OUR APPROACH

STEP ONE:

UNDERSTAND THE “WHY”

The first step to any acquisition is understanding the motivations for the acquisition. Being able to answer why you want to acquire a company allows you to make informed, intentional decisions as you build out your offer.

To do this, we’ll help define strategic gaps and desired outcomes by looking at key factors, including:

• Diversification
• Efficiency
• Leverage
• R&D/Patents
• Scale
• Scope
• Transformation

Understanding the key aspects of any acquisition provides a solid foundation for the remaining steps in our approach.

STEP TWO:

CREATE THE SEARCH CRITERIA

Building off the first step, we’ll help you define what type of business would be a good fit for you as you begin your acquisition search. In this step, there are four critical questions to answer:

1. How much are you willing to spend to acquire a business?
2. Which markets should it be operating in?
3. What kind of client base should it possess?
4. What kind of synergies are you looking for, if any?

Starting the process by answering these basic questions will allow you to narrow down your options to those who you’re more likely to acquire.

STEP THREE:

RESEARCH

The key to creating a successful acquisition campaign is to develop enough quality targets that will allow you to identify those companies that are willing to transact. We’ll take a proactive, structured, and methodical approach to finding the right prospects by:

• Utilizing multiple subscription databases, including scraping websites for keywords with proprietary software
• Uncovering unique targets via conference lists, trade associations, and industry publications
• Creating a digital fingerprint using a best-in-class, Salesforce-based research database

STEP FOUR:

CONDUCT OUTREACH

The foundation of our outreach program consists of developing marketing materials and a customized approach to the companies you have approved us to contact.  We invest the time upfront to ensure we are prepared and can articulate your value proposition, as well as the benefits you bring to an acquisition candidate.  

Our first priority is to establish a relationship with owners, based on trust and respect.  We find that information exchange typically begins once the relationship appears to be on solid ground, which often happens after a few phone calls and in-person meetings.  Collecting and analyzing this preliminary data will help assess whether this opportunity is a good fit based on your search criteria and the owner’s interest level.

STEP FIVE:

INTRODUCTIONS

Meeting with the owner of the business you’re looking to acquire is a vital step, ensuring that you two will work well together should you decide to make an offer by the end of the process. This meeting will also give you more insight into their daily operations and provide greater context to the research we conducted prior to the visit. Building this strong relationship upfront will also ensure they’re an advocate for you throughout the remainder of the process.

After the initial meeting, we will work on your behalf to continue nurturing the relationship and manage information requests. We will, as well, steward follow-up discussions and site visits. Follow up discussions provide you the opportunity to strengthen your rapport with the company and develop a deeper understanding of their business.

STEP SIX:

MAKE AN OFFER

After completing the initial due diligence and determining the prospect is an ideal fit, the time has finally come to make an offer.

The OnMark team will provide support with determining valuation, structure, and crafting and negotiating an initial offer. We’ll act as a buffer during negotiations, allowing the Company to maintain a positive relationship with the seller. We’ll also be with you every step of the way, through closing, to ensure a mutually beneficial transaction.