How to Hire an Investment Bank
You’ve spent months or years thinking about selling your business but the thought of starting the process seems overwhelming. After many hours of research, you remain skeptical and unsure of it all. How does the process work? Who do you talk to? Do you need to start an external relationship, or could everything be handled internally by management? My financials aren’t the best, can I still proceed? How might the process affect the performance of my company? What are the implications for corporate culture? Can I trust these people? I don’t know what I’m doing? Entrepreneurs, CEOs, and Business Owners, all have a time in which they must wrestle with these questions.
This blog series on ‘Hiring an Investment Bank’ endeavors to alleviate some concerns that you may have and demystify the whole process in plain English. The focus will primarily be on selling a business, which is termed Sell Side M&A.
The common reasons behind why business persons may want to sell their company are as follows:
To release cash from the business: In private markets (which tend to be illiquid), An owner may want to liquidate his/her ownership stake especially if their net worth is tied up in the company. In order to do this, they may sell a part or the whole business to free up cash for themselves.
Company in a state of distress or internal friction of key parties: The business may be facing serious liquidity issues that can’t be covered by the cash generated from operations. There may also be disagreements between key principals of a company which leads to it being sold (this is common with partnerships or closely held businesses).
Embark on a new strategy that helps the business: A CEO or business owner may decide that the Company will likely to perform better against its competitors (Competitive Advantage) when combined with a larger firm also known as a strategic buyer.
Lack of a viable succession plan: Many owners of closely held businesses may have issues with putting a succession plan in place due to multiple reasons including their offspring lacking interest in the enterprise.
Whatever the reason may be that you want to sell, the next series of blog posts will help in bringing clarity to the inner workings of the process in turn leading to informed decision making. Stay tuned!
This blog is part of the “Hiring an Investment Bank” blog series. For more, visit the next blogs below:
EPOCH Pi is a Certified B Corp and investment bank that serves purpose-driven companies, companies that exist to provide both financial and social returns. Impact companies range from providers of clean technology and sustainable agriculture to old-line manufacturing companies that create meaningful work environments, have positive cultures, and treat suppliers and other stakeholders equitably. Our services range from capital formation for growth companies to generating liquidity for existing shareholders. In every case, one of our criteria is the alignment of our client’s purpose and vision with those of the financial stakeholders. At EPOCH Pi, we have developed a set of unique, proprietary assessment tools that facilitate cultural alignment in mergers and acquisitions. Learn more about our services here.