Tag Archives: LOI

How Do You Respond to a Purchase Offer? Five Thoughts

Situation: A company has been approached by a larger company that is interested in purchasing it. The purchaser wants to fill a niche that they don’t currently serve, but which is important to their growth. The CEO is concerned about what will happen to employees following sale of the company. How do you respond to a purchase offer?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • Questions for Preliminary Stage Research:
    • What valuation is the tipping point for an attractive offer by the buyer?
    • Determine the nature of the purchaser’s interest in the company and how it fits into their broader strategic picture. If their plan will dramatically change the market the company’s current market value may go down later relative to doing a deal with them today.
    • If the acquirer has a history of buying other companies, look at who they’ve recently bought, what they paid, and what kind of impact they had on the staff and culture of the companies purchased.
    • Check out the purchaser’s P/E ratio. If it is in the range the company’s desired multiple on EBITDA, a good deal is possible.
  • Temper the company’s response and approach to get the most from this experience.
    • Currently, assumptions about the acquirer make the offer appear unappealing. Ask questions to validate or challenge these assumptions.
    • Be open-minded so that the purchaser reveals more about themselves and the market than they would if they sensed a lack of interest in an acquisition.
  • How does the company protect itself during the inquiry and due diligence process?
    • Keep staff numbers and individuals, and customer lists close to the chest.
    • Have an LOI and ask for a breakaway clause before sharing significant information. 
      • Breakaway clause: if the two companies get into discussions and the potential acquirer decides to abandon the discussions, it will cost them $1M.
      • The potential acquirer may not agree to this, but it demonstrates that the company is serious both about the discussions and about preserving the confidentiality of its business information.
  • More Advanced Stage Questions and Research:
    • This looks like a strategic interest. If so:
      • Get assistance from an investment banker.
      • Look at what other alternatives may be available to the acquirer to assess the company’s potential value.
      • Any offer other than a high-multiple strategic valuation and offer should not be of interest to the company.
    • What restrictions will the acquirer put on the company? 
      • For example, if there is an earn-out value, will they give the company the freedom to operate to maximize this value?
    • Be careful with employee communications and how employees are informed of an outside interest. This can be difficult during due diligence.
    • If the founder remains with the company post-sale this could help lock in the value of the exit and assure the employees’ future.
  • Make the most of this opportunity.
    • Are there ways that the company can become better and smarter working with the acquirer?
    • Is there a relationship short of acquisition than would benefit the company like a collaboration or partnership?
    • Can a relationship short of sale enhance the company’s market presence and help the company to achieve national status more quickly?

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Do you Merge, Sell or Keep the Company? Nine Factors

Situation: A company has been approached by an international firm with an existing West Coast presence that is interested in expanding its US operations. A Letter of Intent is in place but will expire in weeks. The LOI is of interest because the company has cash flow challenges. The CEO seeks advice on whether and how to proceed with a sale or merger, or whether to continue as an independent entity. Do you merge, sell or keep the company?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • This is a personal decision. Do you want to be your own boss or to become an employee? It really is a question of what you want.
  • If you are burned out, there are advantages to having a boss, at least in the short term. However, 2 to 3 years out you may tire of this.
  • While cash may be tight, you can address this with other measures.
    • Can you save money by reducing office staff (hours or people) short-term until your cash flow improves?
    • Talk to private investors – offer up to 9% interest on a note. The company is a going concern and therefore likely to be able to pay off the note. You may be able to negotiate a note at a favorable rate.
    • Negotiate a 5 year note, with interest only payments for the first 3 years; sweeten the deal with an offer that if you get new business worth $X during the period of the note, you pay them Y% of upside.
    • You have revenue-producing business and receivables. Factor your receivables to raise the cash that you need. Adjust your prices to cover the cost of the factoring discount.
    • If you have the margins, or can increase prices to produce the margin, offer discounts for early payment of accounts receivable.
  • If you decide to sell, avoid a contract that takes away your flexibility to maximize your future payouts.
  • Can you be confident that the buying firm will survive until your payouts are completed?

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Partnership Agreement for a New Venture: Seven Points to the Negotiation

Situation: We are negotiating a partnership venture. We would fund the entity, and the partner will earn ownership through sweat equity. How do we draft a fair partnership agreement?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • The most important factor is the ability of the two partners to drive a successful venture: proof of ability to contribute needs to be a prerequisite to allocating ownership.
  • How does the sweat equity partner prove their capability?
    • Create a schedule of milestones for the partner to earn ownership, based on mutually agreed objectives or revenue generation.
      • The beauty here is that you retain control until the partner has proven their value by delivering results.
      • The potential downside is long-term liability of the venture.
        • The longer that you retain majority ownership, the longer you retain majority liability.
        • Insure yourself against this liability.
    • Buyout clauses are important to retain your interest if the partner fails to deliver.
    • Include a liquidation clause in case the venture fails.
  • Negotiating the agreement:
    • Draw up a 6-month letter of intent. Specify what each side brings to the table and what each commits to deliver. Set clear, measurable, time-bound objectives.
    • Negotiate fair protections desired by each party.
    • Consider a consultant to facilitate settlement of areas of contention.
    • Theoretically, each party needs their own legal counsel. This adds expense but provides protections for each in the final agreement.
    • Factor the cost of legal advice as well as consultant facilitation into your planning model.

Key Words: Partnership, Joint-Venture, Sweat Equity, Agreement, Negotiation, Buy-Out Clause, Liquidation Clause, Letter of Intent (LOI)  [like]