Engaging an investment bank to sell your business, raise capital, or explore strategic options is a significant step. But if you’ve never worked with one before, the process can feel daunting. Understanding what happens in the first 90 days can demystify the experience, giving you confidence and clarity as you begin this critical partnership. Here’s what you can expect when working with us:
1. Initial Meeting and Goal Alignment
The process begins with a comprehensive discovery session. This meeting is your opportunity to share your vision, challenges, and objectives.
What Happens: We’ll dive deep into understanding your business, your financials, and your goals. Are you looking to maximize value in a sale? Secure strategic growth capital? Preserve legacy during a transition? This is where we align on your priorities.
What You’ll Need: Be ready to discuss your business’s history, performance, and aspirations. This meeting sets the stage for everything to come.
2. Information Gathering and Preparation
The next step is gathering the data and materials we’ll need to represent your business effectively.
What Happens:
We request key documents such as financial statements, organizational charts, and operational data.
Our team conducts industry research to position your business effectively in the market.
Together, we identify potential strengths and risks to highlight or mitigate during discussions with buyers or investors.
What You’ll Need: Collaboration is critical. Timely access to financial and operational data helps us hit the ground running.
3. Crafting Your Business Story
Telling the story of your business in a compelling way is a core part of our job.
What Happens: We create a pitch deck, Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), or other marketing materials. These documents highlight what makes your business unique, including its value drivers, market position, and growth potential.
Why It Matters: These materials form the foundation for engaging potential buyers or investors. A well-crafted story can set you apart from competitors and command a higher valuation.
4. Identifying and Engaging Potential Partners
With your business story ready, we move into market outreach.
What Happens:
Using our network, industry databases, and strategic outreach, we identify potential buyers, investors, or partners.
Initial contact is made with confidentiality agreements (NDAs) in place to protect sensitive information.
What You’ll Need: Stay involved by reviewing the target list and providing input on the types of buyers or investors you’d like to prioritize.
5. Regular Communication and Updates
Throughout the first 90 days, we maintain consistent communication to ensure alignment and transparency.
What Happens:
Weekly or bi-weekly updates on progress.
Collaborative sessions to refine materials, strategy, and target lists.
Regular check-ins to answer your questions and address any concerns.
Why It Matters: Transparency is essential to building trust and ensuring you remain informed every step of the way.
6. Initial Feedback and Adjustments
As we begin engaging potential buyers or investors, feedback starts rolling in. This is a critical phase for refining our approach.
What Happens:
We assess initial interest and gauge how the market views your business.
If needed, we adjust our strategy, messaging, or target list based on real-world feedback.
What You’ll Need: Flexibility and an open mind—early feedback can uncover opportunities to enhance your value proposition.
What Success Looks Like After 90 Days
By the end of the first 90 days, you should feel confident in the process and see tangible progress, including:
A clear understanding of the market’s response to your business.
A tailored list of engaged buyers or investors.
A solid foundation for the next phase: negotiations and deal structuring.
Why the First 90 Days Matter
The first three months set the tone for the entire engagement. It’s a time of discovery, preparation, and strategy-building to ensure your business is positioned for success. By partnering with an investment bank that values collaboration, transparency, and expertise, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals.
Ready to get started? Contact us today.
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