Expert Solutions for your Business.
Our team is highly-skilled in navigating business challenges including, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, and executive coaching. We understand the pain points in transactions and work creatively to produce solutions.
Ego related to belief on how much business is worth or seller’s unrealistic belief in the value of the Company.
Why is this a problem?
Serious negotiations will never take place because both buyer and seller are offended by the other’s valuation. If the parties are not realistic in the value and terms of a business, the transaction will never happen.
The Buyer, the Seller and even the manufacturer who all need the transaction to be done.
We know the market. We have been the lead on over 30 transactions within our industry specialization. We have been used for valuations, expert testimony, tax rulings and equity and capital transactions. We know values and have the credibility to look someone in the eye and tell them the truth. Terms will always trump the value and we never let value become the focus until we have an understanding of the terms.
Some of the constituents may be “deal busters.” These are people who fear that a transaction will personally affect their long-term employment or compensation.
Why is this a problem?
A deal buster can be an attorney, a CPA firm or employee(s). Because their input is critical in legal, tax and due diligence, they can effectively “kill” a deal with bad advice or delaying information until “deal fatigue sets in.
The Buyer, the Seller and even the manufacturer who all need the transaction to be done.
We can quickly recognize the “deal busters” and can steer both buyer and seller away from their advice. We can, if necessary, do most of the due diligence without inside help or suggest a way to enlist the necessary inside resources.
Investment Banker Fee. Most investment bankers require substantial upfront payments and large fixed fee and contingency fees.
Because of the contingency nature, most of the time the investment banker is more concerned about getting the deal closed and not concerned as to whether it is really a good deal for both parties
We charge an hourly fee and never a contingency. Because of this arrangement, many of the buyers and sellers will ask us to represent both sides of the deal. This greatly reduces deal cost. In most cases our total fees will be 1/3 of the fees typically charged by investment bankers.
Soured relationships between the buyer and the seller.
In most transactions, the sellers are required to continue their role for an extended period of time. Often times, negotiations can become heated and personalities will flare. These personality conflicts can impact the relationship between the buyer and the seller as they work through the mutual employment.
We will typically take total control of the negotiations. Therefore, if there is conflict, we take the heat and therefore preserve the relationships between buyer and seller.
Transactions “drag on” and take away focus from the seller.
Many transactions can take as much as a year or more to close. They are seductive and very distracting. In particular, this is during the period when the selling Company must perform at its very best. The seller and the seller’s employees need to remain focused on successfully running their business.
Bringing a deal to conclusion, whether it is a close or not, is our top priority. We limit the number of transactions we are involved in to ensure that we stay on top of the progress of the deal and the necessary timelines.
Transactions are emotional and seductive.
Many sellers personally identify with their business and “letting go” becomes an emotional issue. It is difficult to properly balance the emotion and monetization.
We make certain that the method of transition is compatible with the emotional and financial needs of all parties. We do this through detailed upfront discussions on both the emotional and the monetization goals. Deals become very seductive and as it nears completion, it is easy to make bad compromises just to get to the end. We maintain a high level of discipline to help control these seductive compromises.