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Buying a Business

Most acquisitions in the SME market are opportunistic – someone approaches you or you get to hear about an opportunity, it feels like a good idea and then it happens. But how much better might the outcome be if the acquisition was done as part of a deliberate strategy where you set out to solve a problem or grow sales in a particular direction which involves an acquisition?

Growth and problem solving through a deliberate program of acquisitions is one of the fastest growth strategies available. Academic research has shown that firms with aggressive and professional acquisition strategies have a higher rate of annual growth that those that rely on organic growth. We can manage your acquisition process – from strategic planning to post-acquisition integration - through a well structured and proven methodology. Find out more.

The key to success with this process is our experience and knowledge. And with over 15 million businesses in Europe, our ability to find the right acquisition depends on access to good quality data. Our resources include:

• Our own database
• Publicly available databases
• Subscription only databases
• Other intermediaries and advisors
• Contact with key figures in the industry on a no-names basis
• Follow-up of suggested targets from your knowledge
• Contact with appropriate associations and institutions

There are many benefits to you of this proven service:

1. This is a systematic search for an acquisition against a considered brief. You are much more likely to end up with a successful acquisition than if you buy as a result of a speculative approach.

2. Our aim is to ensure that you will end up with more than one choice, giving you a much stronger negotiating position.

3. This service unearths off-market opportunities. There will probably be no competition to buy the target companies.

4. Your activities remain confidential. Competitors, suppliers and customers are not threatened by a direct approach and you can stay focused on the day-to-day management of the business.

There is no guarantee of success, but the very worst that can happen is that for a relatively small fee, you end up with a data base of the vital statistics of your competitors and other interesting businesses, a very useful marketing tool.