Merging in a firm to acquire talent, clients, cross selling opportunities and new markets
Your firm has decided to explore the marketplace for the "right" merger. Your reasons for this merger may include several of the following:- Increasing your talent pool and depth
- Increasing your client base
- Increasing revenues and income
- Creating additional cross selling opportunities by merging in niches or client bases that lend themselves to your existing niches
- Opening up a new marketplace
- Building your own internal succession team
- To take advantage of excess capacity
An Accounting Transition Advisor starts by working with you to review your goals, help you ascertain your readiness to achieve them, and assist in identifying appropriate parameters for your merger. We then use one of two methods for assisting your needs.
Persistent searches on behalf of retained clients:
If you are in one of 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 many reasons. 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 practice 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 target firm has (volume, industries clients are in, services rendered, billing rates, staffing, largest clients...), a clear picture of the type of affiliation the target firm is seeking, a general description of its location, and terms sought. If you, our client, are interested, your firm is presented to this practice, 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, as well as a transition plan to make the deal successful. We will assist with determining equity and compensation schemes, de-merger clauses, partnership agreements, and how to avoid the pitfalls that you may run into during the merger process. Our experience of over 700 successful closings will bring a substantial value added not just to the development of the candidate firm, but also to making your deal a profitable, 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 merge in 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 that where 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, coaching 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) in which we do not regularly develop opportunities and/or the 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 an appropriate follow up, and our proven techniques of merger candidate 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 merge in.
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 questions surrounding equity calculations, compensation and the development of a transition plan to emphasize the retention of the clients and staff of the merged firm. We can provide many of these services through On-site Retreats or Workshops as well as one-on-one coaching and consulting.
Go to Mergers on the Services page for a complete list of services and deliverables. Our partners have consulted on over 700 closings using strategies that ensure you will meet the unique objectives your firm has when pursuing a merger.
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 link to an article our partners have written on the subject of mergers.
Ready to Merge?: 2003 article that reviews merging to secure succession.
Considering a Merger? How's Your Ego? A 1999 article that provides an overview to various aspects of merging.
Make Your Merger/Acquisition Work: A 1997 article on initiating the process of a merger and tips for success.
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