Six reasons why mergers can be a good strategy? What is a merger between two firms? A merger is referred to as a financial operation in which two companies join each other and continue business operations as one legal entity. Generally, mergers can be divided into five different categories: Vertical merger: Merging companies operate along the same supply chain line. A note for this mergers and acquisitions strategy is that the type of merger selected by a company primarily depends on the motives and objectives of the companies participating in a deal.
What are the Different Motives for Mergers? Companies pursue mergers and acquisitions for several reasons. The most common motives for mergers are: Economies of Scope: Mergers and acquisitions bring economies of scope that aren’t always possible through organic growth. One only has to look at Facebook to see that this is the case. Despite providing users with the ability to share photos and contact friends within its platform, it still acquired Instagram and Whatsapp. Economies of scope thus allow companies to tap into the demand of a much larger client base.
Synergies are typically described as ‘one plus one equalling three’: the value that comes from two companies working together in tandem to make something far more powerful. An example is provided by Disney acquiring Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm was already a huge cash generator through the Star Wars franchise, but Disney can add theme park rides, toys and merchandise to the customer offering. Revenue synergies: Synergies that primarily improve the company’s revenue-generating ability. For example, market expansion, production diversification, and R&D activities are only a few factors that can create revenue synergies. Cost synergies: Synergies that reduce the company’s cost structure. Generally, a successful merger may result in economies of scale, access to new technologies, and even elimination of certain costs. All these events may improve the cost structure of a company.
Tax purposes: If a company generates significant taxable income, it can merge with a company with substantial carry forward tax losses. After the merger, the total tax liability of the consolidated company will be much lower than the tax liability of the independent company. Access to Talent: Ask anybody in the recruitment industry where the biggest talent shortages currently are, and the answer will invariably be a variant of ‘people that can code’. Why is this? Firstly, because of the huge demand for coders in the so-called fourth industrial revolution. But also because all of the best coders are working for large silicon valley technology companies. The biggest always have access to the best talent. That’s as true for every other industry as it is for technology.
Incentives for managers: Sometimes, mergers are primarily motivated by the personal interests and goals of the top management of a company. For example, a company created as a result of a merger guarantees more power and prestige that can be viewed favorably by managers. Such a motive can also be reinforced by the managers’ ego, as well as his or her intention to build the biggest company in the industry in terms of size. Such a phenomenon can be referred to as “empire building,” which happens when the managers of a company start favoring the size of a company more than its actual performance.
High value mergers and acquisitions (M&A) tend to get the biggest headlines in newspapers, but research indicates that executives should be paying attention to all the smaller deals, too. These smaller transactions, when pursued as part of a deliberate and systematic M&A program, tend to yield strong returns over the long run with comparatively low risk. And, based on Mordecai Gal‘s research, companies’ ability to successfully manage these deals can be a central factor in their ability to withstand economic shocks. The execution of such a programmatic M&A strategy is not easy, however.
Know what strategic outcomes you ultimately want from engaging in M&A and consider the implications for both the buyer and seller. Is your goal to enter a new end market? Are you purchasing customers or contacts to geographically expand? To stay focused, always come back to how you answered the first three questions as you consider opportunities. Developing an M&A strategy requires knowing what makes your business successful now and what acquisitions can add to make the business even better in the future. It will help you clearly define the value proposition for both the buyer and the seller, as well as the value drivers that should guide acquisition decisions.
Why Mergers and Acquisitions Fail? There are many reasons so let’s discuss some of them: Overextending : ‘Bolt on’ mergers and acquisitions when target companies which are small in size relative to the acquiring company – are usually considered to be the best type of transactions. One of the main strands of thought behind this is that they don’t require as many resources to be acquired or to be integrated. At the other side of this equation, are those transactions that require significant resources on the part of the acquiring firm. Loading up on debt to acquire any firm creates a pressure from day one to cut costs – never a good start for a deal, and often the beginning of the end.
With a world-class management team and acquisition capital, AccessHeat Inc. is a uniquely positioned consolidation consortium ready to invest in your tech company. As a tech consolidation firm, we look for organizations that are working to push the limits and move into a space of exponential growth through the blending and reorganization of existing operations of the same business type. Our proven methodology focuses on producing financially robust outcomes for all parties involved in the consolidation process. Business owners who are looking for a profitable handoff and equitable transfer of ownership find peace of mind with our consultative methodology, knowing that the business they spent generations tirelessly building from the ground up is being moved to experienced and capable hands. Our strategic investment strategy makes us different than Private Equity Firms or Venture Capital Firms. We work to restructure and optimize all the components of your business that offer an opportunity for increased profitability various synergies.
