The March Group M&A Musings Blog

Thanks for listing these steps, Carl! The marketing process can be very complicated, and hiring a team of professionals is much more effective than trying to go it alone. I look forward to reading more postings on this topic.

There is a great deal to learn from this information. When it comes time to take your company to market, you want to feel confident that you have experts you can depend on every step of the way.

Competitive Advantage is Important to Survive and Thrive  
 
It is a misnomer to believe there are “no qualified buyers to purchase my business at the time I want to sell it.” Or to believe insufficient capital is the main reason companies go out of business.  
 
Too few or no buyers is a symptom. Insufficient capital is a symptom. The cause is a business perceived not to be sufficiently worthwhile. 
 
Not having a good enough plan and/or not following the plan is the underlying cause for most failures (to sell or operate a business). Managers and employees, who do not competently work in the business, are the second most common reason for most businesses failures (to sell or operate).  
 
• Achieving competitive advantage is a primary goal of business planning and management. 
 
• Competitive advantage is important whether times are good or bad.  
 
• Competitive advantage and differentiation are especially important when a company is at risk, wants to grow or achieve an M&A done deal.  
 
• Competitive advantage is the superior position a company occupies relative to other companies within its industry. The strongest competitive advantages extend beyond the company’s industry.  
 
• Competitive advantage is achieved by creating and exploiting the company’s unique mix of activities, resources, costs, relationships and operating characteristics (which include its brand). These are a few of the ingredients that can differentiate the company from other companies.  
 
There are numerous measures of competitive advantage. One of them is the degree to which customers patronize a company instead of its competition. Another measure is the degree to which, in comparison to its competition, a company attracts and retains the best employees. The bottom line is the degree to which the company maximizes its return on investment; this includes profitability and sustainability above the industry average.  
 
Make sure, when you are preparing for sale and then going to market, that your offering prospectus showcases your competitive advantage(s). Use the ideas above as a framework to showcase your competitive advantage(s). If you don’t have competitive advantages, get them or settle for not getting what you want out of your company. 
 
Do you know that of the 100 largest U.S. companies in 1917, no more than 15 are surviving today? The survivors have a competitive advantage. 
 

Any successful entrepreneur or CEO finds a Way where there is a Will.  
 
Marketing creates the Will with the right product at the right time delivered with integrity creating credibility; see Apple Computers.

This provides a good starting point for someone starting to market their company. Obviously this can be a daunting task, with more than several things to consider.

I found this article by chance. Very helpful advice indeed (also in the last comment I want to add). Since I founded my company in 2007 I'm constantly learning something new about marketing and presentation. I learned that finding the right buyer(s) has a lot to do with salesmanship, and since I'm a very passionate and spontaneous person you're probably right saying that I should hire professionals for this job. To find the right format and frame for my particular needs and products has been a challenge, but this page here helps reaching a decision and taking a further step on the way! So, thanks!

This is great! Thanks for this tips. 
It will help me a lot.

I am an entrepreneur and I know how hard it is to market a business. I liked each suggestion, but one of my favorite’s were “Write a Confidential Business Profile and a Confidential Business Review” because it is very important to make sure everyone is aware of who you are and what your business is. Another favorite was “Repeat Marketing Efforts” just because this is 100% true. In order to see results, you must continuously work very hard. I don’t know any business that has just sat around and instantly got customers. Everyday is an opportunity for business, so there may be more than several rounds if you really think about it. There should defiantly be time set aside each day for marketing if it can’t be done 24/7. I look forward in reading each step discussed in greater detail.