​STRATEGIC ADVISORY
The Overcrest team is experienced in the evaluation and development of inorganic growth strategies and can assist with a broad range of strategic growth-related issues. Whether you require assistance with a strategic portfolio review, a sum-of-the-parts analysis, an assessment of strategic alternatives, or an opinion as to the timing and other conditions relating to a potential acquisition or sale - our team is well-prepared to help.  
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MARKET READINESS PROGRAMS
Deal success can often require significant changes in a company’s processes and organization – even small deals can stress your organization. The Overcrest team provides Market Readiness Programs to help companies to identify critical opportunities and weaknesses, and plan for organizational, process and business improvements before embarking on an acquisition, consolidation program, divestiture or sale. Companies who address these opportunities and “pain points” proactively – before they become stumbling points during a deal - enhance the worth of their businesses, build valuable deal process advantages and achieve better deal outcomes.

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Market-Ready Seller™ Services -
​Helping You to Prepare for the Sale of a Business

Many business sellers have reported that they should have planned better for their sale processes.  A Market-Ready Seller™ is one who does his or her homework long before a potential deal appears on the horizon. Consequently, when a deal opportunity does knock – whether through an unsolicited approach or a seller-initiated process – the Market Ready Seller™ is prepared to embark on the journey with a high level of confidence, process awareness, and the correct alignment of resources to meet the demands of the process.  
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The Overcrest team knows from deep experience what “Market Ready” looks like. We can help you to evaluate the readiness of your organization and assist you in developing clear action plans to address any opportunities and deficiencies identified. In some respects, our approach to market readiness is akin to a dress rehearsal for the sale – we work with your internal team and external advisors (lawyers, accountants, tax and financial advisors) to assess the business as if we were initiating the sale process today.  

Depending upon your objectives, needs and experience as a business seller, we will tailor a program to address any or all of the following:  ​

Building Situational Awareness

• M&A Process Education and Best Practices (What does the deal process look like? What can I expect at each step of the process?  How can I prepare?)

Timing Considerations (Is it a good time to sell? Is it the right time? Alternatives to sale?)

• Owner Objectives
• Tax Planning Considerations
• Market Conditions
• Business Position, Performance, Plans and Prospects (Is your house in order organically?)

​Business Risk Profile – risk mitigation planning

• Reduction of risk in the business increases value and probability of successful sale

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Preliminary Seller Financial and Legal Diligence

• Ensure that your financial and legal house is in order
• Prepare for buyer diligence requests

​Indicative valuation

​​Organizational Considerations

• Leadership, Talent and Cultural assessment
• Aligning leadership capabilities and culture with strategic growth plans

• ​Preparing the team for the uncertainties of being acquired and leading successfully through the period of heavy process demands and subsequent organizational change in order to maximize the value of the business
  • Retention plans for key players

​M&A Capabilities

• Developing internal and external deal resources
  • Process training
  • Building relationships with lawyers, tax advisors and other consultants with M&A expertise
• Developing and implementing processes and tools – strong stage gate process supported by a robust tool set
• Governance – establishing clear decision rights, approval processes and operating authorities in contemplation of making timely, efficient and sound decisions throughout the deal process​

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Market-Ready Buyer™ Services -
​Helping You to Prepare Your Company to Make Acquisitions 

The Overcrest team is experienced in the successful development and execution of corporate M&A programs and building related capabilities – we know what “Market Ready” looks like. We can help you to evaluate the readiness of your organization to make acquisitions and assist you in developing clear action plans to address any opportunities and deficiencies identified. We work with you and your internal team and external advisors (lawyers, accountants, tax and financial advisors) to evaluate your business’s preparedness to successfully identify, source, diligence, close and integrate the right acquisitions. 

The specific organizational challenges that companies encounter as they accelerate growth through acquisitions and other inorganic means will differ according to their growth strategies, volume and complexity of deals.  By preparing for these challenges early, your company can become a Market Ready Buyer™, improving the odds that inorganic growth plans will succeed—while reducing the risks and challenges to a successful execution. 

Whether contemplating a single acquisition or a broader acquisition program, the Market Ready Buyer™ possesses the following success attributes:

• Strong organic foundation (a solid and well-articulated strategic growth plan, the right team, organization and capabilities to support the plan, and good organic business performance against the plan)
• Situational awareness, including fluency with M&A process dynamics
• Understanding of what types of deals the company wants to do and what types of deals that the organization has the knowledge and experience to execute well (alignment with strategy, traditional operating/cultural norms, strengths, capabilities and experience)
• A governance structure that is suited to the volume and complexity of decision-making required to execute the growth plan, supported by robust processes and tools to ensure alignment with strategy

 Depending upon your objectives, needs and experience as an acquirer, we will tailor a program to address any or all of the following: ​

Building Situational Awareness

• M&A Process Education and Best Practices (What does the deal process look like? What can I expect at each step of the process?  How can I prepare?)
• Timing Considerations (Is it a good time to buy? Alternatives to acquisition?)
  • Owner Objectives
  • Tax planning considerations
  • Market Conditions

Organic Foundation - Business Position, Performance, Plans and Prospects

​Organizational Considerations

• Leadership, Talent and Cultural assessment
  • Do key employees possess the skills needed to successfully handle the additional complexity and demands form inorganic growth?
  • Aligning leadership capabilities and culture with strategic growth plans - Will the culture and traditional norms and leadership roles that allow work to get done currently function well in a larger more complex environment? 
  • Anticipating and preparing the team for shifts in leadership requirements that will come about through acquisitions
    • Potential for new interactions and processes requiring a faster “clock speed”,  the ability to form new connections and flexibility and initiative to take on new and varied responsibility
    • Leading through organizational changes during integration in order to maximize the value of the business.

​Business Processes

• Are your processes scalable? Identify which processes will come under stress due to acquisition growth and formulate approaches to address the gaps

​M&A Capabilities

• Developing internal and external deal resources
  • Process training
  • Building relationships with lawyers, tax advisors and other consultants with M&A expertise
• Governance – establishing clear decision rights, approval processes and operating authorities in contemplation of making timely, efficient and sound decisions throughout the deal process
• Developing and implementing processes and tools covering the full spectrum of deal activity (from identification and sourcing through post-closing integration) to ensure strong alignment with strategy and governance structure and provide clear deal ownership, disciplined diligence and transaction execution and efficient and timely integration – on a consistent and repeatable basis 
  • Strong stage gate process supported by a robust “M&A playbook” and tool set ​

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