Creating an Acquisition Strategy: An entrepreneur's guide to pre-acquisition processes

Creating an Acquisition Strategy: An entrepreneur’s guide to pre-acquisition processes.

This Kindle book of 155 pages sets out a systematic and pragmatic process for identifying, evaluating, valuing and financing financial and strategic acquisitions. Dr. McKaskill draws extensively on his own experience as a CPA, entrepreneur and academic as well as his personal experience with acquisitions and the sale of his businesses. His approach brings a systematic and comprehensive approach to growing the business through acquisitions.

Most acquisitions fail to achieve their objectives or to return positive shareholder value. Companies enter into acquisition discussions with little preparation for evaluating the potential acquisition or for managing the newly acquired business after the deal is done. Where there are major cultural differences, these are not adequately recognised during the initial discussions with the vendor and are often badly handled during the integration activity. However, with advance preparation these problems can be overcome.

Successful acquirers carefully screen potential acquisitions to ensure that they fit with long term company strategy, proper due diligence is undertaken to assess their worth and adequate attention is given to the task of integration. Entrepreneurs intent on growing their businesses through acquisitions need to develop capability and capacity in acquisitions management in order to successfully harvest the benefits of buying businesses.

This book sets out to show entrepreneurs how they can become acquisition ready:
• Common reasons for acquisition failure and how to avoid them
• The various types of acquisitions and how they should be evaluated
• The difference between financial acquisitions and strategic acquisitions
• How to mange international acquisitions
• The various sources of finance for acquisitions
• How to structure the acquisition deal
• The role of professional advisors

The book has been structured into twelve chapters:

CHAPTER ONE - Introduction
CHAPTER TWO - Organic Growth vs Growth by Acquisition
CHAPTER THREE - Types of Acquisitions
CHAPTER FOUR - Failures From Pre-Acquisition Processes
CHAPTER FIVE - Developing an Acquisition Strategy
CHAPTER SIX - Evaluating Financial Acquisitions
CHAPTER SEVEN - Evaluating Strategic Acquisitions
CHAPTER EIGHT - Finalising the Deal
CHAPTER NINE - Financing the Acquisition
CHAPTER TEN - Using Advisers and Professional Services Firms
CHAPTER ELEVEN - International Acquisitions
CHAPTER TWELVE - Conclusion

Dr. McKaskill has extensive practical experience as an entrepreneur and uses this hands-on knowledge to ensure that his books are directed towards the practicing entrepreneur with highly pragmatic advice. Because of his extensive academic qualifications, he is able to relate theory to practice in a manner which brings insights into everyday problems faced by entrepreneurs.

Dr. Tom McKaskill:

Global serial entrepreneur, educator, author and angel investor, Dr McKaskill is an authority on how entrepreneurs’ start, develop and harvest their ventures. He is the world’s expert on exit strategies for high growth enterprises. His experience includes multiple start-ups in the UK and USA, raising venture capital twice, undertaking two acquisitions and strategic trade sales of three businesses.

Dr. McKaskill has qualifications in Economics, Accounting, Marketing and Manufacturing. Recently retired from the Richard Pratt Chair in Entrepreneurship at the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Dr. McKaskill is the author of 14 books covering such topics as new venture growth, raising venture capital, selling a business, acquisitions strategy and angel investing.

www.tommckaskill.com