You’ve paid your dues while successfully building your company and are now ready to begin reaping the rewards. You are embarking on one of the most important decisions, preparing to sell your company now or down the road. We at Ascend understand and respect the enormity of this which is why we provide every client we serve with committed, partner-level attention to deliver the best roadmap for your specific goals. Our combined 100+ years of M&A experience, 75+ years of CPA experience and 50+ years of operational experience allows us to maximize our clients overall deal valuation and terms that is second to none.
SELLING YOUR COMPANY
There are multiple avenues available when selling your company and several different types of buyers. Ascend primarily deals with two types of buyers, strategic and financial. Strategic buyers are companies who tend to be in your industry and wish to grow strategically, structurally and geographically. They are under a lot of pressure to increase revenues and profitability and only so much can be attained through organic growth. In order to meet their goals, the acquisition of middle market businesses has become a very important part of their growth strategy. Once a strategic identifies an acquisition target that it desires, they have the ability to move quickly and pay the price necessary to acquire it. In many instances this could be substantially more than any other prospective buyers. They almost always acquire 100% of the business, and the owner, after transitioning, can go off into the sunset to begin their next phase of life.
What if your goal is to have more personal time now, but you’re not ready to retire? You believe your company has tremendous growth potential and would like to reap some of that upside but need human and financial capital to attain it. A partial sale to a financial buyer is the appropriate choice for you. Often financial buyers, generally known as private equity groups and family offices, wish to purchase a majority of the company (51%+) with the mission of rapidly growing and selling it in the future.Their model will often include bringing in human resources for operational, sales and marketing functions along with growth capital. Depending on the management team in place and the owner’s desire, the financial buyers may want them to run the day-to-day operations or take an advisory role, helping to guide the company to the next level. Either way, this option allows the sellers to maintain a substantial stake, while not being alone when dealing with the issues running and growing a business. Financial buyers usually work with the seller to build the company for 3 to 7 years and on the second sale, the original owners receive a second bite of the apple on their retained ownership. In many cases the amount of cash received may be as much, if not more, than the original sale amount and the total could be even more than a strategic would pay.
MAXIMIZE ALL ASPECTS OF VALUE
Ascend structures each sales process to meet our client’s specific goals. With significant experience managing sell-side engagements along with our unique combination of financial sophistication, professional competence, understanding the psychology of all the players, and refined negotiating skills, our professionals have the knowledge, experience and resources necessary to optimize results while maintaining hands-on client relationships. Ascend focuses on maximizing value and deal structure for our clients’ by:
-
- Target “RIGHT” buyers
- Proactively preparing the company for a successful sales process
- Optimally positioning the company’s value proposition and financial information
- Efficient and professional management of the process
- Creating a “competitive” bidding environment with the “Best Prospects”
- Anticipating and effectively responding to buyer concerns
- Aggressively negotiating deal terms
- Maintaining deal momentum throughout the process
- Maintaining a tight process timeline
Ascend’s assertive and proactive approach to the sales and due diligence processes instills a sense of excitement about the business, confidence in the management team, and enthusiasm about the deal. Ascend’s success in optimizing valuations is centered on our ability to analyze the business of the seller like the buyer will do-quantify the company’s core assets and how they can be leveraged, and identify which acquirers will ascribe maximum value to those assets. Our objective is to create a “competitive” bidding environment with more than one potential acquirer to increase the sales price. This process has often enabled Ascend’s clients to receive significantly more value for their businesses than they initially thought possible.
THE TIME TO BEGIN IS NOW
Ascend is committed to elevating results we provide for our clients. This can mean beginning our work years in advance. If you are planning to sell your business in the next 1-5 years, the time to start the preparation process is NOW! Ascend will work with you in advance to help ensure you are ready and optimally positioned which will include:
-
- Enhance your market position
- Improve financial performance and reporting
- Identify prospective buyers, and the criteria each values the most
- Establish awareness and interest with potential buyers
- Reviewing your ability to succeed in due diligence
- Working with owners and management on the presentation content and delivery
- Identifying and assist in the resolution of likely valuation ‘detractors’
This proactive, systematic process allows you to be well-prepared to amplify your Company’s value and likelihood of success when you go to market, in addition to capitalizing on opportunities, such as unsolicited offers, when they arise. Taking early action is integral to realize your Company’s full potential.
VALUE BUILD ADVISORY
Ascend is one of the region’s most respected strategic, financial and operational M&A advisory firms. We help many of the most successful companies refine their strategy, focus their execution, and improve their financial and operating performance, which has earned Ascend the reputation for excellence. Services we perform, or assist the client in accomplishing include:
-
- Develop or refine your strategic plans
- Customer procurement and growth analysis
- Product profitability analysis and implementations
- Leveraging brands and intellectual properties
- Evaluating strategic acquisitions to achieve valuation arbitrage
- Key management team building
- Partner buyouts
- Family/management successions
- Value assessments
- Positioning for maximum add-backs
- Conducting pre-due diligence
Ascend has worked with hundreds of companies in a wide array of industries and can make an immediate and measurable impact on your business. We appreciate that every company and each situation is different. Our ability to quickly get up to speed on our clients’ businesses is well-refined and is a prominent driver of our success. While we give each client all the benefits of our extensive experience, we also remain committed to learning what makes your business truly unique.
Selling Your Company
There are multiple avenues available when selling your company and several different types of buyers. Ascend primarily deals with two types of buyers, strategic and financial.
Strategic buyers are companies who tend to be in your industry and wish to grow strategically, structurally and geographically. They are under a lot of pressure to increase revenues and profitability and only so much can be attained through organic growth. In order to meet their goals, the acquisition of middle market businesses has become a very important part of their growth strategy. Once a strategic identifies an acquisition target that it desires, they have the ability to move quickly and pay the price necessary to acquire it. In many instances this could be substantially more than any other prospective buyers. They almost always acquire 100% of the business, and the owner, after transitioning, can go off into the sunset to begin their next phase of life.
What if your goal is to have more personal time now, but you’re not ready to retire? You believe your company has tremendous growth potential and would like to reap some of that upside but need human and financial capital to attain it. A partial sale to a financial buyer is the appropriate choice for you. Often financial buyers, generally known as private equity groups and family offices, wish to purchase a majority of the company (51%+) with the mission of rapidly growing and selling it in the future.
Their model will often include bringing in human resources for operational, sales and marketing functions along with growth capital. Depending on the management team in place and the owner’s desire, the financial buyers may want them to run the day-to-day operations or take an advisory role, helping to guide the company to the next level. Either way, this option allows the sellers to maintain a substantial stake, while not being alone when dealing with the issues running and growing a business. Financial buyers usually work with the seller to build the company for 3 to 7 years and on the second sale, the original owners receive a second bite of the apple on their retained ownership. In many cases the amount of cash received may be as much, if not more, than the original sale amount and the total could be even more than a strategic would pay.
Maximize All Aspects Of Value
Ascend structures each sales process to meet our client’s specific goals. With significant experience managing sell-side engagements along with our unique combination of financial sophistication, professional competence, understanding the psychology of all the players, and refined negotiating skills, our professionals have the knowledge, experience and resources necessary to optimize results while maintaining hands-on client relationships. Ascend focuses on maximizing value and deal structure for our clients’ by:
- Target “RIGHT” buyers
- Proactively preparing the company for a successful sales process
- Optimally positioning the company’s value proposition and financial information
- Efficient and professional management of the process
- Creating a “competitive” bidding environment with the “Best Prospects”
- Anticipating and effectively responding to buyer concerns
- Aggressively negotiating deal terms
- Maintaining deal momentum throughout the process
- Maintaining a tight process timeline
Ascend’s assertive and proactive approach to the sales and due diligence processes instills a sense of excitement about the business, confidence in the management team, and enthusiasm about the deal. Ascend’s success in optimizing valuations is centered on our ability to analyze the business of the seller like the buyer will do, quantify the company’s core assets and how they can be leveraged, and identify which acquirers will ascribe maximum value to those assets. Our objective is to create a “competitive” bidding environment with more than one potential acquirer to increase the sales price. This process has often enabled Ascend’s clients to receive significantly more value for their businesses than they initially thought possible.
The Time To Begin Is Now
Ascend is committed to elevating results we provide for our clients. This can mean beginning our work years in advance. If you are planning to sell your business in the next 1-5 years, the time to start the preparation process is NOW!
Ascend will work with you in advance to help ensure you are ready and optimally positioned which will include:
- Enhance your market position
- Improve financial performance and reporting
- Identify prospective buyers, and the criteria each values the most
- Establish awareness and interest with potential buyers
- Reviewing your ability to succeed in due diligence
- Working with owners and management on the presentation content and delivery
- Identifying and assist in the resolution of likely valuation ‘detractors’
This proactive, systematic process allows you to be well-prepared to amplify your Company’s value and likelihood of success when you go to market, in addition to capitalizing on opportunities, such as unsolicited offers, when they arise. Taking early action is integral to realize your Company’s full potential.
Value Build Advisory
Ascend is one of the region’s most respected strategic, financial and operational M&A advisory firms. We help many of the most successful companies refine their strategy, focus their execution, and improve their financial and operating performance, which has earned Ascend the reputation for excellence. Services we perform, or assist the client in accomplishing include:
- Develop or refine your strategic plans
- Customer procurement and growth analysis
- Product profitability analysis and implementations
- Leveraging brands and intellectual properties
- Evaluating strategic acquisitions to achieve valuation arbitrage
- Key management team building
- Partner buyouts
- Family/management successions
- Value assessments
- Positioning for maximum add-backs
- Conducting pre-due diligence
Ascend has worked with hundreds of companies in a wide array of industries and can make an immediate and measurable impact on your business. We appreciate that every company and each situation is different. Our ability to quickly get up to speed on our clients’ businesses is well-refined and is a prominent driver of our success. While we give each client all the benefits of our extensive experience, we also remain committed to learning what makes your business truly unique.
Ascend’s commitment, of time and Partner-level resources, consistently produces
exceptional results for our clients.
Let’s connect today
“WEALTH IS THE ABILITY TO FULLY EXPERIENCE LIFE”
-Henry David Thoreau
