merger

Early Data Exchange Vital to Evaluate a Merger

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Three possible outcomes from trading numbers early.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers

I have always been a big believer in the buyer and seller exchanging financial and operating information as early in the process as possible.

MORE ON CPA FIRM MERGERS: Deciphering the Current State of the CPA Firm Merger Market | The Law of Attraction: 15 Ways to Romance a Merger Partner | The 14 Keys to a Successful Merger | Mergers: 11 Lessons from Done Deals | The 21 Steps in Every Merger Deal | Today’s 15 Essential Deal Points in Accounting Firm Mergers

Numbers aren’t everything, but they do speak volumes. The data enable each firm to gain an understanding of the other in a manner that is not always possible in conversation.

The data is also a good way to corroborate things that are said verbally. Here are some examples: READ MORE →

CPA Firm Mergers: 18 Categories of Data to Divulge — Carefully

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Dices cubes with the words SELL BUY on financial downtrend chartBy Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers

Think of it as a second date. The first meeting was simply a “getting-to-know-you” encounter. But now the prospective merger participants, buyer and seller, are getting serious. They need to take the next step and exchange key performance indicators and financial and operating metrics.

There are at least 18 categories of data that need to be considered, each with it’s own peculiar in’s and out’s.
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How to Use Snail Mail to Find Sellers for Mergers

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With four steps and a sample letter.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers

In all areas of mergers and acquisitions, it’s always much more difficult to find sellers than buyers. This is certainly true in the case of CPA firms. CPA firm merger consultants and brokers can do a great job finding buyers, but they are limited in their ability to dig up sellers. This is because the vast majority of all mergers and sales take place when buyers or sellers who “know each other” get together on their own without the help of a consultant.

One way to identify sellers is to conduct a snail mail solicitation. The steps in the process are: READ MORE →

How to Plant Seeds for Mergers

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Veteran buyers say that for every firm they merge with, they had discussions with 10 others.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers

Firms that are serious about merging in smaller firms on a regular basis understand that conducting mergers is all about planting seeds.

A buyer has to have this attitude:

Every day of every year, at least one firm decides to test the merger waters. If our efforts to identify sellers are made continuously throughout the year, every year, sooner or later, we will find at least one interested merger candidate and probably more than one. READ MORE →

The 21 Steps in Every Merger Deal

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Checklist: For every step in the merger negotiations, there’s a possible misstep.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers

It’s important to understand the flow of the entire merger process.

Every merger has its unique aspects. It’s impossible to choreograph, from A to Z, exactly how the process for all mergers will work. Most steps occur in the same order from one deal to the next. But then, all mergers are different. Your mileage may vary.

Still, there are at least 21 steps that need to happen. And one can’t happen without the other. Take a look…

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The 13 Big Reasons Firms Merge

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And 13 potential sticking points with conflicting agendas.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers

Whether you’re looking to acquire a smaller firm, merge upward into a larger one or join forces with an equal, answering this basic question honestly and objectively is key to laying the groundwork for a successful merger. READ MORE →