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AutoXray:  Acquisition

Goals of the Seller
Entrepreneurs often fall in love with their ideas, they are deeply attached to them and may find it difficult to separate with them.  Almost all entrepreneurs plan for some type of exit.  At GD Mac, we understand that exit strategies are one of the most critical items to be aware of as we begin working together.  There are many key business decisions that will be made dependent on this pivotal decision.

Most business leaders get caught up in the daily routine and forget to spend critical time on the bigger picture and their original goals for starting the business.  Entrepreneurs need to contemplate there exit strategies, and incorporate them into their daily routine to cultivate their companies so they become attractive for acquisition.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

  • Do you really want to sell?
  • Why do you want to sell?
  • What will you do after you sell?
  • Are you employable somewhere else?
  • Is it important to share your sale with the employees?
  • What will your employees do after you sell?
  • How do you want to be remembered by your industry, employees and contractors?

We ask these questions and many more and then spend a significant amount of time talking them through with business owners to formulate a smart, cohesive exit strategy for each individual circumstance.

This strategic process is the cornerstone of many decisions that will need to be made and can only be appreciated after going through the exercise.

Identifying your buyers:
Once you have a clear definition of an exit strategy, it will become part of your strategic plan to identify targets that will need to become more familiar with your operation’s best attributes.  This is not building a list and putting it away, this is an ongoing activity that will become part of each decision you make.  You will have to cultivate relationships in order for them to eventually bear fruit. Here are a few places to look for businesses seeking acquisitions:

  • In market segment expansion.
  • Adjacent market segment expansion.
  • In market segment competitors.
  • Multi-market conglomerates seeking new markets.
  • Converting competitors to partners to acquirers.

In our experience your buyer is someone you are doing business with or someone similar to those you are doing business with. The key is to slowly changing your relationships with these companies to foster new opportunities. These opportunities must be cultivated to bring new awareness to the synergistic nature of the once competitive businesses.

  • Who are my top five competitors?
  • Which of these companies are publicly traded?
  • Who are the top five companies that I do OEM or joint venture business with?
  • What are my competitor’s goals for growth?
  • Who is working on the fringe of your industry looking for opportunities to access the market?

How much is it worth:
How much do you want?

Owner expectations are a good starting point.  It is nearly unheard of for a company to be ready for sale during this preliminary analysis.  There is always room for improvement and in most cases today’s market values do not meet the owner‘s expectations. GD Mac will assist businesses to build a structured plan for growth and development then adjusting the expectations based on results and the seller defined goals.


GD MAC

1825 W. Knudsen, # B-100
Phoenix, AZ 85027

P. 480.510.5550

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