The good news is that completed sales of private firms is trending up. In 2018 the number of successful transactions was 8761, a 12% increase over 2017. The economy "roars" onward, portending even more deals in 2019.
The "rising tide lifts all boats" scenario will impact both strong and not so strong sellers. We expect the "auctions" for financially solid and growing businesses will continue this year, and well into 2020.
Buy what does that say about your sale and the optimum transaction terms? Only that momentum is at your back, so do not delay in hiring the best investment bank to guide you through your process. The information deck produced on your firm must clearly state your unique proposition. Also, it must identify and answer those issues which will be obvious to buyers, such as:
- Lagging technology
- Customer concentration
- Management deficiencies
Waiting too long to counter your negatives will result in most buyers dropping their pursuit. We are not suggesting making a big deal of your weaknesses; however, we are certain that trying to obfuscate them establishes a pattern of distrust. We carefully coach our sell-side clients how to present the seemingly negative and minimize or eliminate it.