Do you want to own your own business, grow faster or broaden your market? This can be done by buying a competitor or another company. But you must ask yourself a few questions first: what market(s) does the intended company need to be active in, what are the structure and dynamics of the sector, what is the desired size, which culture fits well? We can help you make the right choices and determine the approach strategy based on these criteria. We can also actively pitch the desired profile to a large (inter)national network of business owners.

Why should I buy a company?

The decision to buy a company often has to do with growth. For example, you can purchase a business to expand into another region or increase exposure abroad. The other company may have knowledge and skills your company does not yet possess.

Another motive may be to achieve greater scale by purchasing a company similar to your own. If you buy a company that is already operating successfully, you get the advantage of not having to build up a company from scratch. It should come complete with knowledgeable employees, a valuable customer base, and verifiable levels of turnover and profit.

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How does the buying process work?

There are several ways to buy an existing company, but the step-by-step buying process is broadly the same:

Before we start, we’d like to know who you are and why you want to buy a business. And you’ll want to know who you’re working with as well. For every purchase process, we put together a deal team with the best consultants, lawyers, and other experts.
What terms and conditions must companies satisfy to get you interested? Working with you, we will draw up a comprehensive profile so we can carry out a targeted search for suitable companies.
Based on your search profile, we’ll draw up long lists and short lists of potential companies. We start with a list that is as broad as possible, then we go through a selection process with you in order to identify the most interesting parties. The remaining companies are placed on the short list.
The companies that make it to the short list are then actively approached by us, whether or not they are known to be actively offering their company for sale. We assess their intent to sell: are they willing to sell their company or start a conversation about it?
The deal team will analyse the company and establish its value.
Lawyers will start working on a letter of intent which includes the most important terms and conditions of the takeover. In 95% of cases, a signed letter of intent leads to a completed transaction.
Company personnel are informed, as are any relevant public authorities.
A due diligence check is carried out to ensure the information is correct and you won’t find any nasty surprises after buying the company.
Time to discuss any financing requirements, and request quotes from banks and other providers.
The best part of any deal! The deal is finalized, and the champagne can be uncorked.

When is the best time to buy a company?

The best time to buy a business depends on your own situation and your reasons for acquiring a company. The most important consideration is whether you (or your existing company) have the means at your disposal. You don’t really need to know the details of  how to buy a business, because Marktlink can take care of the entire acquisition process.

Is there a company in your industry with the knowledge and skills that your company needs to grow? Do you want to expand into a growing market in another country? The right time to buy a company differs in each situation. Feel free to schedule an appointment with one of our advisors to discuss your situation.

Which strategy is pursued?

The reason you want to purchase a business will directly determine the best strategy to use. The most common are:

Management Buy-In (MBI)

As a manager or management team, you buy a company and subsequently manage it yourself. In this case, you can see opportunities in the company to be acquired and are happy to take on a new challenge.

Management Buy-Out (MBO)

You may also want to take over the company you work for. Simply buy the company from the current owner and take it over.

Buy-and-build

A popular growth strategy is the acquisition of companies similar to your own, or in the same sector. This will help you increase your market share and improve the way you serve your existing market. Buying a company offers you synergy benefits: it may cover a different part of the production chain or have knowledge and skills that you do not yet possess.

What are my options?

If you start the buying process with us, we will look for the most suitable candidates for you. Some of these may already be actively looking for a buyer, but we will also actively approach companies that appear to be interesting propositions, even if they have not yet issued a sale intention.