Pay Day

One Counterintuitive Strategy Led to This $380 Million Payday

,
When David Perry started his video game company, he filled a dartboard in his office with the names of companies he thought would want to buy his company, Gaikai, one day. Why would a startup business with no revenue or employees be thinking…
stretagy

5 “Strategic” Ways to Sell Your Company

,
Did you know that Facebook acquired Internet messaging service WhatsApp for $19 billion? It represents the largest-ever acquisition of an Internet company in history. WhatsApp is a pearl for sure. The messaging service allows users to avoid…
starting plants

Starting Vs. Growing a Business

,
Most company founders are good at the first stages of entrepreneurship. But in the phases that follow, they may only be average. Just because you have a knack for starting companies, doesn’t necessarily mean that those skills translate well…
Buyer type

Which Is Better, a Financial Buyer or a Strategic Buyer?

,
If you decide to sell your business to an outside acquirer, you’re going to have to decide between a financial and a strategic buyer—understanding the different motivations of these two buyers can be the key to getting a good price for…
lego ferrari

The Build vs. Buy Equation

,
If you’re wondering what your business might be worth to an acquirer, there is a simple calculation you can use. Let’s call it “The Build vs. Buy Equation”. At some point, every acquirer does the math and calculates how much it…
Love to learn

Learning From Acquisitions That Fall Apart

,
John McCann sold The Bolt Supply House to Lawson Products (NASDAQ: LAWS) at the end of 2017. McCann’s strategy involved learning from the acquirers who knocked on his door. He invited would-be buyers into The Bolt Supply House and listened…
facebook

How to Lure A Giant Like Facebook Into Buying Your Company

,
A great business is bought, not sold, so, if you look too eager to sell your business, you’ll be negotiating on the back foot and look desperate—a recipe for a bad exit. But, what if you really want to sell? Maybe you’ve got a new…
gears

Why Startups Stall

,
Have you ever wondered why startup companies stop growing? Sometimes they run out of potential customers to sell to or their product starts losing market share to a competitor, but there is often a more fundamental reason: the founder(s) lose…
Blinds

5 Lessons From Home Depot’s Acquisition of Blinds.com

,
Jay Steinfeld built Blinds.com into a $100 million e-tailer before selling out to Home Depot. Here are five things that made it a spectacular exit. Win The Make vs. Buy Battle Companies like Home Depot have a “make or buy” decision…
LinkedIn

Did Microsoft Overpay For LinkedIn?

,
Microsoft’s recent $26.2 billion acquisition of LinkedIn provides an illustrative example of a strategic acquisition – the type of sale that usually garners the most gain for the acquired company’s shareholders. You may be wondering…