MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

One Times Fees Is Just One Way

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Businesswoman using calculator while reviewing something on laptop screen

Do the math. You might be surprised.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide

Partners in accounting firms are familiar with the rule of thumb that a CPA firm’s goodwill is worth one times fees; however, like many “rules of thumb,” this notion is often incorrect.

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When buyers begin to think about how much they will pay for a smaller firm, they often have this one-times-fees notion in the back of their minds. Then, when sellers are bold enough to ask for a price in excess of one times fees, buyers often balk because they feel that the asking price is too rich.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that buying a small firm for one times fees is a steal (for the buyer). In fact, it’s still an outstanding investment at a premium price, say, as high as 1.3 times fees. Let me illustrate.

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Call and Geraci: Future-Proofing Without P.E. | Gear Up For Growth

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Reserves, credit lines, and leadership pipelines fuel expansion.

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Sponsored by Poe Group Advisors: Helping accountants buy, build, and sell exceptional firms. See Today’s Special Offer

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Gear Up for Growth
With Jean Caragher
For CPA Trendlines

“Fiercely independent isn’t a strategy, it’s a stance,” says John Geraci, managing partner of LGA CPAs & Advisors. “To truly remain independent, firms must be strategic about how they differentiate themselves, understand the threats posed by private equity, and have the conviction to invest in their people and future leaders.” 

More Jean Caragher here | Get her best-selling handbook, The 90-Day Marketing Plan for CPA Firms, here | More Gear Up for Growth

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Geraci and Jeff Call, managing partner of Bennett Thrasher, were guests on Gear Up for Growth, hosted by Jean Caragher of Capstone Marketing.  

As private equity continues to reshape the accounting profession, both leaders agree on two critical factors for firms choosing to remain self-owned: independence must be intentional, and culture is the ultimate differentiator. 

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Avoid These Fifteen Merger Deal Breakers

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man tearing a piece of paper in half

PLUS: The proper process in 21 steps.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide

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

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Every merger has its unique aspects. It’s impossible to choreograph, from A to Z, exactly how the process for all mergers will work. The steps in the process listed below appear in the order of how they commonly occur.

But again, because all mergers are different, the flow of the steps might vary from merger to merger.

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Shein: No PE? No M&A? No Problem | The Disruptors

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There’s more than one way to scale.

This is a preview. The complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here
Sponsored by Poe Group Advisors: Helping accountants buy, build, and sell exceptional firms. See Today’s Special Offer

Subscribe to CPA Trendlines podcasts anywhere: Apple, Google/YouTube, Spotify, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music, Audible, Player FM, Audacy, RSS
Poe Group Advisors consistently excels in helping our clients find the right accounting practice sales opportunity.

The Disruptors
With Liz Farr

Steve Shein thought small accounting firms need a different option than private equity or the traditional M&A route. So he founded Franklin Alliance, which operates differently from either of those models.  

Unlike traditional private equity models that typically focus on cost reduction and mandate immediate process changes, Franklin Alliance operates as an investment partner with a fundamentally different structure. “We’re trying to build this intentionally, with the goal of being a differentiated partner, specifically for small firm owners who care about things like culture, autonomy, and their firm identity,” Shein explains. 

MORE STREAMING: Hood and Weber: Time to RISE | Proctor: Turn Dumb Ideas into Brilliant Solutions | Carter-Gray: How 1 Poor Review Strengthened the Firm | Hartman: Upwork to “40 Under 40” in 3 Years | Telka: Transform Fear into Fuel | Woodard: Move Past Reports; Deliver Results | Baker: Find True Purpose to End Burnout | Brolin: The W.I.N. Leadership Formula | Gertrudes: How EOS & “Unreasonable Hospitality” Reshaped GrowthLab | Vilms: The Power of People in a Tech-Driven World | Dickerson: From Diagnosis to Disruption | Kapilovich: Treat People Like People | Martha Yasso: From Wall Street to Main Street | Jackie Meyer: Tax Plans in 90 Seconds? Believe It  | Erica Goode: Build a $200K Firm in 15hrs/Week |

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“We built this platform as an operating company specifically so we’re not a fund,” Shein explains. “It’s backed by venture capital and family offices, which basically means that the profile of the investors that we’ve taken capital from has a longer-term time horizon.” 

This structure enables what Shein calls a “culture of growth rather than a kind of cost rationalization,” which is a better fit for many small firms. The approach contrasts with acquisitions by regional firms, where acquired firms are generally forced to adopt new processes, workflows, and technology within 90 days. 

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How to Attract the Best Merger Candidates

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Man's hand sowing wheat

Never stop looking.

By Marc Rosenberg
CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide

Firms that are serious about merging in smaller firms on a regular basis understand that doing mergers is all about planting seeds. A buyer has to have this attitude:

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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.

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