In many SMEs, the same scene repeats itself every week. An important customer calls the entrepreneur directly. The most delicate negotiation lands on their desk. An out-of-policy discount needs their approval. The sales team manages the relationship, but when the decision really matters, the founder steps in.
There are companies that work very well, as long as the same person is always present. The founder knows the clients, decides prices, solves production problems, deals with the banks, reads the numbers, manages suppliers and keeps people aligned. Everything works because he or she is there. Always.
For many SMEs, the first acquisition does not begin with a large-scale consolidation plan. It starts much closer to home.
Your company has grown, but it may not have become stronger. This is the paradox faced by many SMEs. More revenue, more clients, more people, more market presence. But also more urgency, more decisions to make, more investments to support and more complexity to manage.
For the third consecutive year, Winnerge is attending AI Week. Not simply as an observer of a technological trend, but as an M&A operator looking at artificial intelligence from the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Preparing to sell a company often begins long before an entrepreneur is ready to make a final decision. There may be no buyer at the table, no advisor appointed and no negotiation underway. There is only a thought that becomes more frequent over time: “At some point in the next few years, I may want to consider selling the company.”
When someone talks to you about the possibility of selling your company, your first reaction may be surprise, irritation or distrust. “Why are they telling me this right now?”
An unsolicited company valuation can influence expectations long before a structured sale process begins. But a number expressed informally rarely reflects the real market value of an SME. This article explains why hearsay value can be misleading and how to build a credible valuation.
The EBITDA in your financial statements is a starting point, not an endpoint. In a structured M&A process, it is analysed and adjusted to arrive at a normalised EBITDA that reflects the real and sustainable profitability of the business.
Someone wants to buy your company. You were not looking for them, they came to you. It is a moment many business owners experience at least once, especially when the company is performing well, has a strong reputation in its sector, and numbers that speak for themselves. It is also a moment where it is easy to make mistakes that are hard to undo.
