Mergers and Acquisition Certification: 2026 Owner’s Guide
Home / Guides / Current article Mergers and Acquisition Certification: The Owner’s Guide to Vetting a Certified M&A Advisor and Other Credentials (2026) A mergers and acquisition certification is the single fastest filter a business owner has when hiring a sell-side advisor: the Alliance of M&A Advisors reports roughly 5,000 holders of the CM&AA credential […]
Mergers and Acquisition Process: 10-Phase Guide (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article The Mergers and Acquisition Process: 10 Phases from Strategy to Close (2026) The mergers and acquisition process for a mid-market deal runs ten distinct phases over six to nine months from kickoff to closing, and according to the Capstone Partners 2026 Lower Middle Market Survey, only 50 to 70 […]
Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence Checklist (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence Checklist: 10 Workstreams Buyers Actually Run (2026) A complete mergers and acquisitions due diligence checklist runs across ten parallel workstreams, costs the buyer $50,000 to $300,000 in third-party fees, and takes 30 to 90 days from signed LOI to closing. The SRS Acquiom 2025 […]
The First Step in the Process of Developing a Succession Plan (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article The First Step in the Process of Developing a Succession Plan: Define the Goal and Timeline (2026) The first step in the process of developing a succession plan is to define the goal and the timeline in writing, because every subsequent decision (who to train, what legal structures to […]
A Succession Plan Would Typically Be Developed for Which Position? (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article A Succession Plan Would Typically Be Developed for Which Position? The Roles That Matter Most in 2026 A succession plan would typically be developed for which position depends on company size and ownership structure, but in almost every privately held business the answer starts with the same role: the […]
CEO Succession Plan Sample: Full Template + Real Numbers (2026)
Home / Guides / Current article CEO Succession Plan Sample: Full Template, Timelines, and Real Numbers for a $5M to $50M Business (2026) This CEO succession plan sample is the actual document a privately held business with $5 million to $50 million in revenue should have on file, reviewed annually by the Board chair, signed […]
How to Make a Counter-Offer on Sale of Business (2026 Playbook)
Home / Guides / Current article How to Make a Counter-Offer on Sale of Business: The 10-Lever Playbook (2026) Knowing how to make a counter-offer on sale of business is the difference between accepting the first LOI a buyer puts on the table and walking out of the closing with 20 to 30 percent more […]
What Are the Key Financial Drivers That Cause Merger and Acquisition
Home / Answers / Current article What Are the Key Financial Drivers That Cause Merger and Acquisition Activity (2026 Guide) The short answer to what are the key financial drivers that cause merger and acquisition activity is that eight forces do almost all the work: synergy capture, multiple arbitrage, growth acceleration, market consolidation, capability acquisition, […]
Is the Sale of a Business Reported to the IRS: Forms & Filing (2026)
Home / Answers / Current article Is the Sale of a Business Reported to the IRS: Every Form, Every Deadline (2026) Is the sale of a business reported to the IRS? Yes, and in almost every closing it is reported on at least four separate forms by both the buyer and the seller. Form 8594 […]