Mergers and Acquisitions
 
Financing Solutions
 
Business Acquisition Services (Buyer)
 
Business Transition Services (Seller)
 
Business Succession Planning
 
Organizational Development/Business Transition
 
 
 
 
Mergers and Acquisitions

M & A is a process, not an event. At ABI, we work with pre-qualified buyers and companies that are seeking investment or planning an exit strategy.

Our key management and team members thoroughly understand the M & A process, the value in a business investment, the right buyers/investors, and how to structure a deal. You only have one chance to do it right: ABI is dedicated to assisting you with this strategy.

Many Mergers and Acquisitions fail because the cultures are not a fit. That’s why we have organizational development expertise on our team.

To reiterate, as a full service advisory firm, ABI does not view your business as just a transaction but rather as a transition, for you and for the business.
 
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Financing Solutions

Today’s successful growing and mid-market companies need enough fuel to keep pace with their expansion plans. That fuel is capital.

Thus, ABI has a diverse array of financial solutions available including:

  • Merger and Acquisitions Funding
  • Leveraged and Management Buyouts
  • Expansion Capital
  • Working Capital Financing
  • Subordinated Debt
  • Senior Debt
  • Special Opportunity Financing
  • Private Equity Placements
  • International Financing

To ABI, your transaction is not one more short-term deal but rather a step in a valued, ongoing long-term business relationship.

 
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Business Acquisition Services (Buyer)

Going into business for yourself is a big step. Most people who buy a business have never owned a business before and the business they buy is different than what they were looking for. Here’s what a buyer should look at:

  • How long the business has been in business
  • How long the present owner has owned the business
  • Why the owner is selling
  • The books and records

The buying process includes:

  • Getting the basic facts
  • Visiting the business
  • Getting your questions answered
  • Making an offer
  • Doing due diligence

Is buying right for you?

  • What is your time frame to find a business?
  • What is your primary reason for buying a business?
  • Are you willing to invest a majority of your liquid assets in a business?
  • Are you independent enough to make your own decisions and be in control?
  • Is your family supportive of you owning a business?
  • Are you open minded about different opportunities or are you looking for a specific type of business?
  • Do you have reasonable expectations?
  • Can you make the “leap of faith” necessary to buy a business?
  • Do you need a guarantee?
 
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Business Transition Services (Seller)

Are you ready to exit? If you truly want to sell your business, prepare to do so by gathering the following information:

  • Three years’ profit and loss statements
  • Federal Income Tax returns for the business
  • A list of fixtures and equipment
  • The lease and lease-related documents
  • A list of the loans against the business (amounts and payment schedule)
  • Copies of any equipment leases
  • A copy of the franchise agreement, if applicable
  • An approximate amount of the inventory on hand, if applicable
  • The names of all outside advisors

Expect that a prospective buyer will want to know:

  • How much money is required to buy the business?
  • What is the annual increase in sales?
  • How much is the inventory?
  • What is the debt?
  • Will the seller stay on and train for a while?
  • What makes the business different/special/unique?
  • What further defines the product or service? Bid work? Repeat business?
  • What can be done to grow the business?
  • What can the buyer do to add value?
  • What is the profit picture in bad times as well as good?

Remember to:

  • Keep normal operating hours. There may be a tendency to “let down” when you put your business up for sale. However it’s important that prospective buyers see your business at its best.
  • Repair signs, replace outside lights, etc. You don’t want your business to look as if it has been neglected.
  • Maintain inventory at a constant level. If you let your inventory slide, your business will look neglected. If anything, increase it so your business will look busy.
  • Remove items that are not included in the sale and unnecessary items, especially if inoperative.
  • Repair non-operating equipment or remove it if you are not using it.
  • Tidy-up outside premises.
  • Spruce-up the inside of the business.
 
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Business Succession Planning

Business Succession Planning, sometimes referred to as Business Continuation Planning, is a business owner’s strategy for his or her eventual exit from their firm. Peter Drucker, a well known business author and investor, stated “every business owner gets into business to get out of business.”

What does this mean to the business owner? The point is that from the beginning of the enterprise, a business owner should be considering how best to transfer the business in some manner that will bring them the highest value for their financial and sweat equity in a tax efficient manner while allowing for the continuation of the enterprise into the future.

ABI guides and quarterbacks the business owner’s professional team, normally consisting of other key advisors such as attorneys, CPAs and financial advisors, in determining a company’s business succession strategies at a given point in a firm’s maturity cycle.

A start-up firm has different exit strategy concerns as compared to a long-established business where the owner is beginning to contemplate enjoying his or her golden years.

There are many succession strategies, often several should be brought into play to cover different contingencies. Some of these strategies include:

  • Gifting the ownership interest;
  • Sale to top management or key employees;
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs);
  • Buy/Sell Agreements;
  • Sale of the business to third parties;
  • Sale of the business to family members;
  • Sale of the business to a competitor or vendor; or
  • Key man insurance.

There are many questions that revolve around succession planning. These include:

  • When do I start developing my succession strategy?
  • How can I transfer my business in the most tax effective manner?
  • How can I ensure that the transfer of the business is properly financed so that I get my full value while ensuring the purchaser won’t fail due to lack of capital?
  • Are there insurance products that can help me in the business transfer?
  • How soon should I begin to prepare my business for a transfer?
  • What do I need to do to increase the value of my business?
  • If you are considering passing the business on to a child or children, when should that planning start?

ABI’s team of in-house experts come from the accounting, legal, investment banking and financial fields and thus bring a wide range of perspectives to the table when aiding a company in determining its succession needs and strategies. Let us help you in preparing for your next great transition.

 
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Organizational Development/Business Transition

The Veritas Group, our organizational development partner, has worked in training and organizational development for over 20 years. Their clients cut across industry lines including biotech, manufacturing, banking, distribution and major insurance companies.

Working with startups, growing companies, and businesses in merger or acquisition, The Veritas Group seeks to create an effective and profitable culture. They train top managers in the leadership styles that produce the greatest revenues for the company and the highest employee satisfaction. They also assist business owners in effectively transitioning out of their business.

 
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