Business purchase & sale for SMEs

Do you want to buy or sell a company in whole or in part? Accept or merge new shareholders? Do you want to leave the wheel to the next generation and are looking for a way that is right for your situation?

We accompany you in all processes - all-encompassing!Acquisitions, sales, mergers, shareholdings. All this is not an everyday situation for you and at the same time it is very complex. We are specialists and accompany your M&A transaction (merger & acquisition) until successful completion – discreetly and with sensitivity.

Takeover of the company

Many questions arise when taking over an existing company. What needs to be taken into consideration? What risks may also be hidden from the company's history? 
In the case of the acquisition, all risks with all potential must be compared in order to be able to develop a solid decision basis with a price idea or an enterprise value. A takeover has advantages for the transferee, because, unlike a start-up, it can concentrate on day-to-day business operations. However, there are also fewer freedoms for action than when a foundation is founded, because the existing customer base need to be taken over skillfully it does not need to be surprised with seemingly negative changes. The development of a secure basis of trust is at the heart of this phase.

Choosing the company

A takeover is designed for a longer period of time. Therefore, it is important that both the company suits you and that you fit the company. If you are generally looking for a company for a takeover, there are various exchanges, forums and explicit networks for M&A transactions that offer companies for sale.

The following aspects should be examined when selecting an enterprise:

• Is there any industry knowledge? Is there a dependency on employed employees or external third-party agents?
• Fulfill all the requirements that may be necessary for running a business (for example: Masters or Bachelor Degree or a Craftsmanship Degree which is field specific. Also a degree for freelancers such as doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.)
• Do you have long commute or getting a second or new residence due to the long commute?
• What kind of funding do you bring? Is the sizing of the potential takeover operation in line with your economic performance?
• How much equity and what collateral can and will you use? -What risk do you take?
• Is your family behind you? Are your family members aware that, especially in the first years of taking over, a very high time expenditures for work can be incurred?
• How big should the company be? Do you already have experience in employee management?

Theoretically, you always have everything under control. However, in practice it often turns out that things are not going according to plan. Preparing solidly, a detailed company analysis and further takeover planning are a must! Don't be too euphoric here. Realize that you are not only responsible for yourself and your family, but also for your future employees.

We support you in the search and selection of the company – including a SWOT (analysis – and also plan the further business development together with you. If the purchase decision is made, we will be happy to organize the financing with the best possible conditions for you!

Business sale

The success of a sale is based on the philosophy of creating a good and fair basis for all parties involved, and above all to determine a real purchase price. That is precisely why it is important to enter into a common process with all those involved. Personal advice and support is the focus. In addition to business factors, the personal qualities are also the focus of a transaction. We provide the following services:

• Concepts for different transfer alternatives
• Construction of a successor roadmap
• Search for suitable successors
• Repositioning of the company prior to the handover
• Determination of the company value and the sales price

If the company is more likely to adopt lower sales and earnings trends in recent years, this will have an impact on the sales price or on the company's valuation. In these cases, it makes sense to identify revenue- and earnings-optimized measures in advance of the company's sales. The following questions are evaluated, among others:

• How do markets and competition develop?
• Are there forecasts and trends for future developments?
• Can the company be positioned within two to three years to show great improvments?
• What measures or investments are in the way of this?

The focus is on the forward-looking analysis of the economic context. With improved market positioning, the company can position itself more attractively for the market and take value-enhancing measures.We advise and accompany you from the very first ideas up to the transaction. Get in touch with us.

Company succession

Most of the businesses in our country are owner-managed companies. In 52% of all cases, the handover of approximately 71,000 Businesses per year is also handed over within the family. The company is most often passed on to a son. In the event of a handover outside the family, this takes place mainly to a well-known person from the surrounding area such as an employees already working in the company!

In view of the high proportion of intra-family takeovers, the greater proportion of transfers takes place free of charge. Shares of the company are therefore either given away in full or in part, or they remain in the hands of the old owner. Those who buy the business buy it with their own savings or take out a bank loan. Especially in this family process, the handovers are rarely smooth. While the old owner has to deal with passing on the business to the next generation and in that with a sense of an emotional abandonment, the successor has the task of coming out of the shadow of their father (or mother). Psychological processes take place in such processes, which often make it very difficult for the family members. A company succession in particular needs a disciplined roadmap.

In cooperation with very experienced lawyers and also gladly together with your tax consultant, we develop a succession plan with the decisive milestones. In doing so, we take into account all individual, personal and operational dependencies. In the case of acquisitions, public funding can also provide a new opportunity for liquidity structure and balance sheet alignment. Use our expert knowledge for a healthy foundation for the next generation.