Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! I hope you’re having a wonderful time with your loved ones. I’m very grateful to you for being active in our community. You, and techies like you in our community sharing what you’re up to and assisting each other, add so much fun and connection for all of us. Thank you again.
Today’s article is about mergers and acquisitions because you have two great opportunities next week to learn from some great M&A experts. In addition to our M&A workshop with Bader Martin accounting, Summit Law and Dave Parker from Seven Peaks Ventures next Thursday, Startup Grind on Tuesday is interviewing Eric Breon of Vacasa about how he’s raised $200mm and acquired multiple companies along the way. You can use the code ‘newtech’ for $5 off Startup Grind tickets.
It boggles the mind – but a record $2.5 Trillion in mergers was announced the first half of 2018, according to the New York Times. This was an all-time high despite global trade tensions, thanks in part to tax cuts and higher corporate earnings.
In the US, deal values were up 79% but the number of deals decreased 13%; the only region to not experience a similar split was Asia-Pacific.
So what does this mean for you? If you’re an entrepreneur, business owner, startup or an employee with equity, you should know your company’s exit strategy and what’s involved to make it successful.
Selling your company is a process, and it requires preparation. Even if you haven’t been thinking seriously about selling your business yet, understanding what it takes to be positioned properly is going to be key to enjoying a successful conclusion down the road.
That’s why you should take a look at attending our upcoming workshop, “How to Maximize Value in Selling Your Business” on Thursday, November 29 from 5-8 pm. This is an exclusive, intimate discussion with experts from Bader Martin and Summit Law. Some of the talking points will be:
- How to get your business ready to sell
- The types of transactions to consider: stock, cash, notes, asset sale, allocation
- What first-time sellers (and buyers) wish they had known
- Understanding deal terms and the market
- How to properly manage the due diligence process
- Maximizing enterprise value by knowing stakeholder priorities
- How to build your all-star M&A execution team
Currently, at least 50% of mergers fail. And, since a new report from Deloitte shows that acquiring technology or digital transformation accounts for one-third of current M&A pursuits, there’s a strong probability that tech startups in the Pacific Northwest will be faced with this choice at some point in the future.
Hopefully, you’ll be enjoying Thanksgiving today and perhaps you will have spent a moment being grateful for your company’s existence (whether you’re an owner or an employee) and the path to entrepreneurship. Now’s the time to take it a step further and explore new opportunities, and where you and your company might be heading.
Go here for details, and we’ll look forward to seeing you next week.
