Entrepreneur

For many entrepreneurs selling their own company is often an emotional decision taken after many years of careful consideration about do’s and don’ts. Many questions surface and seek for adequate answers, not in the least at what price, according to which modalities, to which type of buyer, under which terms of guarantee, ...

In addition, as a business owner, it is difficult, often impossible, to complete this transaction alone. M&A is a rollercoaster ride, with ups and downs at every turn, because a deal that you think is completed one day is likely to fall apart the next day.

Despite the frustrations of mergers and acquisitions, emotions need to be kept under control.

Therefore, the process calls for a passionate advisor, someone who has gone through the process earlier and can guide you to optimal closure, including the negotiation of the best price for you.

This is precisely where Capitalize offers added value through its many years of experience in this field. Together with the selling entrepreneur, we put ourselves in the same boat fully aligning both our interests.

As much as possible Capitalize relieves the entrepreneur of a considerable burden and guides him through the tangles of valuation, sales prospectus, search for a buyer, price negotiations, contract negotiations, ... The potential buyer is often local, but if indicated or desired also international. The partners of Capitalize have years of experience in transactions with strategic buyers or funds outside our national borders.

Capitalize helps to coordinate the work of accountants, lawyers, auditors, the notaries public and advisors of the buyer to ultimately achieve a successful transaction with clear added value for the selling entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur whose business grows organically can also decide to expand more quickly externally. The aim is to realize one or more acquisitions and to derive the associated economies of scale and efficiencies.

Taking into account the specific criteria of the buyer, Capitalize will look for attractive acquisition targets at home and abroad.

Naturally, our services are aimed at giving the customer total peace of mind regarding all aspects of the acquisition process so that they can continue to focus on day-to-day operations while the Capitalize team handles the transaction in full.

If required, we can assist to find the most appropriate financing structure for the takeover and to look for the ideal funding mix. Refinancing of existing debt or raising additional capital from new investors are possibilities that can be looked at simultaneously. See also Special Transactions.

By this we mean custom transactions tailored to serve a multitude of motives:

MBO (Management Buy Out): A management buyout (MBO) is a form of acquisition in which a company's existing managers acquire a large part, or all, of the company. Capitalize guides the transaction from valuation, through transaction structuring to legal and tax settlement (in cooperation with legal and tax advisors of the management).

MBI (Management Buy In): A management buy-in (MBI) occurs when a manager or a management team from outside the company raises the necessary finance, buys it, and becomes the company's new management.

OBO (Owner Buy Out): is a common transaction in recent years composed of a buy out of the entire company via a newly formed holding company using a total or partial contribution from the founders (from proceeds of the sale), leverage with little or no dilutive effect (bank debt, mezzanine financing, etc.), and additional equity provided by a new financial investor(s).

There are countless advantages: the entrepreneur has a substantial net sum left over from the transaction and - if desired - can simply continue to manage the company on a daily basis ... to enjoy the newly created added value again in a subsequent transaction.

One of the above transactions (or a combination thereof) is often used by Capitalize for family succession issues.

Business growth comes at a cost. Every entrepreneur knows that.

If the working capital cannot keep up with a very rapid growth in turnover, specific solutions must be provided and worked out.

But sometimes it also takes some financial help to pay for expansion in real estate, machines or fleet.

And in certain cases a setback must be bridged ...

Capitalize can come up with solutions given its extensive network of bankers, (semi-) government institutions and private investors. Depending on the specific business context, both equity and debt (mezzanine or senior) finance can be discussed.

Sometimes an entrepreneur looks for a second opinion about a financial decision.

Or a yields analysis of an imminent investment ...

But also a valuation of his own company or that of a target acquisition company ...

An optimization calculation and subsequent rescheduling of the debt portfolio ...

Usually also preparing the company for sale within 6 or 12 months ...

In all of the above, Capitalize can act as the “trusted advisor” of the entrepreneur concerned. We closely work with management and shareholders on various scenarios and help make often difficult decisions.