At Ardent Advisory Group, we look first to understand our clients’ strategic objectives, and then execute a plan to serve those individual objectives. Alongside transaction consideration, we understand that timing, tax issues, future involvement, legacy of the business, and other factors vary according to each client’s particular situation. By identifying our clients’ objectives we are able to maximize value in a transaction, whether a business sale, acquisition, merger, or other corporate finance transaction.
Sell-Side Services
In advance of marketing your business to an audience of potential acquirers, we dedicate time to understanding the intricacies of your operations so that we are best positioned to represent your business. Based on this extensive review of the business, we develop marketing materials that showcase the business model, financial performance, key investment considerations, and other attributes of your company.
Based on collaborative review with you of the prospective buyer universe, and with particular thought to your ideal acquirer characteristics, a target buyer list is developed comprising financial sponsors (eg, private equity groups and family office investors) and/or strategic buyers (eg, competitors in the marketplace, or corporations in adjacent sectors). This list is approved by you in advance of buyer outreach by Ardent.
The initial round of marketing is done on an anonymous basis, providing a certain layer of confidentiality. Then after individualized follow-up by Ardent, should a prospective buyer party indicate interest in learning more about the opportunity, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) is required in advance of providing the buyer with a fulsome primer on the business, a Confidential Information Memorandum, to help inform their investment committee’s decision-making process. The team at Ardent also engages prospective buyers to provide additional color on the opportunity and offer additional answers as buyers may require to understand more about the value of the business. In addition, Ardent coordinates meetings as appropriate between prospective buyers and the company’s management team to further solidify and pique interest.
Ardent then solicits offers on your behalf from the body of qualified parties who have demonstrated interest, engendering a competitive environment wherein the opportunity for multiple bids exists, from which offers providing the right mix of transaction considerations can be negotiated to meet your specific objectives.
Once a letter of intent meeting with your approval is reached, Ardent works with your team to facilitate the completion of customary buyer due diligence, and we continue to assist in negotiations toward final definitive documentation and a successful transaction for you and your shareholders.
Buy-Side Services
Accelerating growth through acquisition can be both attractive and challenging, and as seasoned professionals on both sides of the table, we begin by understanding and clearly defining your ideal investment characteristics. Whether the objective is to gain market share, acquire leading-edge technologies, or expand through diversification, we collaborate with you to develop the ideal candidate profile and then develop a list of suitable acquisition targets.
Upon initiation of buy-side outreach, we reach out to potential candidates on your behalf and identify information on key points of interest to you, from product and service line detail to customer mix, and financial performance to potential synergies. As part of the information collection and review process, we begin to assess pro forma cash flows and estimates for purchase price range.
As candidates are qualified and brought to the next tier of discussion, Ardent facilitates meetings with target companies, providing the opportunity to interact with management teams firsthand and glean observations about business practices, leadership dynamics, key personnel, and corporate culture.
As business fit and value are uncovered in a prospective acquisition candidate, Ardent assists in a consultative capacity in the crafting of terms toward an indication of interest or letter of intent. Upon agreement of terms between buyer and seller, Ardent continues to support transaction success as due diligence and negotiations surrounding definitive documentation are undertaken, consummating a transaction that is deemed mutually advantageous by the acquisition candidate and our client.