engaged in the M&A process all the way through the closing and beyond.

Contact us today to learn more about our proprietary 5-step process for accomplishing your M&A goals.