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M&A Financing During the Pandemic
February 16, 2021 / in Acquire a Business, News, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
The pandemic has put lower middle market business sales and acquisitions on somewhat of a roller coaster ride. Deal volume declined sharply in Q2-Q3 and came back strong in Q4. Valuations have remained strong throughout the pandemic, at least for COVID-resistant businesses. Though there was a slight Covid-effect in Q2-3. In terms of M&A financing, capital structures shifted to slightly more less debt during 2020, before edging back up to pre-pandemic levels in Q4. To …
Market Pulse Survey: Still a Seller’s Market
February 16, 2021 / in Acquire a Business, News, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
Despite the effects of the pandemic, we continued to experience a seller’s market in the fourth quarter of 2020, for businesses with enterprise values over $2 million. Presented by IBBA & M&A Source For further information on M&A market conditions, or to discuss a current business sale, acquisition or valuation need, contact Al Statz, 707-781-8580 or alstatz@exitstrategiesgroup.com.
M&A ADVISOR TIP: Cybersecurity is a Buyer Priority
February 16, 2021 / in Acquire a Business, News, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
New research from Datasite reveals that cybersecurity is the #1 cause of buyers withdrawing from a merger or acquisition during due diligence. Deal makers said about 1 in 10 deals fell through during due diligence. Cybersecurity issues was the cause in 36% of these failed deals, followed by financial weakness, excessive valuation, financial irregularities, and leadership issues. To ensure that your data security practices will not be a concern for prospective buyers of your company, …
M&A Advisor Tip: ESG Diligence on the Rise in M&A
January 22, 2021 / in Acquire a Business, Exit Planning, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
Companies that are able to showcase their Environmental, Social and corporate Governance (ESG) capabilities stand to gain a competitive advantage and make themselves more attractive to potential acquirers. ESG issues cover a wide range of corporate practices that could include everything from environmental stewardship, health and safety policies, employee well-being, community support, to corporate culture issues. In recent research from Datasite, 84% of dealmakers rated ESG as an “important/very important” M&A due diligence consideration. And 78% …
Due Diligence: Essential Step in Every Successful Business Acquisition
December 28, 2020 / in Acquire a Business / by Exit Strategies
When purchasing a business the due diligence stage allows the buyer to verify information pertaining to the business in order to determine whether to proceed with the purchase. The due diligence period also permits the buyer to determine if there are any barriers or risks associated with the transaction. Accordingly, the transaction closing is usually conditioned upon the due diligence stage being completed successfully. While there are many operational, legal and financial components of due …
Key Deal Terms – Fall 2020
December 18, 2020 / in Acquire a Business, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
GF Data collects and publishes proprietary business valuation, volume, leverage and key deal term data contributed by over 200 lower-middle market private equity groups and other M&A deal sponsors. Two of the acquisition deal terms that they monitor are the survival period¹ on general reps and warranties and the cap on indemnification² against breaches of general reps and warranties. The following table shows these limits for deals in the $10 million to $25 million enterprise …
Plan Your 2021 Comeback with a Strategic Acquisition
November 3, 2020 / in Acquire a Business, Business Strategy / by Al Statz
Business owners tend to think more seriously about selling when things aren’t as much fun as they used to be. Running a business in the COVID era is anything but fun, and owners are being particularly responsive to acquisition inquiries right now. Proactive Acquisition Searches When growing through acquisition, companies can be reactive or proactive. In a reactive strategy, the buyer takes phone calls and watches open market listings for appropriate opportunities to appear. This …
Get to know your buyer: Conducting Seller Due Diligence
October 9, 2020 / in Acquire a Business, Sell a Business / by Adam Wiskind
As a business owner selling your company, prospective buyers will perform due diligence on you and your company. But you should also conduct thorough due diligence on the prospective buyer. When a buyer conducts due diligence on a company, they want to know that the company’s operations, finances, HR, environmental and legal matters (etc., etc.) are in order. When a seller of a small business conducts due diligence on a buyer, they want to know …
M&A Advisor Tip: COVID-19 Era Due Diligence, Part 4
September 3, 2020 / in Acquire a Business, Exit Planning, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
M&A buyers are still active in the midst of this uncertain business environment. However, they are mindful of added risks caused by COVID-19. These are some financial questions that are likely to come up in future due diligence in light of COVID-19: Did the business utilize any government relief, debt deferrals, or rent reductions? In terms of government relief, was the business accurately entitled to that relief and did they meet requirements for debt forgiveness? …
M&A Advisor Tip: COVID-19 Era Due Diligence, Part 3
August 18, 2020 / in Acquire a Business, Sell a Business / by Al Statz
M&A buyers are still active in the midst of this uncertain business environment. However, they are mindful of added risks caused by COVID-19. These are some contract-related questions that are likely to come up in future due diligence in light of COVID-19: Did the business default on any third-party agreements? What are the termination rights on key contracts? Are counterparties adhering to their contract obligationss? Were terms modified or waived in a way that would …