An acquisition deal is a company’s purchase of another company’s assets, including its employees and intellectual property. This is a common form of growth for small businesses and mid-sized companies, but it can also be risky and lead to financial losses. To avoid costly mistakes, it is important to fully evaluate your company’s needs and goals before pursuing an M&A strategy.
A primary motivation for M&A is to increase market share and competitive advantage. It can also be a way to quickly access new markets, reduce operational costs, or eliminate competitors. M&A can also be a way for a larger firm to gain control of a smaller company that has developed a product line that the parent organization does not have the resources to develop itself.
M&A deals often require detailed due diligence, which is the process of reviewing a potential acquisition’s financial statements and other valuation documents. The evaluation can reveal issues that might affect the outcome of the deal, such as soon-to-expire contracts or potential litigations. It can also identify hidden expenses, such as legal fees and integration costs, that may not have been budgeted for.
Sometimes, a company makes an acquisition deal because it is seeking to secure a particular employee or a specific technology that can help it in its future plans. This can be an effective strategy for a smaller company that cannot compete with the pay packages offered by more established companies. It is, however, rare for a company to make an acquisition deal solely for this purpose.