Guide to Acquiring a Business
Introduction
Business acquisitions typically fall into two separate categories:
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those resulting from the sellers initiating a formal sales process (often supported by a corporate finance adviser) where a number of selected buyers are approached to solicit offers for the business ;
and those resulting from the acquirer making a pro-active approach to a company which it is interested in purchasing.
In many respects, the latter route offers a more effective means of expansion – it provides an opportunity to purchase a business which exactly matches the strategic requirements of the acquirer, and in many cases without participating in any form of contested auction.
For this reason, the following sections aim to provide some general guidance and observations on issues that are relevant to this latter type of acquisition.
This overview has been prepared as an outline guide only and any action taken should not be based solely on the information given and views expressed here. Appropriate professional advice should always be taken in specific instances.