M&A Talk: #1 Podcast on Selling a Business

Don't be scared to put your business on the market – just be prepared. This is the top piece of advice from strategic buyer Scott Hile. He shares his advice learned from doing almost 100 transactions on the buy-side. Scott has seen what can go wrong with a deal and the common mistakes sellers make. He discusses the importance of being prepared, how this can help with running a business even before...

The personal touch can be hard to find when it comes to selling a business, but family offices can bring the personal touch back into the mix. Father and son Geordie and B.G. Lemmon talk about their family office, Brynavon, and how family offices work in the M&A world. They discuss the differences between a family office, a PE firm, and a strategic buyer, how they make investment decisions, how th...

The digital marketplace is rapidly evolving and has unique challenges in M&A. Yury Byalik, an expert in buying digital companies, shares what he looks for when acquiring a digital business and offers advice on preparing a digital company for sale. Yury describes the most common mistakes sellers make the criteria buyers consider as they evaluate a company, and gives clear definitions of some of the...

The human element of a business sale is often overlooked. Attorney Danya Shakfeh discusses the impact of cultural differences where personal backgrounds, values, and cultural influences can impact how a sale proceeds or falls apart. She discusses what to expect when working with an attorney, the importance of managing personality and cultural differences, how cultural differences can impact negoti...

Preparing your business for sale is critical for success. Patrick O'Connell works with buyers during a transaction to perform financial due diligence (FDD). He joins M&A Talk to explain the FDD process and give advice to sellers on how best to prepare their company for sale from a financial perspective. He discusses the issues that come up during diligence, who is involved in the process, and the...

The earlier an entrepreneur starts planning for the sale of their business, the longer they have to compound value as it grows. Mac Lackey gives advice for maximizing the strategic value of a business. Mac shares lessons he has learned from starting and selling six companies all for strategic value, including designing a business with prospective buyers in mind, telling a compelling story about co...

It is critical to have the right partner in place to successfully grow into an international market. Michele Museyri, with HSP Group, specializes in helping companies expand internationally, and she shares expert tips for managing the process. This jam-packed show discusses what goes into making the decision to expand, issues to consider, legal and cultural differences, and the intricacies of comp...

Selling your business through a rollover is complicated. Attorney Trevor Crow breaks this technical topic down into clear language as he explains how a rollover works, discusses major terms and documents involved, offers insights into the tactics and negotiating strategies employed by PE firms, explains what to expect, and highlights the critical element of understanding the economic provisions in...

This in-depth conversation about preparing a company for sale looks at the process from the view at the end of the transaction. Pat Linden, an M&A attorney who has closed well over 100 deals, offers insights into the importance of being prepared before even starting the sales process. He shares tips on maximizing the final price, negotiating from a strong position, maintaining a poker face, recogn...

What does it take to complete a successful acquisition quickly and smoothly on an international scale? Get the insider's view of global powerhouse Descartes' acquisition of Australian company Localz in this discussion with both companies. Hear about the importance of clear communication, tips on being prepared for the intensity of the acquisition process, dealing with issues such as time zones, an...

Listen in for expert advice on selling a business, geared toward sellers of middle-market companies. Investment banker and author of Mergers & Acquisitions For Dummies Bill Snow shares advice, tips, and insights from over 30 years of selling companies. He gives examples of adjustments that should be made or avoided, discusses the most common mistakes sellers make, explains why a cash flow statemen...

The world of private equity is often maligned and misunderstood. Adam Coffey brings his years of experience from the corporate and PE worlds to dispel the myths that surround the idea of selling a business to a PE firm. He shares stories from GE during its heyday under Jack Welch, discusses how he translates those lessons to the acquisitions, roll-ups, and turnarounds he has led, and talks about l...

Returning to M&A Talk, Dan Tamkin looks at how the market has changed in recent years; how changes in interest rates affect valuations; the problem with low revenue, high EBITDA businesses; and why it's important for buyers and sellers to get along. He discusses the impact of a mismatch between buyer and seller expectations, the surprising influence of a good dinner meeting to build trust and esta...

The world of M&A is complex, but it is possible to plan, learn, and be flexible enough to make an acquisition successfully happen. Cassio Bobsin takes a broad perspective of entrepreneurship and gives his insights into start-ups, mergers, integration, taking a company public, and the influence of AI on the M&A industry. Cassio doesn't take the typical scientific approach to decide about an acquisi...

What is a quality of earnings (Q of E) report? How can it help sellers and buyers in M&A transactions? Nicholas Spezio returns to M&A Talk to discuss the importance of the Q of E report. From an overview of the process to the difference between an audit and a Q of E, Nicholas covers how a Q of E can ensure that both parties are prepared for the diligence process by flushing out potential issues ea...

Don't rush to the closing – take the time to do financial due diligence properly. That's the advice from Nicholas Spezio with Exbo Group, a strategic boutique advisor for growth-stage companies. He discusses the integration process, the objectives and advantages of doing financial due diligence, the problems with going too fast during the sale process, why financial due diligence is the most chall...

Serial entrepreneur Ryan Buckley returns to M&A Talk to discuss lessons learned as he moves from bootstrapping to seeking venture capital backing with his current company, Shovels. Ryan talks about his decision to pursue climate tech as his next project, how the idea of mining and analyzing building permit and inspection data can help people make better decisions about contractors they work with,...

What can an M&A attorney bring to the table when selling a business? Jessica Fairchild, a corporate and M&A attorney for over 20 years, answers this question and many more. She discusses why it is so important to work with a lawyer who knows how the M&A process works, knows what your goals are, and understands the key issues of your business when they are negotiating for you. She highlights the ne...

What are the two most important things to know before starting the journey to sell your business? Chris Younger, with Class VI Partners, answers this question and many more. He discusses the fundamentals of selling a middle-market company, the importance of preparation and planning ahead, looking for a buyer with the right fit, building a growth plan that can survive due diligence, and the amount...

Consider the M&A world as science versus art. This fascinating discussion looks at acquisitions as transformations. Jay Goldman, author, and co-founder of Sensei Labs, defines enterprise and portfolio orchestration, discusses how automation, collaboration, and software can help build more value in an organization, looks at how a company can execute better on value creation and go beyond closing th...

A successful partnership was recently formed when Ed Gardner of Descartes led the acquisition of GroundCloud, founded by David Leland. They both discuss the acquisition process, from David's decision to look for a partner to Descartes' decision to make an offer. This discussion walks through the process from management presentations through the offer stage, due diligence, closing, and post-closing...

What is the current state of fintech, fundraising, and private capital markets? David Frank, founder and CEO of Stonehaven, a company that's developed a fintech operating system for investment bankers and investors in private capital markets, shares insights he sees through his company. From a high-level look at fintech and the future of AI to developing a global workforce and differences between...

Employee stock ownership plans have long been an exit strategy for companies, but they are still misunderstood. Kelly Finnell shares his passion and expertise with ESOPs from his 40 years of specializing in them. Beyond the definition of an ESOP, Kelly offers his insights into the history of ESOPs, the tax benefits they present to owners and employees, what metrics a company should have for an ESO...

Employee stock ownership plans, known as ESOPs, are an M&A alternative that places shares of a company in the hands of employees. This complex topic is the focus of Michael Bannon and Jordan Burg, ESOP experts in the healthcare industry with boutique investment bank CSG Partners. They discuss considerations around structuring an ESOP, advantages to owners and employees, the impact ESOPs can have o...

When it comes to buying a business, what are the top considerations and pitfalls to avoid? Jon Stoddard, an investor, serial acquirer, and host of the podcast  Top M&A Entrepreneurs , joins M&A Talk to discuss buying small businesses, including the risks, lessons he has learned, and the rewards of dealing with start-ups. Jon discusses the differences in on-market vs. off-market deals, the importan...