Selling a business

From orientation to due diligence in four steps

When you decide to sell your company, it is reassuring to have a team of experts at your side. Our specialists know what to expect and can prepare you and your business in detail. Selling a company is a complex and intensive process. To realise a successful sale, we will carefully consider each step of the selling process.

The sales process can be divided into a number of phases:

• Phase I: orientation
• Phase II: preparation
• Phase III: approach & negotiation
• Phase IV: due diligence & completion

The actual implementation of each phase depends on the objectives of the selling process and, of course, on your personal wishes.

Phase I: orientation

Before initiating the selling process, we will discuss your long-term objectives, both businesswise and personal. Because selling your company should not be taken lightly.

Questions often come up and there are also emotions involved. In this first phase, we discuss your wishes concerning prospective buyers, your role after the takeover, and we also take the human aspects into consideration.

If desired, we will assess, together with our financial planners, if the selling price is sufficient for your ambitions and plans after the sale.

Phase II: preparation

The objective of this phase is the careful preparation of the selling process. A thorough preparation contributes to a better price and conditions in the intended transaction. During this stage, we will guide you in:

• setting the targets of the intended sale, e.g. business succession or increase in scale by connecting with a strategic party;
• preparing the sales documentation;
• preparing a list of potential buyers;
• issuing a price advice.

Phase III: approach & negotiation

The sales strategy that is, among others, determined by the size of the company and the expected number of candidates, will influence the approach of the market. In this phase, we will guide and assist you by:

• approach of potential buyers;
• providing information about your company to any potential buyers after signing a non-disclosure agreement;
• conducting exploratory meetings and negotiations with prospective buyers.

Phase IV: due diligence & completion

After signing the letter of intent, the buyer will be entitled to carry out (or have carried out) a due diligence investigation and additional negotiations will take place concerning the transaction documentation, including the sale and purchase agreement. We can guide and assist you in this phase with:

• preparing the data room;
• supervising the due diligence (process);
• conducting meetings and negotiations about the transaction documentation; and
• executing (having) the mandatory deeds (executed) before the notary.