The Complete M&A Solution

The mergers and acquisitions process is long and can be incredibly complicated. And while no two business transactions are identical, a general roadmap needs to be followed to make sure that you are in a position to maximize the value of a deal and reach your goals.At Pinnacle, we use a five-step roadmap to help our clients: Analysis, Strategy, Due Diligence, Negotiation, and Closing.

Analysis

In this phase, we learn everything we can about you and your business: your personal goals, the company financials, every aspect of operations. This gives us the information that we need to be able to give you expectations of what you can hope to achieve (both in terms of price and transaction speed), and the overall readiness of your business for the market.

Strategy

Working with the information we accumulated in the analysis phase, we then set about building a strategy to sell your business. We will target potential buyers who will see the synergies in integrating your business into their portfolio and aim to bring a number of pre-qualified buyers to the table –all of these will be people who recognize the benefits of the acquisition. This phase is something of an art form, combining our experience in the industry, our network of buyers, and your goals to get the right buyers on board.

Due diligence

This stage of the roadmap is often the most uncomfortable for the seller –you essentially need to open up your books to strangers. This includes financial reporting data, legal information, management documents, and operational details –basically anything that could impact the value of the business. We compile all this information in a secure data room so that the buyer(s) can review it and decide if they want to continue with the acquisition.

Negotiation

Negotiations and due diligence are closely connected and typically overlap. This is also one of the more complex aspects of the transaction –and it is absolutely crucial that you have an experienced team on your side throughout. At Pinnacle, we understand and utilize the importance of targeting potential buyers who are capital rich and qualified, so that the negotiations have the strongest chance of moving forward smoothly and with a minimum of stress for you. Our negotiating strategy is based on three key factors: a deep understanding of the market, a comprehensive analysis of your business, and a clear view of your goals.

Closing

Once the negotiations have come to a close, it is time to close the deal. You get your compensation transferred to you, the buyer gets the assets transferred to them. This is not the end, however, as we ensure a successful transaction for our clients by offering post-merger integration support –we will provide you with a checklist to work through, making sure that efficiencies and synergies are fully optimized.