When we say what we do as your M&A advisor is confidential, we’re serious.
We get it, you likely don’t want your staff, your competitors, or anyone along your supply chain to know that your business is for sale. It’s an unnecessary risk to business as usual. And if it’s a risk for you, it’s a risk for us. We’re in the business of knocking it out of the park for our clients, and not letting the cat out of the bag is a key piece to this.
So, how do we do it? We start by proceeding with caution when it comes to discussing your business with potential buyers. To do so, we ask ourselves a few questions when vetting who will be the right fit:
- Have we dealt with this person before? Our CRM and industry experience are a great start, but we go a step further. Our partnership with OpnRoad allows us to share a buyer database with other M&A firms across North America. This means that if a buyer has been blacklisted with another firm for good reason, that buyer is blacklisted with us as well. Avoiding these types of folks saves everyone time and energy, and minimizes the risk to your business.
- Are they a good fit for the business? Some businesses have specific requirements that the buyer needs to posses, and we ask ourselves if the buyer in question meets this criteria. If not, it’s not worth sharing any confidential information.
- Do they have the money? Based on the deal, we have minimum liquid funds and net worth requirements that potential buyers need to be considered. We don’t share any sensitive information with someone who doesn’t have the resources to close the deal.
- Why are they interested in the business? Who are they in relation to the business? Are they already in the industry and potentially just one or two degrees of separation away from the business for sale? In this instance, we would get confirmation from our client before sharing any information.
Our commitment to confidentiality is not just a promise but a core principle. Our careful vetting process and ability to leverage technology and partnerships ensures that sensitive information is shared only with credible and suitable buyers. From blacklisting unreliable individuals to assessing financial capabilities and aligning motivations, we prioritize safeguarding your business interests.
If you have any more questions about the buyer vetting process, don’t hesitate to reach out.