So you’ve decided to sell your agency – now what? Here is your Acquisition Checklist to guide the next steps in your plan before formally listing your agency for sale.
Your Acquisition Checklist
1. Define Your Motivation For Selling Your Agency
Diving into the narrative behind why you are selling your agency will help set your roadmap for success when embarking on an acquisition journey. Questions to consider:
- Ideally, what does post-transaction life look like for me? – Do you want to fully exit the business and retire to a small beach town, or are you seeking a new opportunity with a strategic partner who has more resources to take your agency to the next level?
- How long of a transition period am I willing to stick around for? – You’ve built your agency to the amazing success it is today making you the top asset in the organization. How long, and in what capacity, are you willing to stick around to help facilitate transitions for your clients, talent, and processes?
Well-defined motivation for selling helps your dedicated Deal Team during buyer vetting to identify buyers whose acquisition intentions align best with your goals.
2. Prepare Your Financials Documents
The first step in taking your business to market is determining the Total Enterprise Value of your agency by going through the valuation process. Agency valuations are determined by both quantitative (financial) and qualitative (intangibles) factors – with the financials at the core of the equation. Documents you should have cleaned, prepped, and checked include, but are not limited to:
- Monthly P&Ls for the last 3 years
- Projections for the upcoming fiscal year
- Balance Sheets for the last 3 years
- Annual Sales by Customer Reports for the last 3 years
- Monthly Sales by Customer Report for the last closed fiscal year
- Team Roles, Compensation, Tenure & Location Report
Preparing your financials ahead of time will help guide strategic decision-making and support a smooth transition when you’re ready to exit your agency. If you need help getting your books in order, it might be time to consider engaging a Fractional CFO.
3. Identify Your M&A Support Team
Going through an acquisition is a significant undertaking – if you manage the process all on your own. Having the right experts on your team protects your agency from disruption of day-to-day operations which could lead to financial downturn or cause suspicions among your staff. It’s important to do your own due diligence and identify the M&A advisory team that:
- Understands the Agency Space: Digital agencies are not valued the same as traditional companies. You need to find an advisor who understands the value of a service based, asset lite business model to ensure you receive the most accurate valuation.
- Has Established Buyer Relationships: Let’s face it – business transactions are all about relationship-building. You need an advisor who knows the key buyers interested in your agency type to accelerate your acquisition timeline and ensure you’re connected with buyers who are not only a great financial fit, but have cultural alignment as well.
- You Have Synergy With: Going through an acquisition is a big commitment both financially and emotionally. Throughout the process you will be in constant communication with your advisory so it’s important to have a great relationship! You need someone who understands the ups and downs of selling an agency and is here to provide you with as much personal support as they are business support.
An acquisition is an exciting opportunity to launch your agency, and you personally, into the next phase of your life! There is no time too early to begin preparing to make your dream exit a reality. This Acquisition Checklist is just the start – connect with our team to learn more about best practices to prepare your agency for a sale.
