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Tips, Tools & Best Practices Blog

The Exitwise Blog

We are focused on providing our fellow founders, business owners, and CEOs with the best educational resources to prepare you for any sell-side M&A transaction. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a specific topic directly. We're always happy to help.

Best M&A Podcasts 2023.
Tips

10 Best M&A Podcasts for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners in 2023

08-21-2023

One of the best ways to learn about M&A is to listen to podcasts from experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors. In this article, we'll highlight some of our favorite M&A podcasts of 2023, covering a range of topics such as M&A strategy, valuation, financing, due diligence, and integration.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Time Kills M&A Deals - avoid the common pitfalls of business sale failures.
Best Practices

The Ticking Clock of M&A: How Delays Can Kill The Sale of Your Business

08-09-2023

In this article, we address the most pressing concerns and frequently asked questions entrepreneurs have about time as it relates to an M&A transaction. By providing insights and actionable tips, we hope to arm business owners with the knowledge necessary to ensure the smooth progression toward a successful exit. From understanding the root causes of timing delays to implementing strategies that prevent them, we aim to equip entrepreneurs with the tools to defuse the M&A time bomb and greatly increase the likelihood of a successful exit.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Tips

Someone Just Offered To Buy Your Company: Now What?

07-27-2023

An unsolicited offer to buy your company can be both thrilling and overwhelming, triggering a variety of emotions and decisions that will shape the future of your business venture. But, as you consider your options and your future, it's essential to remember one thing before all else - slow down. Don't allow the initial excitement or implied pressure of the potential acquirer to drive hasty actions that may not align with your long-term vision. In this article, we will dive into our M&A playbook to offer our best advice for any business owner that has received unexpected acquisition interest.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
What Is Bootstrapping In Entrepreneurship.
Tips

What Is Bootstrapping In Entrepreneurship?

06-05-2023

Bootstrapping is a unique and empowering approach to building a company from the ground up without the help of outside funding. Unlike businesses that seek external funding, bootstrapping involves utilizing your own hard work and creativity to build and grow your new venture. By maintaining complete control and avoiding the need to work with external investors, bootstrapped entrepreneurs can chart their own course and carve a unique path to success.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Embarking on a merger or acquisition (M&A) journey can be both thrilling and overwhelming for founders and entrepreneurs alike. Amidst the intricate M&A landscape, one critical aspect that often raises questions for entrepreneurs is the quality of earnings analysis. As a founder, you may find yourself unfamiliar with this concept and its role in the M&A process. In this Mergers & Acquisitions Explained Q&A deep dive, we aim to address common questions that founders frequently have about quality of earnings.
Tips

Mergers & Acquisitions Explained: Quality of Earnings Q&A

05-25-2023

Embarking on a merger or acquisition (M&A) journey can be both thrilling and overwhelming for founders and entrepreneurs alike. Amidst the intricate M&A landscape, one critical aspect that often raises questions for entrepreneurs is the quality of earnings analysis. As a founder, you may find yourself unfamiliar with this concept and its role in the M&A process. In this Mergers & Acquisitions Explained Q&A deep dive, we aim to address common questions that founders frequently have about quality of earnings.

Matt Damman.
Matt Damman
Best Practices

How To Sell A Business Using An ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)

05-08-2023

For founders, business owners, and entrepreneurs contemplating the sale of their business, the variety of exit strategies can be daunting. As the search for the optimal exit strategy ensues, one viable option gaining traction is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

Matt Damman.
Matt Damman
Tips

Beyond Venture Capital: Exploring Funding Options for Entrepreneurs in 2023

04-17-2023

Venture Capital firms have historically provided much-needed capital in exchange for an ownership stake, shouldering the risk associated with investing in promising but risky ventures. Venture capitalists bring not only financial resources but also managerial expertise and industry connections to help these companies thrive. However, despite economic tailwinds seemingly on the horizon, venture capital funds don't seem to be raising or deploying capital as aggressively as we've seen in years prior.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
How to use an equity rollover to create generational wealth.
Best Practices

Unveiling the Power of Rollover Equity: Empowering Founders, Entrepreneurs, and Business Owners in M&A

04-03-2023

For a business owner looking to sell their company, the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) offers an enticing opportunity that enables founders to have their cake and eat it to - it's called rollover equity, and if negotiated with the right buyer, can help business owners take chips off the table and ride the wave of future growth and financial success.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Quality of Earnings.
Tips

The Importance of Quality of Earnings When Selling Your Business

03-13-2023

Selling a business is a significant decision that requires careful consideration and planning. One crucial (and often misunderstood) factor that both sellers and potential buyers should pay closer attention to is the quality of earnings of the selling entity. In this article, we will explore the theory behind, definition, and significance of a quality of earnings analysis in the process of selling a company.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Acquiring a business or merging two companies together can often feel like looking for the missing piece of a complicated puzzle.
Tips

Mergers and Acquisitions Explained: M&A 101 for Business Owners

02-06-2023

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an essential aspect of the corporate world, where companies buy and sell each other to expand their business and increase profitability, and/or achieve synergies across the new enterprise - in essence, they are looking to create a new company where the whole is greater than the sum of it parts (1+1=3).

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Best Practices

How To Maximize The Value of Your Business

01-18-2023

As you think about selling your company, you know that it is likely worth more than the sum of its parts. But how do you go about determining what the value of each part is, and more importantly, what should you be doing to ensure that every piece is setting you up for exit success?

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Tips

Information Is Power: Leaving No Stone Unturned During M&A

11-28-2022

Todd Sullivan, Exitwise's CEO, believes experience is a great teacher in M&A. Especially when gaining insight from mistakes, whether your own or someone else's.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Tips

How Does Net Working Capital Affect the Value of Your Business?

11-09-2022

Net Working Capital is a key metric that potential buyers will look at when considering your company, and it can have a major impact on the final sale price.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Best Practices

Avoid the Fourth Quarter Fumble: M&A Diligence and Documentation

10-31-2022

There's a myriad of reasons why a deal can fall through. Getting the small details right and having a great team on your side is key to late-stage M&A success.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Best Practices

The Importance of Negotiation and Buyer Selection in M&A

10-21-2022

Vision, fit, and future plans are often overlooked aspects of terms that need to be identified in the Negotiation and Buyer Selection phase of a sales process.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Best Practices

Why Your Investment Banker Is Critical To Recruiting The Right Buyer

09-22-2022

By creating this compelling vision, our team gets potential buyers see a vision for the future, generate genuine interest, and kick off the competitive bidding process. Ultimately, getting you in front of the right audience will significantly boost the likelihood of a successful outcome at an elevated price.

The following article details how the Marketing and Offers phase of M&A works, and how Exitwise and its investment banking partners leverage their deep industry and organizational knowledge at each step in the process

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Best Practices

Laying The Groundwork For M&A Success

09-01-2022

The second article in a five-part series about how putting the right team in place helps supercharge the M&A process, providing both sellers and buyers maximum value.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Step 1 of optimizing your M&A process is building out a mergers and acquisitions dream team - they will be the central cog to a complex exit process.
Best Practices

The Definitive Playbook For Supercharging Your M&A Process

08-25-2022

This is the first article in a five-part series about how putting the right team in place helps supercharge the M&A process, providing both sellers and buyers maximum value.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Tips

Are You Prepared to Sell Your Business?

08-18-2022

Selling a business is more complicated than just putting a "for sale" sign in the window. It's best to spend time preparing yourself and the business. Are you ready?

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Tips

How Much Is My Business Worth?

08-05-2022

Business valuations are important for several reasons, including finding opportunities to increase profits and providing helpful information when selling.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Best Practices

How To Best Utilize A Business Strategy Consultant?

07-22-2022

Business strategy consultants provide valuable services to businesses of all sizes by collecting and analyzing business data to help managers develop a plan of action to meet the company’s goals.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Tips

Don't Miss These Business Broker Red Flags

07-12-2022

When hiring a business broker to sell your business, missing a few red flags can create significant issues during the process leading to a suboptimal experience.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Tips

How To Sell Your Company

07-01-2022

The idea of selling a business can be overwhelming and a bit scary. Understanding the necessary steps early in the M&A process can help you be prepared.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Best Practices

Is A Business Consultant Right For You?

06-24-2022

Business consulting services can help improve the strength of a company by offering industry-specific recommendations, quickly implementing agreed-upon solutions, and rapidly evaluating projects against predetermined KPIs.

Brian Dukes.
Brian Dukes
Tips

The Top 6 M&A Deal Killers of Any Business Sale Process

06-13-2022

Selling your business can have many pitfalls. Here are the 6 most common M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) deal killers that catch founders off guard. Don't make the same mistakes!

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Tools

4 Ways to Calculate the Value of Your Company

06-06-2022

Calculating your company valuation the right way is critical, but there's not one right answer. Here are the 4 most common valuation methods.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Tips

Confidentiality: When to Tell Employees & Customers You're Selling Your Business

05-30-2022

Don't jeopardize your company, your relationships, or your exit by telling the team about the sale of company at the wrong time.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan
Best Practices

Who Should You Hire to Help Sell Your Company?

05-23-2022

If you’re planning on selling your business, you may want to hire an M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) advisor to help you build out the best team of experts to support you through the sale of your company.

Todd Sullivan.
Todd Sullivan

Find Your M&A Expert Today

Let Exitwise introduce, hire and manage the best, industry specialized, investment bankers, M&A attorneys, tax accountants and other M&A advisors to help you maximize the sale of your business.