M&A Unplugged

M&A Unplugged Season 1 is coming to an end. Season 2 will be back after this summer. Visit our website to download our free resources for those wishing to buy or sell a business: https://k2adviser.com/resources/ If you enjoy our content, please remember to subscribe and leave a review. We look forward to seeing you again on the next episode of M&A Unplugged. Until then, please remember that scaling, acquiring or selling a business takes time, preparation and proper knowledge.

M&A exclusivity is one major strategy utilized by many, but some are unaware of how to push its advantages to the limit. Starting a series of topics from his one-on-one client consultations, Domenic Rinaldi shares one conversation focused on exclusivity. He explains how this gives buyers the owners' undivided attention and speeds up the entire purchasing process. Domenic also breaks down the most important tips for sellers in releasing their company from the market to make it exclusive. He discusses why sellers must always believe in karma and never push away exclusive buyers in favor of way better offers. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Although many businesses out there are similar in many ways, each one has value drivers unique to them. These significant factors dictate the overall framework of a business, and looking at them much closely will help a lot during valuations. Domenic Rinaldi highlights one of his most downloaded episodes that discusses the most common value drivers to consider. He explains how they hugely contribute to closing M&A transactions. From people management to complex finance and infrastructure programs, Domenic delves into the most important aspects every buyer must take note of. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

It’s no secret that a lot of industries were severely impacted by the pandemic. But how exactly did it affect bank financing for owners and buyers of businesses? Domenic Rinaldi shares some handy information for people who are interested in purchasing and selling their business. He explains the need to understand how banks view these deals and the different issues that come with them. Banks are being cautious and are looking at a good track record, monthly financial plans, and comparison between the current and pre-COVID situation. Not only do businesses need improvement, but they also need to be stabilized before banks accept a deal. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Employee integration is such a critical aspect of any M&A transaction that it’s a wonder why most entrepreneurs spend too little time planning for and executing this element. As a result, they often end up trying to catch up with it during the due diligence phase, which is quite a bit late to say the least. When is the right time to start thinking about employee integration? What essential considerations do you have to take in its execution? Domenic Rinaldi goes deeper into this topic with Jennifer Fondrevay, an expert in the human capital aspect of M&A transactions. Join in and learn as Jennifer shares key insights on the most overlooked aspects of integrating people, some of the best practices for handling employees and teams, and how COVID has simultaneously changed the game yet highlighted the evergreen principles of human capital. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

It is never a bad idea to acquire a thriving business. But sometimes, buyers find themselves in a bit of a pickle because of successor liabilities. Dissecting this topic with Domenic Rinaldi is Dino Armiros from the law firm Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr. Together, they discuss the most common sorts of successor liabilities every buyer should be aware of. They delve into the red flags to be determined while the final act asset purchase agreements are getting drafted. Dino also explores the responsibilities of the seller by talking about how they can mitigate their liabilities, making them desirable assets in the eyes of potential buyers. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

These days, social media presence is in itself an asset. That is why it should be included in your due diligence when you’re sizing up a company you’re trying to purchase. If you’re a business owner, it is one thing that you have to consider if you want to take your company’s valuation a notch or two higher. However this aspect of due diligence doesn’t get nearly enough attention, especially considering the fact that digital will only grow in importance in the future. Recognizing this gap in the knowledge of most buyers and business owners, Domenic Rinaldi discusses this topic on the show with John Vuong, the owner of Canada-based Local SEO Search, Inc. Tune in as John discusses at a high level the components of digital presence that buyers need to pay attention to prior to closing an acquisition deal. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

After hours of engaging discussions and interesting guests, M&A Unplugged now marks its 100th episode! Besides hitting this momentous achievement, the show is also being downloaded in more than 50 countries and one of top ten M&A shows worldwide. To celebrate their first hundred episodes, Domenic Rinaldi looks back with gratitude to everyone he has worked and collaborated with to make the podcast show possible and successful. He also brings some of his previous guests who share their anniversary greetings as well as their number one advice in closing M&A transactions. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

M&A deals don't just end after the acquisition. In fact, inherent to it are post-closing risks that buyers and sellers will have to face. Are there stones left unturned during the due diligence process? What monetary holdback and liability will arise? Domenic Rinaldi's guest for this episode, Patrick Stroth, has been the go-to person for many buyers and sellers looking for their way out of these risks. As the founder of Rubicon Insurance Services, LLC, he has been a pioneer in applying what is called rep and warranty insurance (RWI) to lower middle-market M&A transactions so that all parties can achieve a clean transition. Together with Domenic, he explains to us what this insurance is all about, what are involved with it, how the underwriting process goes, how much will be spent, and how to introduce this concept to potential deal negotiations. Follow along to this conversation to find the peace of mind you need post-closing. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Knowing how to prepare for and conduct an initial meeting with a business owner drastically increases your chances of having a successful first meeting. First meetings are crucial when building any business relationship. When you come into the meeting fully prepared, you'll easily build rapport and gain the trust of the business owner. In this episode, Domenic Rinaldi provides a best practices overview on how to have a successful first meeting with an owner and why this is critically important to get a deal done. You'll learn how to properly introduce yourself, what preparations you need to make, and what important questions you need to ask in that first meeting. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Do you want to be knowledgeable and prepared when you decide to exit your own business? Having an in-depth look at Small Business Acquisition Loans (SBA) will come in handy when that day arises. Today’s guest is Douglas Adams, the principal and president of Emerson Capital Corp, which provides financial solutions in business acquisition loans. In this episode, Douglas discusses with Domenic Rinaldi the qualification, costs, and debt structure of SBA. If you want to have great intel so you can better understand the assumptions that banks and buyers make with SBA, then this episode is for you. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Casting a wide net over the marketplace gives you a lot of choices when it comes to business acquisitions. But without proper search criteria, having many options may result in more challenging decision-making. Tim Lahey joins Domenic Rinaldi to share how he narrowed his business acquisition choices to just a few industries, allowing him to acquire the custom integration company, Homerun Technology. He also talks about the strategies he followed to ensure a smooth transition with its past owners and existing employees, how he used an SBA loan to finance this transaction, and how they closed the deal even with the COVID-19 virtual setting. Tim also explores the many ups and downs of business acquisitions, underlining the importance of having a thick skin. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Many people who get into the world of merging and acquisition pay little to no attention to various tax consequences and how to optimize them. Despite the different experiences between sellers and buyers, how can we bridge the gap here? Joining Domenic Rinaldi to delve into this matter is CPA and attorney, Ed Castellani. Together, they talk about the right way to approach a seller demanding stock transaction with no optimal tax outcome, the specifics of the letter of intent, the buckets of allocation, and how sellers can overall minimize their tax burden. Ed also dives deep into the world of C Corp, particularly on how they can be utilized to defer tax. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Did you know that 90% of all businesses never exceed $1 million in sales? That is a huge number of companies and solopreneurs basically just plateauing in their business growth after capping a certain threshold value. If you’re an existing owner of a business or someone who is contemplating to acquire one and grow it, you may want to take some time for this one. Join in as Domenic Rinaldi talks to a return guest, Brett Trainor, an expert in helping companies that have plateaued break through that barrier and achieve substantial growth. Listen as they discuss Brett’s template for analyzing a company's growth barriers, strategies for growth, and how to implement those strategies without making bad investments that won't provide a return. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at www.k2adviser.com/resources.

When you get to the core of why people fail during their transactions, you’ll see that it is because of the lack of preparation. And Domenic Rinaldi has some data to back this up. In this episode, he shares the highlights of the 300 buyer assessments collected in 2020, offering insights into why people fail to prepare and how you can avoid it. As we get into the thick of 2021, it is time to overcome the number one thing standing in the way of having a successful transaction. Follow Domenic in this short yet insightful discussion to learn the actionable steps.

There is something romantic about growing a business organically, but those who have been in the trenches know how unglamorous that process can be in the day-to-day. Growth through acquisition is a far quicker and easier option if you want to grow in scale, but you also have to be very careful about the potential pitfalls. This B2B marketer’s story beautifully illustrates that point. Priscilla McKinney is no stranger to adversity, as she has seen her previous business literally burn down to the ground. Somehow, the confidence that she gained from rebuilding that business from the ashes backfired on her when she finally tried her hands on business acquisition. You are going to appreciate Priscilla’s candor in sharing what transpired in this transaction, which is a cautionary tale on the many pitfalls of M&A and a reminder of the importance of surrounding yourself with an experienced M&A team. Join in as she shares all of that in this learning-packed conversation with Domenic Rinaldi. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at k2adviser.com/resources. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Valuation has always been one of the tougher nuts to crack in M&A deals, even under normal circumstances. When you throw in a pandemic to the mix, things begin to become more challenging, but also more interesting. Join Domenic Rinaldi as he speaks with Howard & Howard’s Joe DeVito to discuss some of the creative deal structures that M&A parties have adopted to bridge the valuation and risk gaps that came as a result of COVID-19. While 2020 certainly has been a tough ride as far as M&A transactions go, there is no reason to believe that 2021 would be any easier, so this episode is a must-listen if you’re planning to strike a deal anytime soon. Listen in and pick up some cool ideas that you can use to close your own transaction. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at k2adviser.com/resources. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

70% of M&A transactions are doomed to fail because of poor preparation and unclear strategies. To help minimize the risks faced by most business buyers and sellers, Domenic Rinaldi talks about seven of the most common M&A pitfalls that must be avoided at all costs. From the ROI targets and due diligence to valuation and integration, he delves into the most important stages of M&A and how to navigate through them effectively. Take note of each one, and you are on a straight, clear path to a successful and rewarding transaction. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at k2adviser.com/resources. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.comM&A Unplugged TwitterM&A Unplugged FacebookM&A Unplugged Instagram

Whether you are contemplating buying your first business, or you already own a business, growth is one of the key elements to the long-term health of your company. It has become hard to grow a business in traditional ways. On today’s podcast, let Domenic Rinaldi share a strategy to grow your business faster and cheaper. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at www.k2adviser.com/resources

COVID-19 shook the nation to its core and swept through various industries, putting a halt to many business operations. Private equity was profoundly affected by the crisis but jumped back into the game before 2021. Domenic Rinaldi is joined by Scott Becker to discuss how to approach private equity with smaller, COVID-19 resistant deals on the rise. For more guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide & checklist and additional free resources on our website at www.k2adviser.com/resources