Top 5 criteria to acquire a business

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by an investor from McGill University
in Toronto, ON, Canada

2yrs ago

Top 5 criteria to acquire a business

Hey guys, I recently joined this forum. I'm excited to be a part of this fantastic community!

To all you buyers out there, I'm eager to hear about your strategies and insights when it comes to acquiring businesses. Specifically, what are your top 5 criteria for evaluating potential acquisitions? Additionally, I'm curious to know about the key challenges you typically face in your search process

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reply by a searcher 2yrs ago
from Harvard University in Piedmont, CA, USA

This is from the perspective of a traditional searcher: 1) is the industry poised for significant growth in the next 5-10 years? 2) does the company have high quality revenue? 3) does the company have a track record of growth? 4) does the company have low capital requirements to grow? 5) is the seller ethical and reasonable?

reply by a searcher 2yrs ago
from Loughborough University in Nottingham, UK

For me the key is that it is a business I understand and can add value to. If both are true then run the finances and if everyone can make a good return then things are good. Next up would be trying to understand the company culture and seeing whether you can fit into that. Finally, does it feel right, would I get excited to come to work here everyday, but make sure this is the last point not the first point on the list.