M&A: Family Businesses
Common Ground with
Our Clients
se2quel’s roots are in our family businesses and today we still operate the first company that our ancestors founded in 1880. Since then, we have worked with our clients and have purchased, built and sold companies.
Family companies work differently than public corporations or institutionally funded companies. The founders and managers typically have the family’s interests in mind and often take very good care of their employees. Many of the requirements that drive strong exit valuations or legacy-based succession plans are not a major consideration.
Often the sale of the company was never contemplated.
Family companies make decisions differently.
Our senior advisory team is deeply engaged in every step of the transaction, from evaluating family priorities and exit considerations to defining legacy objectives and optimizing financial and strategic outcomes. We work diligently to prepare the family enterprise to achieve the agreed-upon strategic and financial objectives. We complement or support the family business on this journey with an integrative and supportive approach to ensure an efficient, timely and successful process.
Process
Many of se2quel’s clients state that the depth of care that se2quel provides is not otherwise available.
Family businesses may require careful review and streamlining of business operations to help ensure a sale of the business which exceeds the expected commercial and financial goals of the family.
Each family business is different and se2quel’s team has broad core competencies to complement whatever is required by the client to achieve the most efficient and satisfactory pathway to the desired exit goals.
The se2quel team is aware and considerate about the internal and external confidentiality required in many family exits.
Strategic Valuation
The ability of the business to generate cash flows represents its financial value to buyers. Strategic value buyers, however, realize incremental value from more than just the company’s ability to generate income as a standalone entity.
se2quel is an expert in identifying the true assets of a company additionally to its financial assets. Often we guide our clients to leverage these in their operations and we certainly develop them as guiding cornerstones to find buyers that value these specific targets.
se2quel’s unique strategic capabilities often allow it to find the highest quality buyers with impressive strategic valuations.
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First Steps
For most of our clients in the founder/owner family business space, it is their first M&A experience, and many questions need to be answered and often jointly developed between the family and the advisor.
In our experience working with family companies, conducting face-to-face meetings and discussions with the client provides the best results. Trusted relationships must be developed to jointly work through the M&A process.
Many of se2quel’s clients come to us through referrals from previous clients or from our many industry relationships. We also welcome non-referral clients if there is a good fit with our capabilities.
If you are interested to explore who we are and whether we can help you on this next step, please reach out to us at info@se2quel.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
