[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] There's Always Room for Growth When wide-format printing digital color printing systems were first introduced, technology companies and analysts boldly predicted that wide-format digital printing would have a profound impact on many types and sizes of businesses. As digital printing systems have proliferated and become more powerful, many of...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Digital Communication with a Human Touch Through the digital transformation of print production, business owners have created value for their customers faster turnaround, special effects, personalization, and shorter runs. Can the digital transformation of the sales process also create value in terms of growth? It’s possible. Gartner research suggests...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] We Work With Both Sides of the M&A Deal The LaManna Consulting Group helps business owners understand what private-equity groups look for when seeking acquisition targets. We want business owners to be prepared so well-suited deals can go smoothly and be win-win propositions for both sellers and buyers. But...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Yeah, But -- How Does This Affect Me? The macroeconomic trends that affect the big dealmakers don’t always affect opportunities for small to middle-market businesses. Even so, instability and uncertainty in the economy influence the psychology of both business buyers and sellers. The Big Picture View According to an...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Seller’s fatigue is a condition in which a business owner becomes emotionally exhausted and frustrated during the process of negotiating the sale of his or her business. When the conditions of the deal seem to be constantly changing or the same points keep getting re-negotiated, the seller may start questioning...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Case Study: A Family Business Deal Goes Wrong Most case studies are success stories. And for a while, I thought this story was going to be one of them. Unfortunately, this deal failed to cross the finish line. Instead of using real names, I will simply outline the events...
Bain & Company recently surveyed 281 M&A executives for their fourth annual M&A report. Here’s a quick overview of some of the findings that caught my eye: 2021 Valuations Set a Record According to the report, “The year 2021 was a record-breaking year for M&A deal valuations as corporate dealmakers...
Yes, I am a consultant. But I’m a sales guy by heart. Not one of those overbearing, sleazy types that give all salespeople a bad reputation. My modus operandi is to use ethics and strategy to cultivate business relationships over time. Adding significance in value and excellence matters to me....
Buying or selling a business isn’t just about the money. It also affects the futures of employees and their families and the reputations and legacies of the dealmakers. At LaManna Consulting Group, we advise business owners that the M&A deals that are most successful over the long term start with...
In a Goldman Sachs podcast “What’s Next for M&A,” Stephan Feldgoise and Mark Sorrell observed that in 2021, there was a remarkably broad and consistent surge in M&A activity. Unlike previous years in which geopolitical blips interrupted dealmaking, a steady stream of deals were announced throughout 2021. They are cautiously...
Like many print-industry pros, I followed the bidding war that broke out in Q4 2021 when two private equity groups submitted competing proposals to acquire R.R. Donnelley. In a series of press releases that Chatham Asset Management and RRD issued from October 12 through mid-December 14, we learned about the...
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The value an expert brings is worth tenfold the cost “Why do I need to hire an M&A consultant when I am ready to sell my business? It seems like an extra expense that will cut into my proceeds from the sale.” Even if a potential client doesn’t ask...
To sell businesses in the new world of M&A, one must plan strategically and be ready to move quickly. As the seller, being proactive will help you be prepared for fast-moving world of M&A. You'll project the attitude of cool strength and confidence that will successfully get you through introductions,...
Coming Together As One Before a deal closes, your acquisition team should already be thinking about how the two companies might work together. This includes developing plans to align the cultures of the two companies and making the most of the first 100 days after the sale. As author Stephen...
Achieving the Right Deal Flow Achieving the right deal flow is all about maximizing the value of your time and minimizing the risk of mistakes. That seems obvious. But it’s harder than it looks. While data analysis is a critical part of the process, humans ultimately decide which targets to...
Taking the Proactive Route According to a report by McKinsey Digital, corporate venture capital (CVC) organizations participated in about 25% of all venture-capital fundraising in 2019. McKinsey analysts report that about 75% of Fortune 500 companies now have start-up accelerators, incubators, or CVC funds (or all three). Corporations invest in...
There's a Right Way to Do It The decision to close a business is never easy. Unlike the hope and optimism that comes with starting, buying, or growing a business, closing a business feels like surrendering. It seems like an admission of mistakes, such as bad timing, failure to evolve,...
Going Green Is Catching On The impact of sustainability on M&A analysis will be the focus of a presentation and panel discussion at The AWAVirtual™ Mergers & Acquisitions Executive Forum 2021 for the resin and fiber-based packaging, coating, and converting sector on June 7. The topic caught my eye because...
Insights from an Industry Expert Economist and certified management consultant Vincent Mallardi is the gold standard source of data and insights about where different segments of the printing industry are going. For more than 36 years, Mallardi has chaired the Printing Brokerage/Buyers Association International (PBBA). In this role, he oversees...
Evaluating Management Talent During Due Diligence Guest Post: Katy Mitchell How do you evaluate management talent in your due diligence process? Is it systematic and objective or do you tend to evaluate on “gut feel?” Evaluating hard skills, education and experience can be relatively straightforward. However, those skills only account...
Understanding a business seller’s motivations Rapid changes in technologies, markets, and economic conditions complicate your quest to find deals that will meet measurable strategic objectives over the next 3 to 5 years. But some things change more slowly. For example, the top reasons print business owners sell their businesses seldom...
In Theory vs Actual Reality A steady flow of proprietary deals sounds great—there are no competing bidders, right off the bat. However, anyone who has ever worked through a proprietary deal knows that it's never completely smooth sailing. [bctt tweet="Building a steady flow of proprietary deals sounds good, but you...
The 2020 Global Health Pandemic Brought Radical Change The 2020 pandemic shook up all types of businesses, including private equity groups seeking to grow through strategic acquisitions. Here's a quick roundup of how Covid-19 changed the M&A landscape in 2020 and a few changes to expect in 2021. Effects of...
Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, has released a report on The Future of Print to 2030. The report takes into account the disruptions that the Covid-19 pandemic caused in 2020. [caption id="attachment_882" align="alignleft" width="844"] Snippet of the Infographic: Future of print in a post-covid...
Avoid These Deal Killers by Understanding How Aging Entrepreneurs Think It’s an unfortunate truth: Some potentially promising acquisitions fall apart before the deal is finalized. Sometimes, the owner flatly rejects a solid offer before negotiations even begin. Or the owner gets cold feet in the middle of the process. These...
2020 reminded everyone that business-altering disruptions can occur without warning The most important lesson print business owners learned in 2020 is that inertia in 2021 is not an option. When orders, revenues, and profits are all rising, it’s natural to want to keep things exactly as they are. But 2020...
Trust Matters in M&A Maintaining a trustworthy reputation is critical to building a network of relationships that lead to serious buying opportunities. Many successful entrepreneurs who seek buyers seem to shy away from investment groups that seem too intimidating. Some worry that buyers will take advantage of them by cutting...
Being Informed is the Best Way to Ensure a Good Match Many business owners I advise about selling their companies come from printing backgrounds. That doesn’t mean they still think of themselves as “printers.” Not at all. Today, they may describe their companies as a “marketing services provider,” or “visual...
The Key to Success Is In The Details At first glance, press releases announcing printing business acquisitions seem dry and verbose. But by extracting key details from the news releases, you can learn more about why some deals reach the finish line. Printing-related M&A news also shows print-business owners how...
Understanding the Seller Can Help Facilitate a Smoother Transaction Many companies up for sale in 2021 will be family-owned businesses. Entrepreneurs who founded or took over family-run businesses 30 or 40 years ago are feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of changes their businesses face today. The problem is that most...
There's a better way Finding the best acquisition targets for your company shouldn’t be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Instead of buying mailing lists and making cold calls, you can improve your deal flow management by working with a sell-side advisor within a targeted industry. As a...
What I Learned First-Hand About Buying a Printing Businesses I had no idea what was in store when I began trying to purchase Vomela Specialty Company from my father in 1985. Little did I know how many twists and turns would occur during what we first thought would be a...
I haven't always been the Deal Flow Guy [caption id="attachment_7149" align="alignright" width="300"] Rock LaManna was part of the first generation of print-business owners to adopt digital methods of printing, converting, and job management.[/caption] In the previous post, I discussed 7 things you should know about the digital transformation of the...
7 Facts You Should Know If you think the printing business is dying, think again. Although newspaper and magazine publishing has declined, ongoing improvements in digital printing technologies since the 1980s and 1990s have enabled creative entrepreneurs to create dozens of new types of businesses. Here are seven things you...
Why Label Printing Company Owners Are Reluctant to Sell At an M&A Forum sponsored by AWA (Alexander Watson Associates), heavy hitters from various segments of the pressure-sensitive materials industry gathered to discuss trends in mergers and acquisitions. After my presentation (“The Ultimate Merger: Wall Street Meets Main Street”) a representative...