Every person that comes to us looking to get a deal done has a unique story – a different motivation, a different perspective, and a different definition of success. Because of this we don’t provide a cookie-cutter process with an off-the-shelf solution to the problem. Our clients receive a tailored deal process dedicated to the best result first.
That doesn’t mean we make it up from scratch every time a new person walks through the door. It means that we’re guided by best practices and over a decade of experience to craft a course of action that matches your goals. Each company has a best next owner – our goal is to help you find the best next owner for your business or become that best next owner for someone else.
You can find an explanation of our usual buyside process here and our usual sellside process here. But don’t think we’re stuck in the mud on these steps. We’re not afraid to pull a few tricks out of our dealmaking hat – in fact, we prefer it.
We do not comb broker’s lists of businesses for sale or participate in auction processes. Buyers can be confident that their deal flow is proprietary and will drum up conversations with unlisted businesses. Sellers can be assured their business will be confidentially presented to a select range of potential buyers with their legacy at the forefront of our mind.
We’re dedicated to the best result first but knowing how to get there is step one – that’s a tailored deal process.
Here’s an example of how our tailored process played out in a real deal:
ARM was a niche business in the pharmaceutical industry, seeking to advance medical knowledge exchange by pioneering innovative tools and solutions. The founders were proud of the business they had built but felt it had grown beyond their comfort level. A customer was asking to double their business but the founders didn’t feel equipped to add that responsibility. They hoped to stay on for the long term but desired to sell the business to allow that growth to occur.
We worked with this pair of business owners for three years to get the right sale done in the right way. Before a transaction was plausible certain operational and financial benchmarks needed to be met. As we worked through those, the DVS team listened to the founder’s goals to build a list of potential buyers. We conducted confidential outreach to buyers of varying types throughout the country vetted specifically for the needs of ARM. Through this tailored process, the right buyer emerged and happened to be just across the parking lot. Because they provided the most ideal timeline, purchase price, deal structure and capital gains solution ProPharma was chosen as the best acquirer for ARM. Done deal.