Pre-transaction planning: Take Time to Sharpen Your Axe
Pre-transaction planning. It is a rather uninspiring phrase that does not necessarily evoke a real visceral reaction to hit up the white board for some strategic planning. Who gets very excited about advanced planning when you have a business to run, goals to meet, and profit to earn? Well, I must admit, we do and we hope you will too as you read on. Let’s start with a little foundation building. Pre-transaction planning is the process of preparing your company, both operationally and financially, for the rigors of an eventual sale. In the M&A world, you can breakdown the sale process into the three broad categories of Planning, Execution, and Closing. It is our experience that most business owners and management teams focus intently on the latter two stages and do not always prioritize the investment of time and resources to plan for a successful transition well before the desired time to hit the market. It is this observed dynamic that has made Mr. Lincoln’s line “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe” apropos.
