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RESOURCES FOR ACQUIRERS

Prepared buyers.
Better processes.

Guidance for understanding opportunities, confidentiality, diligence, and the expectations of a lower middle market acquisition process.

Explore the Buyer Guide ↗ Current opportunities ↗

Buyer guide

How to engage well in a lower middle market process.

Owners choose buyers as carefully as buyers choose businesses. These are the expectations that keep a process moving.

Respect the NDA, and the people behind it.

Owners share sensitive information only when they trust the process. Discretion with employees, customers, and suppliers is non-negotiable.

  • No contact with employees, customers, or suppliers without approval
  • Information used only to evaluate the opportunity
  • Materials returned or destroyed if you step away

Arrive ready to move.

Sellers favor buyers who can show capacity, clarity, and a credible plan from the first conversation.

  • A clear investment thesis and decision process
  • Evidence of financing or available capital
  • A diligence team ready to engage
  • A realistic view of timing and approvals

Value is more than the headline number.

Structure, certainty, and fit all matter to an owner. Strong letters of intent are specific and easy to compare.

  • Price, and how it is paid
  • Treatment of working capital and debt
  • Conditions, exclusivity, and timeline
  • Plans for management and employees

Keep momentum through the finish line.

Diligence should confirm value, not reopen the deal. Focused requests and steady communication protect both sides.

  • Prioritized, well-organized request lists
  • Regular check-ins on open items
  • Early flagging of any concerns
  • Coordinated legal and financial advisors

Know the competition

How other buyers will see the same business.

Strategic buyers

Value from fit

  • Synergies with existing operations
  • Access to new customers, markets, or capabilities
  • Often able to pay for integration benefits
  • Integration plans shape the offer

Financial buyers

Value from growth

  • Focus on cash flow and return on investment
  • Management continuity is often essential
  • Structures may include rollover equity
  • Add-on acquisitions can build on a platform

Before you engage

A buyer’s readiness checklist.

  • Defined thesisThe strategic or financial logic behind the acquisition.
  • Capital in placeCommitted funds or a clear financing path.
  • Decision authorityWho approves an offer, and how quickly.
  • Diligence teamAccounting, legal, and industry advisors lined up.
  • Operating planHow the business will be run after closing.
  • Realistic timingA timeline that respects the owner’s needs.

Opportunities

See what is available.

Anonymous summaries of selected lower middle market opportunities.

Current opportunities ↗

Your mandate

Tell us what fits.

Share your criteria so relevant situations reach you first.

Acquisition criteria ↗