Challenges Involved in Small Business Mergers and Acquisitions
(I engaged Li Ou, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, to help research and write this article.)
Every acquisition/merger is different in terms of purposes. The motivations for a business seller are often very different than the motivations of a potential buyer.
No matter what the motivating reason is, the proper execution of any deal always starts and ends with strategy. No one ever plans to enter into a bad deal. Yet, many well-intentioned entrepreneurs and executives enter into acquisitions that they later regret.
Acquisition/merger is a special blend of art and science. While no two deals are identical, there are some essential components for executing a successful acquisition. In this article, we will discuss key challenges in each step of acquisition for both sellers and acquirers.
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Employee Engagement
Business owners and leaders - what motivates your staff? How engaged are they in your business?
According to Gallup Organizational Survey data from 2014 representing over 2.4 million US employees:
31.5% are FULLY ENGAGED and passionate about your company
51% are NOT ENGAGED, are sleep-walking through their day and only putting in their time
17.5% are ACTIVELY DIS-ENGAGED and undermining the work of others
And get this - the fully engaged number is an improvement over previous years! So an astonishing 2/3 of employees are not performing to their potential (possibly due to their work ethic or barriers presented by the company) or are actively working against the organization's mission and goals. Less than 1/3 of employees are motivated to buy into the mission, vision, values, goals and objectives of their organizations.
What would ratios like this do to your business? What would the effects be on your sales, customers, suppliers organizational performance, brand and reputation?
So here's an assignment for you:
Ask yourself what motivates you as the business leader
Ask staff what motivates them
Analyze their responses for trends, surprises
Assess how much overlap you find with your own motivations
" An entrepreneur is someone who will work 16 hours a day just to avoid working 8 hours a day for someone else."
Anonymous
From My Clients ......
"Mark was great to work with. He is patient, perceptive, and a good listener...qualities that are sometimes hard to come by. I enjoyed working with Mark and would recommend his services."
Executive Director Minnesota County Attorneys Assn. St. Paul, MN
Upcoming Articles
Mergers and Acquisitions Strategic Planning
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