TransactReady®
Why TransactReady®
Your business is probably the most valuable asset you have, but there comes that inevitable point when you need to monetize some or all of that investment. But how does one even start such a daunting task? There are so many questions – how much is my company worth, how long will it take to sell, are we prepared to sell, how do we preserve our legacy or keep our team intact after a deal, etc.? While many owners are used to selling their product or service every day, marketing their company is a much different challenge and the process is not well understood. Since we have been through it countless times, we have created a registered trademark service called TransactReady®, which can take you through the journey from when you first are considering a transaction until closing.
What is TransactReady®?
TransactReady® (TR®) is a reliable, proven transaction planning service that consists of a series of questions, considerations and key data points that serve as a guide to help you navigate through the entire transaction process. It is geared toward the sale of a family-owned or closely-held business. However, it can be adjusted for use in partial liquidations, debt raising, initial public offerings or for the acquisition of a business.
TR® is, by design, a flexible service; your situation is unique, so the solution must be tailored to your circumstances. While the service is designed to guide the process from start to finish, we are often engaged when the process has been started and can help bring it to a successful conclusion.
TR® is a series of questions and items to consider at each stage of the process and is derived from years of successful transaction engagement experience. An Issues and Status Scorecard helps keep the objectives and approach aligned, resulting in you moving from what you might feel is a process controlling you to being in a position of control.
How Does It Work?
The service begins with the identification of all stakeholders, who are usually found in one of three groups (some of which overlap.)
Phase I – Preliminary Assessment
The focus of this phase is to determine at an early stage, the viability of a transaction. It involves collecting some preliminary information, including:
- Stakeholders’ defined objectives
- Basic financial data
- Tax and organization structure
- Risk assessment
- Preliminary range of values
- Determination of a go / no go decision
Phase II – Deal Process
If the decision is made to proceed, the service guides you through the core of the deal process to get you to the point of “going to market.” The process can include:
- Assessing the management team
- Assembling a deal team
- Creating detailed data – populating a Virtual Data Room (VDR)
- Analyzing data, including Sell-Side Due Diligence
- Reviewing alternative tax and transaction structures (our Transaction Advisory team can help)
- Drafting a Purchase Price Agreement (PPA)
- Going to market to solicit Indications of Interest (IOI) or Letters of Intent (LOI)
Phase III – Deal Execution
If your go to market efforts are successful, you have obtained either IOI’s or LOI’s and the steps designed to bring the process to a close include:
- Negotiating the “deal(s)” being offered
- Preparing for due diligence (and perhaps reverse due diligence)
- Finalizing the deal structure and the PPA and related documents)
- Executing final documents and close
The key to achieving success is having the right support to help manage the process. Unlike your management team, which works together each day, a deal team often involves a handful of qualified professionals who often have not worked together in the past. Our Entrepreneur Advisory and Transaction Advisory teams can be your “go to” resource to ensure you complete your journey to close.
