Smart Business Dealmakers

“Once you've rationalized it to yourself that you want to sell your business, it's at least a two-year process. What can I do today to maximize value two years from now?” Sean Bilbrough of Patriot Capital on his process to select investable companies, and that means for those selling a business. #Baltimore #DealmakersBaltimore #buying #investing #dealprep Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gA6viBx6

“You can't, in our opinion, drive value and scale without the right technology applications and infrastructure in and across your business.” Dean Graves of Freeman Clarke on the importance of technology in driving M&A value. #NewYork #DealmakersNewYork #buying #integration #investing Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gQmyP-E8

“We did all these things just to anticipate the concerns people would have and derisk the deal.” Nick Beste of Mighty Spark Foods on all the work that went into preparing his company for a sale. #Minneapolis #DealmakersMinneapolis #selling #dealprep Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gXYpQeiJ

Thousands of dealmakers — from middle-market CEOs and investors to top lenders and M&A advisers — attend the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference every year. See what some of the attendees are saying about the event that is coming back to Detroit on April 10.?Save 50% on tickets with code EARLYBIRD: https://lnkd.in/eUF5Tx9 #DealmakersDetroit #detroit #mergersandacquisitions #privateequity #pe #venturecapital #vc #raisingcapital #businessgrowth #familyoffice Old National Bank Barnes & Thornburg LLP Clearstead Graystone Consulting from Morgan Stanley Honigman LLP Insperity Lockton McAndrews, Held & Malloy, Ltd. Riveron Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Wipfli

“I've got 350 people in front of me, we're live streaming it to our other operations, and we're going to become 100 percent ESOP. No one, and I mean no one, clapped. No one really knew what an ESOP was.” Doug Bawel of Jasper Engines & Transmissions on selling to an ESOP and how the change has affected his business and his employees’ lives. #Chicago #DealmakersChicago #strategy #selling #dealprep Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gsZjXbSQ

??? Time is running out! Don’t miss your chance to join hundreds of top entrepreneurs, investors and advisers at the 2025 Dallas Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, presented by Merrill | Singh & Associates, on March 27 at Lakewood Country Club. ? Expert discussions on the latest M&A trends ? 4+ hours of networking with the region’s leading dealmakers ??? Use promo code EARLYBIRD to get 50% off tickets — but act fast, this exclusive offer ends this week! #DealmakersDallas #MergersAndAcquisitions #Networking #Dallas #DallasBusiness #BusinessGrowth Merrill Lynch Bernstein Private Wealth Management Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP Calvetti Ferguson DYOPATH Founders Advisors Gray Reed Greenberg Traurig, LLP Gridiron Capital LLC Stephens Steptoe & Johnson PLLC Susser Bank UBS

“A red flag for me is when they don't allow you to go in the back of the house and look at the equipment, because there's probably something to hide.” Jose R. Costa of Whistle Express Car Wash on the M&A market for car washes and what he looks for in diligence. #Charlotte #DealmakersCharlotte #Buying #diligence Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gB8fnVCG

“At the end of the day, the realization we came to is they were more or less a distraction from our core business, not necessarily accretive to the overall company value.” Matthew Elswick of Tellepsen on selling off business units and the unique deal structure to get it done. #Houston #DealmakersHouston #selling #dealprep Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/geRsyM45

“You have to flip that switch. You have to say, ‘No, it's no longer all mine. I now have to work. I have to report. These are the rules, let's run by them.’” Mark Mangan of Turf Care Supply, LLC on the effects the many transitions of his business had on him. #Cleveland #DealmakersCleveland #selling Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gJzM4JcN

“In the end, dollars are dollars, and that's great and we all are in the capital markets to try and earn it and do it. But, you know, God forbid you have a little fun and enjoy what you do for all that time as well.” Thomas Mingo of ArchStar Capital on some of the considerations sellers might make as they move through a process. #StLouis #DealmakersStLouis #selling Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gvrHZZFs