Exit Advisory Team
It is important to build your exit advisory team early so that these experts can assist you with each component of your Exit Strategy objectives. If necessary, our financial advisors can provide you with referrals for these experts.
Your advisory team should be comprised of the following specialists:
- A Financial Advisor with expertise in mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures along with business appraising expertise.
- A Certified Public Accountant with expertise in transaction accounting.
- An attorney with expertise in transaction law and estate planning.
- A Certified Financial Planner with expertise in life insurance matters.
Identify an Exit Strategy advisory team leader who understands your complete Exit Strategy objectives and can communicate your goals to other specialists on the team.
Business Valuation
The most critical step in planning an Exit Strategy from your company is determining your company’s market value and how that value relates to your plans for exiting. The financial advisors at California Equity Group are certified specialists in ascertaining the value of your business using traditional appraisal methods coupled with our extensive database of past transactions and other industry data. The appraisal process followed by CEG advisors is a well-developed algorithm Strategic Valuation Algorithm™. This process will provide the ownership of a company with the critical path to the decision of whether or not their company is positioned to sell for its maximum value and whether that value will meet the Exit Strategy financial objectives.
Learn more about M&A Valuation Services
Gap Analysis
If a gap exists between the current value of the company and the value necessary to reach the financial objectives to exit, then the value of the company needs to be improved.
Strategies to Build Value
After completing over hundreds of transactions over the past 30 years, the financial advisors at California Equity Group have a deep knowledge of the key elements that all types of buyers look for in assessing the value of your company and determining its suitability as an acquisition or merger candidate.
Learn more about Building Business Value
Identify Exit Strategy Options
The financial advisors at CEG will assist you with identifying the most effective method to exit from your company based upon your Exit Strategy objectives. There are essentially five methods to exit from your company:
- Sale, merger, or divestiture to a strategic buyer (either public or private)
- Sale, merger, or divestiture to a financial buyer
- Sale to a buyer group or individual buyer
- Sale to other shareholders, senior management, key employees, or family members
- Liquidation or closure
Each of the Exit Strategy options comes with its own set of tax, estate, financial, and deal structuring implications. Your CEG financial advisor can assist you with choosing the right approach to achieve your Exit Strategy objectives.
Execution of the Exit Strategy
Based upon the Exit Strategy selected, your financial advisor will guide you through the merger and acquisition process. Our financial advisors will confidentially seek out suitable acquisition and/or merger candidates from our extensive database of buyers, through our M&A affiliates around the world, and through traditional marketing channels. We will negotiate all of transaction deal points, and we will work closely with your accounting and legal counsel throughout the entire transaction process and through closing.
Business Development
“ As the vice-president of operations at my past employer, I was involved in several mergers and acquisitions where Clarence Stone from California Equity Group was the financial advisor. There were many challenges to each transaction, but each time the deals progressed smoothly with Clarence’s skillful guidance. I was always impressed with him because he brings such a high degree of professional integrity, honesty, and charisma to what can often be such an adversarial environment. It definitely took an abundance of these skills to close those earlier deals, as he always seemed to know exactly what to do and when to do it to protect our interests. Clarence has an inherent talent for anticipating and mitigating potential problems in a transaction along with working it through the inevitable difficulties and bringing it to closure effortlessly and affably.
Recently, my husband and I had the gratification of acquiring our own company. We knew from past experience that Clarence would be the one to call. We knew we needed someone we could trust and who knew the path to a successful transition. Clarence provided the skills and experience necessary to negotiate, manage and close a very complicated acquisition. Without his guidance and counsel, there is not a chance we would have been able to complete this transaction. He referred us to an accountant and an attorney and he made the referral to the right lending institution and mentored us through the grueling application process. Clarence knew that we were a perfect fit for the seller and his company and before long, the seller knew that too. Clarence has an uncanny ability to match compatible buyers and sellers and put together win-win deals that make sense for everyone.
Clarence has an exceptional and extremely valuable skill in marketing and negotiating the purchase and/or sale of a business. Since the purchase, I actually call on him to critique my upcoming advertising! He has in-depth knowledge of business, legal procedure and governmental compliance. He is more than adept in accounting and financial practices, and above all, he is a master at facilitating the many intricate workings of a business acquisition. After watching and working with him and his highly professional team at California Equity Group in the purchase of our business, we are convinced there is no other individual or organization that could provide such an effective and professional service.
Clarence, THANK YOU! Using your immense experience, you acted as a true partner, consulting us in a very practiced and calculated way, which proved to be the right move every time we listened. Should I ever want to acquire, sell or merge a business again, or should I have the opportunity to recommend a financial advisor, you can be sure that I will ardently recommend you. Jeff and I send our best regards.”
Cindy Faulkner, President