Acquiring a practice
An Accounting Transition Advisor starts the process with you by reviewing your goals, helping you ascertain your readiness to achieve them, and assisting in identifying appropriate criteria for your acquisition. Our firm then uses one of two methods of addressing your needs.
Persistent searches on behalf of retained clients:
If you are in the many marketplaces in the country where we develop practices on a regular basis, you may elect to become an ATA retained client. In these areas, our firm does year round marketing and develops a regular flow of practices seeking affiliations for the purpose of succession. This marketing effort includes direct mail, institutional advertising, local advertising, telemarketing, and Internet activities. In addition our Principals teach a tremendous amount of CPE nationally, write and are quoted in national and local articles, and utilize several other seller development programs.
ATA retained clients are exposed to these opportunities as they are developed through an e-mail that contains a detailed description of the type of practice the seller has (volume, industries clients are in, services rendered, billing rates, staffing, largest clients, and more), a clear description of the type of succession plan the seller is seeking, a general description of the firm's location, and terms sought. If you, our client, are interested, your firm is presented to the seller, appointments follow and the process is off and running.
Accounting Transition Advisors will assist you in valuations, deal structure alternatives, preparing proposals, advising on aspects of due diligence, documentation drafting needed to memorialize and close the deal, and development of a transition plan to make the deal successful. Our experience of over 850 successful closings will bring a substantial value added not just to the development of the seller, but also to making your deal profitable and a win/win proposition for all the parties.
Special searches and self-identified candidates:
We can also assist you in the process if you have one of the following needs:- You have already identified the firm you want to acquire and need assistance completing the deal
- You are looking for a very specialized type of practice
- You are looking for a practice in a market in which we have not installed our regular search engine
- You want to conduct your own search and need assistance developing the process
In these situations we provide services customized to your needs. We will tailor our standard search, evaluation, and documentation processes to fit the situation or we will provide you the education and support materials you need for the part of your strategy you will execute on your own.
Special Searches are projects we take on wherein a firm seeks a practice in an area of the country (within the 48 contiguous states) we do not regularly develop opportunities and/or a firm has very specific criteria for a practice. We can execute all or a part of the search and acquisition process depending on your needs. These services include but are not limited to teaching you how to develop, or providing for you, the databases required for your specific search, direct mail strategies and appropriate follow up, and our proven techniques of seller development. An equally important part of the job is helping you review your goals and creating strategies to achieve them, including identifying the criteria that will result in the appropriate firm to acquire.
Once you or we have identified a target firm, our negotiation team steps in to assist you in all or any of the following services: creating deal structure alternatives, helping you value the practice, identifying what to review in due diligence, developing the proposal, preparation of all documentation including letters of intent, non disclosure agreements, purchase or merger agreements, employment agreements, and more. We also assist in the development of a transition plan to emphasize the retention of the clients and staff of the seller. We can provide many of these services through On-site Retreats or Workshops as well as one-on-one coaching and consulting.
Go to Buyers on the Services page for a complete list of services and deliverables. Our partners' experience of over 850 closings ensures you will meet the unique objectives your firm has when pursuing an acquisition.
Contact us for a free, initial consultation. We also offer a FREE REPORT on this subject with optional periodic e-mail follow-up that include news reports and/or relevant articles that can be forwarded to you with no obligation. Go to Contact Us page and request this in the comment section. For additional information, click the following links to articles our partners have written on the subject of acquiring a practice.
Price Equals Value Plus Terms (A 2004 article for the Journal of Accountancy on selling an accounting practice)
Due Diligence Before Buying or Selling an Accounting Practice
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