There are many reasons to sell or transfer a business and there are many options on how this might be accomplished. The best transfer method will depend on the objectives of the seller (especially whether the purchaser will be employees, partners, family or unrelated third parties) and the financial and operational circumstances of the business. The type of transfer chosen has a material effect on the transfer value of the company, but the nominal sales value is not always the most important factor. The professional advisor can help you assess which transfer type will achieve your goals and how to effectively and efficiently implement your chosen strategy.

We specialize in sales to strategic buyers.

Transferring your business will probably be the most important activity of your business life. The Merger and Acquisition intermediary is trained and experienced in every aspect of the transfer process and the fees charged for this service are returned to the seller many times over. BDA is highly experienced in the selling process and the president, James Eckles, is a certified Merger and Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA).

There are many benefits to working through a professional intermediary:

• Higher sales values
• Higher retained earnings considering tax implications or other factors
• Reduced time and cost of the selling process
• Reduced time and effort required of the seller
• Confidentiality and other process controls
• Higher probability of a successful transfer

BDA does not provide advice reserved for lawyers or CPAs, however, we do have trusted and experienced attorneys and CPAs that can assist you during the process as members of the team. Many transfer types, such as the ESOP, require special skills. BDA acts as the intermediary to organize the process and the other professionals and this can lower total fees while improving results. BDA is not a business broker that will list your business like real estate. Our activities will reflect your needs and, where we market to third parties, this will be through a directed and specialized process.

We provide many services that are essential to the transfer process:

• Consultations on transfer options and their implications
• Recommending transaction specialists (attorneys, CPAs, etc.)
• Structuring transfers to employees or related parties
  • Such as ESOP Plans
• Positioning your business to achieve the greatest enterprise value
• Preparing you and your business for the transfer
• Completing the Seller’s “book” that covers the business being marketed
• Managing private auctions
• Managing the buyer’s due diligence process on the seller’s side
• Representing the seller on negotiations and competing the transfer deal

Divestments/Spin-outs

BDA can assist corporate clients on strategies for divesting non-strategic assets. BDA can also be instrumental in finding buyers, both strategic and private equity groups, depending on the needs of the client.

Our corporate clients can often benefit strategically and financially by allowing technologies or business units to be established as stand-alone entities. BDA can assist your business in determining whether a technology or business might create more value as an independent entity and how to achieve this efficiently. The development of an entrepreneurial business often requires independence from the confines of corporate culture for success and the business spin-out can also reduce corporate risks while attracting independent sources of financing. Organizing a Management Buy-Out (MBO) can often be an attractive way for corporations to handle divestments and staff reductions.

BDA works with many private equity groups to finance corporate spin-outs and divestments. Management Buy-outs (MBOs) can be an attractive way to divest assets and these can often be constructed so the divesting party can preserve strategic value of the divested assets.