Articles

Blue River Financial Group – When middle market business owners place their privately held companies for sale, they soon discover the market is the final determiner of value, not appraisers, CPAs, or even their own opinions. The market can delight or disappoint depending on an owner’s expectations. Disappointment inevitably arises when the highest offers received […]

Much of our value as M&A advisors is found in redirecting your focus, from what your business is worth today, to what it could be worth when it is ultimately ready to sell. When business owners decide to put their company on the market, it’s natural for them to wonder What is my business worth? and What should […]

In an effort to maximize your ROI at the conference in San Diego, here are the key points mentioned in a recent webinar.  You can view the webinar here. EDUCATION Take as many classes and workshops as possible.  This is your opportunity to learn and interact with the experts in M&A, Law, Financing, etc.  Additional classes […]

In an earlier issue of The Bridge, we introduced a new series, Moving on Up. Many of the newer members of the M&A Source found it helpful as they move upmarket in their deal making. In this issue, we address strategies to leverage your M&A Source membership to establish your expertise and source the “bigger” transactions. […]

As the Fall begins and vacations become a far-off memory, you may be getting that back to school feeling about preparing for your first Deal Market at the M&A Source Conference this November. As Director of Business Development at a private equity fund, I get the opportunity to speak with a lot of advisors and have attended […]

With inflation at its highest level in 40 years, business owners are reasonably concerned about how their businesses will be impacted. Knowing the effects inflation can have on the bottom line of a company can be crucial in preparing your clients for the sale of their business. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which looks at […]

One of the most effective business development strategies for an M&A advisor is the development and management of a good prospecting plan. Neil Thomson, an M&A Source member, and owner of Exit This Way Consulting, specializes in exit planning, appraisals, and business sales in Western Canada since 2009. He shares his plan with fellow members […]

Nothing hurts more than a transaction that’s just days away from closing, falling apart. Today I go through the most popular reasons we see deals die closer to the closing. Remember losing sleep over that one deal last year that you knew should have closed but didn’t? Our office tracks every transaction that does not […]

Every M&A advisor I know dreams about the deal from heaven. Everything about the deal moves smoothly signing the client, preparing the client, marketing the deal, due diligence and closing all go off without a hitch resulting in a happily client and a nice fee. Of course, it almost never happens quite that way. We […]

Selling ownership in a privately held middle market business is hard; and without the owner’s 100% commitment, transactions rarely make it across the finish line. The selling process is time-consuming. It is disruptive. Confidentiality is at risk. Owners’ emotions often swing wildly in many directions – from fearful, to joyful, to angry, to hopeful, to […]