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Category: Acquisitions

What are tyre kickers and how you can avoid them?
12 May 2023 . Michael McGrath . , , , , ,

What are tyre kickers and how you can avoid them

I was struck by the recent article in the Australian Financial Review by Yolanda Redrup, who quoted a frustrated CEO of Infomedia saying he had “closed the door on tyre kickers”. I have witnessed this frustration many times, where vendors become sick of so-called buyers who turn out to be not serious acquirers.
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How to sell a business: Lesson #7 covers the critical matter of deal structure. Once a willing buyer and a willing seller agree that...
3 May 2023 . Michael McGrath . , , , , ,

How to Sell a Business Lesson #7: How to fairly structure a deal

Lesson #7 in our series, How to Sell a Business, covers the critical matter of deal structure. Once a willing buyer and a winning seller agree that they wish to transact, how should the transaction be constructed?
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How to sell a business: Lesson #6
24 January 2023 . Michael McGrath . , , , , ,

How to Sell a Business Lesson #6: How to sell a business when you’re not making a profit?

Businesses in Australia make an average profit of just under 10% of turnover. However, 20% of businesses in Australia don’t make any profit, that’s about 200,000 companies! In Lesson #6 we address the very real question facing those owners who are not making any profit, is my business worth anything?
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Does Size Matter?
22 November 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , , ,

How to Sell a Business Lesson #5: Does the Size of my Business Matter to Buyers?

Following on from “How to go about Finding the Right Buyer for my Business” we turn to the subject of size! Does it matter? Size is one part of a buyer’s criteria; the short answer is that it depends on what they are looking for.
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How to Sell a Business: Lesson #4
12 October 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , , ,

How to Sell a Business Lesson #4: How to find a needle in a haystack?

Having established that the odds are not great; that the potential buyer that knocks on a seller’s door is the most strategic acquirer for the business (Lesson #1). And that in any event, getting in the ring with a large corporate, without a clear strategy and some input is not optimal (Lesson #2). The question then becomes, if there are many more sellers than buyers in the Australian market in the next decade (Lesson #3), how do you find genuine strategic interest?
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Current M&A Market Insights in Australia
5 October 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , ,

Current M&A Market Insights in Australia

The market is fluid and is moving constantly, never more so than now. The big end of town appears busy with deals galore, to quote James Thomson in the AFR on August 26th “M&A is back in a big way.”
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How to Sell a Business: Lesson #3
21 September 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , ,

How to Sell a Business Lesson #3: How big is the market for my business?

We established in lesson #2 that if a business is approached by a potential buyer (Gorilla) that the interest must be qualified and handled efficiently leading to an early indicative offer in writing, based upon the provision of adequate but limited information. We also determined that such a buyer, having knocked on your door is likely to have knocked on quite a few other doors, and is probably running a broader process.
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How to Sell a Business: Lesson #2
14 September 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , ,

How to Sell a Business Lesson #2: What to do when a 500-pound gorilla knocks on your door?

We established in my last blog that selling your business is likely to involve a major mismatch in terms of the scale and size of the likely buyer and that getting in the ring with them by yourself and without a clear strategy might not work out so well.
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How to Sell a Business: Lesson #1
8 September 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , ,

How to Sell a Business Lesson #1: Don’t get in the ring with a 500-pound gorilla!

The shareholders of established private companies in Australia, many of whom will be seeking an exit in the next ten years, ought to be aware of certain realities around deal doing and the market, I am going to unpack some of these over the next series of posts, which I hope people might find helpful.
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Transaction activity softens but outlook remains strong
1 September 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , ,

Transaction activity softens but outlook remains strong

According to the recent Dealmakers report the global trend in M&A is down, by number of deals -15% and by value -18%. This is driven by the “fears of recession, rising interest rates and geopolitical uncertainties.” There’s always something!
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M&A Forecast: Some Light Cloud, Sunny Tomorrow
29 June 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , ,

M&A Forecast: Some Light Cloud, Sunny Tomorrow

I’m sure everyone has felt it – that gentle squeeze on our purses and wallets. Whether it is at the supermarket or the petrol pump, the café or the corner store, inflation seems to be hitting our hip-pocket nerve once more.
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Valuations for tech start-ups fallen
27 May 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , , , , ,

Valuations for tech start-ups have fallen. Why? and What does it mean?

Valuations for tech start-ups have fallen. Why? What does it mean? Five months ago, the market sell-off smashed valuations in the tech. sector. Angel funds felt the brunt of the lower valuations and lower multiples. Many start-ups have lost out.
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Hybrid work, good or bad for business?
26 April 2022 . Michael McGrath . , , , , ,

Hybrid work, good or bad for business?

Companies are concerned about the implication of a hybrid working policy on productivity levels, loyalty, team-cohesion, and longevity. The burning questions are: Should work-from-home continue post-pandemic? If so, on what basis? Is hybrid work good or bad for business?
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7 July 2020 . Michael McGrath . , , ,

Is this a good time for a business owner to contemplate an exit?

Our view on this is yes, with some important caveats. Firstly, and now more than ever, a business really needs to be across its numbers and have a well-articulated outlook.
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20 April 2020 . Michael McGrath . , , ,

Where to now in the face of COVID-19?

I was recently interviewed by Joanna Oakley at The Deal Room where we explored the enormity of problems facing business owners trying to sell in the face of the Covid-19
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Recent posts

31 October 2024 . Content

Essential Steps to Prepare Your Business for Sale

“Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” This quote encapsulates the reality of the business landscape, particularly regarding selling your
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16 October 2024 . Michael McGrath

Mike’s Story

In my first experience with selling a business, I scaled up from a single pizza delivery shop to 84 stores, only to realize I had undersold the business. Here's what I learned during my first M&A deal and why you shouldn’t rush in without some help.
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8 October 2024 . Content

Secure Your Future: Succession Planning with Oasis Partners

As Australian business owners contemplate their future and the continuity of their organizations, having a well-drafted succession plan is not
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8 October 2024 . Content

How to make your exit plan simple

Oasis Partners, a trusted advisory firm specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and exit strategies, is at the forefront of
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19 September 2024 . Content

Top Tips for Selling Your Business with Oasis Partners

Selling a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) is a significant milestone with its own challenges and rewards. Unlike more giant
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18 September 2024 . Michael McGrath

A Business Lesson from Mike: When a Giant Buyer Comes Knocking

Selling your business is likely to involve a major mismatch in terms of the scale and size of the likely buyer. Getting in the ring with them by yourself and without a clear strategy, might not work out so well for you.
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4 September 2024 . Michael McGrath

10 Steps You Need To Follow Before Selling Your Business

Selling a business isn't like selling a house. A business is a dynamic asset—customers, management, staff, stock, IP, and goodwill all contribute. The key is to always run your business professionally and profitably, focusing on value creation and risk mitigation. So why wait until you’re ready to sell? Here are my top 10 tips to prepare your business before you sell.
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28 August 2024 . Michael McGrath

The Hidden Dangers of Publicising Your Business Sale

Publicising your intention to sell makes your business vulnerable to perceptions of instability among staff, competitors, clients, and suppliers. Small to medium-sized companies are delicately balanced, and the last thing an owner needs is staff hearing rumours that the business is for sale.
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8 August 2024 . Michael McGrath

Sell, Sell, Sell, The Media Overload

We are often asked at Oasis Partners, when there is market volatility or other geopolitical uncertainties, whether it’s still a good time to sell a business. The reality is that we are selling most of our clients to much larger corporate acquirers where there are strong synergies and reasons to do a deal.
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23 July 2024 . Michael McGrath

The Rising Retirement Age: Implications for Business Owners

At Oasis Partners we are seeing about half our transactions are shareholders selling for age related reasons, retirement or health. The other half are selling for other reasons such as wanting a change or feeling that a merger would provide benefits at their particular stage of the business lifecycle.
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