At some point, every business owner thinks about an exit - whether that’s selling to a third party, transitioning to the next generation, or bringing in an investor. The key to getting the best valuation isn’t just about revenue or profitability; it’s about building a business that runs smoothly, generates predictable cash flow, and doesn’t rely too much on you.
For many companies, the procurement department and the sales staff might as well speak different languages. After all, one group is busy working with vendors to buy raw materials while the other is working with customers to sell finished product; their job descriptions are so different they would seem to have nothing in common. These differences give the perception that by working together they won’t add much value to the business. In fact, it is these differences that make their collaboration so valuable for their companies.
In a business sale process, the Letter of Intent (LOI) is a non-binding agreement that defines the high-level terms of an offer to acquire a company. LOIs are more detailed than the Indications of Interest (IOI) collected earlier in the sale process.
If you’ve ever tried to wrangle an Excel sheet that resembles a wild rodeo more than a financial report, welcome home. In the second part of this “CFO Talk” double-feature—“Data-Driven Decisions: Unlocking the Power of Analytics in FP&A”—a trio of heavyweights ride into the data, analytics and AI arena to tackle the real questions: Why does our road to data utopia keep winding like a Boston cow path, and why are we all hiding our spreadsheets like contraband snacks? Find the answers to these questions and much more in the CFO Talk.
In a business sale process, a merger and acquisition advisor (M&A advisor) will request an Indication of Interest (IOI) from potential buyers after they’ve had an opportunity to review a Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM). In the world of mergers and acquisitions, an Indication of Interest (IOI) is a way for potential buyers to tell the seller what type of offer they are contemplating. The IOI, along with other information gathered about the buyer, will determine if the buyer will be invited to continue participating in the sale process.
