Professional and discreet M&A mediation and consultancy in relation to the purchase and sale of businesses, including but not limited to, classic sales to third parties as well as management buyouts and buy-ins (MBO/MBI), leveraged buyouts (LBOs), owner buyouts (OBO), family buyouts (FBO)

Our sales advice and guidance is initiated with a tailored business transfer report. This report is driven by a specific situation, objectives are formalised and the business is analysed, which is translated into clear and practical advice, including a professional valuation with advice to optimise the value and marketability of the company.

Further assistance with the implementation of the advice to optimise the (future) sale may be provided if required.

Once the first step is taken towards selling the company, we create a professional information memorandum and, in conjunction with our clients, start discretely and proactively looking for suitable potential buyers and then negotiating until the final transfer of the business.

We can provide support and added value in the following situations:

You want to sell (sell-side)

• You are the owner/shareholder and wish to sell to third parties:
  
  • employees or managers of your company (MBO) or the existing co-shareholders;
  • external managers or management buyin candidates (MBI);
  • a (family) investment group, wealthy individual or a (smart) private equity investor;
  • a competitor, sector peer, customer, supplier (trade sale);
  • a combination of the above.
• You are the owner/shareholder and wish to sell to a professional investor but you want to stay operationally on board and keep a majority or minority equity stake after the transaction. You realise a portion of the company's equity now which can be justified from a diversification point of view or for other personal reasons (LBO/OBO)

You want to buy (buy-side)

• You are a co-owner/shareholder and wish to buy out one or more existing co-shareholders;
• You are currently involved in the company but want to increase your equity stake (MBO);
• You are considering buying into a company in which you are not currently a shareholder (MBI);
• You are the owner/manager of a domestic or foreign company and wish to accelerate your growth via further add-on acquisitions, requiring advice on a market search and in identifying, analysing and anonymously approaching interesting (Belgian) acquisition targets;
• You are a professional investor and wish to build a portfolio of investments, by way of a buy & build strategy, in a particular industry or niche market.

This area includes specific corporate finance assignments:

• Valuation, fairness- and second opinions, viewed from a transactional point of view, which means taking into account the specific market conditions and characteristics of the company in question;
• Attracting growth capital / private placement: depending on which phase the company is into, there are often different capital requirements and financing needs. Specifically for mature and growth companies we offer advice concerning strategic choices in relation to what type of funding and/or capital provider is best suited to sustain future growth plans;
• Value coaching: strategic-financial (management) advice such as company value optimization. A value coaching programme includes analysing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that define and determine the value of a company, performing a periodic analysis and follow up, and making adjustments where necessary. We discuss progress with our clients through regular contact moments. This advice can be a once-off, by taking a (temporary) seat on the advisory board or a highly active and hands-on approach, through an interim CFO role;
• Determining optimal deal and financing structure, cash flow analysis and repayment capacity calculation;
• Market and sector analysis, screening;
• Producing business plans as well as assistance in negotiations with capital and debt providers including banks.