Why should I use an M&A advisor such as FE International?
Working with an advisor will help you maximize the value of your business ahead of and during a sale. M&A advisors house a wealth of experience, knowledge and data which will ensure that your exit goals are met. A reputable advisor will:
- Help you maximize the value of your business ahead of a sale
- Offer invaluable advice before, during and after the sale process
- Find the right buyers for your business
- Protect your interests by leading the legal process
- Support and guide you through the acquisition execution and any post-sale obligations
- Adhere to industry standards/services (IBBA, NACVA, Escrow, etc.)
Why is FE International better than other advisors?
FE International provides award-winning M&A advisory services for mid-market SaaS, E-Commerce and Content businesses. The company has become the pre-eminent adviser and valuation thought-leader in the industry. FE offers comprehensive exit planning services, as well as direct access to an established network of pre-qualified international investors to drive demand and maximize value for the clients it represents.
The team is comprised of professionals from investment banking, strategy consulting as well as online entrepreneurs, all of which have extensive transaction execution expertise. FE International’s advisers complement this formal experience with unique and innovative approaches to deal marketing and structuring.
FE International offers comprehensive exit planning services as well as direct access to an established network of pre-qualified international investors to drive demand to your business and maximize value for your company.
- Award winning M&A advisor
- 94.1% success rate
- More completed acquisitions than any other advisor (800+ and counting!)
- Over $500MM in lifetime acquisitions
- Extensive global network of 53,000+ pre-qualified technology investors
Accolades and affiliations:
- Financial Times No. 8 Fastest-Growing Financial Services Company in America (2020)
- Inc 5000 US (2019)
- Inc 5000 EU (2018)
- IBBA Top Global Producer of the Year 2016
- IBBA Deal Maker of the Year 2015 & 2016
- Financial Services Authority (FSA)
- National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts accredited (NACVA)
- BBB A+ Rating
What type of online businesses does FE International sell?
We are the market-leading M&A advisor for SaaS, E-Commerce and Content businesses. We have the largest and most experienced team in the industry, and our advisers focus on specific business models and size ranges, so we will be able to assist you no matter how specialized your business is.
Having completed over 800 acquisitions, we have a wealth of experience and will be able to assist you in reaching your exit goals.
How do I find out what my business is worth?
Our proprietary valuation model focuses on financial and non-financial KPIs and establishes a multiple by comparing various metrics against 800+ acquisitions completed over the past decade by FE’s M&A advisors.
These KPIs are not looked at in isolation: they are inter-related themselves and then they are benchmarked against over 30,000 data points from our precedent deals to give an accurate forecast of where the market will value your business.
For completeness, we then also look at other valuation methods, including historic price regressions, revenue regression, publicly-traded comps and a modified DCF, to create a football field and establish the best value for your business.
We provide free valuations to anyone interested in selling a suitable business so please fill out our form located at: https://feinternational.com/sell-your-website/ and someone from the team will be in touch with next steps.
There is no obligation to sell with us and we often help clients plan for an exit in the future.
We can also provide 409A (“Certified”) Valuation Reports, on an as-need basis.
Do you have potential buyers lined up already?
We have a network of over 53,000 vetted buyers, ranging from strategies, funds and private equity firms to high net worth individuals. Buyers are usually after a return on investment, or the right strategic fit for their current business or portfolio. We’ve made a conscious effort to amass a large and diverse buyer base with these specific focuses to ensure that when your business is listed, the right eyes are looking at it.
Our dedicated team will work hard to find the right fit and a buyers that can execute on a deal. This is why we boast a 94.1% success rate and an average difference between valuation and acquisition value of just 5.8%. Further, 85% of businesses sell within 60 days.
How do I keep the sale of my business confidential?
A credible advisor will tackle this head-on. At FE International, we share your concern and our processes are designed to protect confidentiality. Through a combination of non-disclose agreements, know-you-clients (KYC) procedures and third party background checks, we create full profiles on all individuals and companies involved to make sure each party is protected.
Further, all marketing materials are censored and only delivered to qualified and selected buyers. All sensitive deal-materials are housed in secure data rooms, creating clear audit trails.
As a seller, we offer you full transparency over these throughout the acquisition process.
Do I need an attorney and/or an accountant?
We have qualified FCA and ACA accounts in-house so provide accounting services as part of our wider process. We also provide legal drafting in-house. It is always advised that you seek external counsel to ensure you are comfortable before signing any documents.
Our legal drafting will save you time and money and is based on over 800 precedent deals and the continually changing legislative landscape.
What do you expect from a seller in order to be able to accurately value and start marketing the sale of a business?
The process starts with a short consultation to evaluate your needs and see if we are the right partners for you. Following this, we will start to gather information about your business, present our valuation and outline our terms of service. The next step is on-boarding, which requires further data gathering by FE International and completion of preliminary due diligence.
Beyond this, your role is minimal until you assist our team of advisers in analyzing offers for your business. FE International offers a full M&A solution, so all your needs are taken care of – we deal with any and all inquiries, due diligence and execution on your behalf. This is all managed centrally in a dedicated and secure data room for your business, which is made available to you at all times.
You will always be in touch in your M&A adviser should you need someone to talk to.
What are the terms of your representation/engagement agreement?
FE International is a contingency-based business — we only charge a fee when your business is successfully sold.
We ask for a period of exclusivity in order to ensure that only our message is being disseminated in the market, which is important in order to maximize the sale value of your business.
Why do I have to sign a non-disclosure agreement?
This helps protect all parties through the transaction. The majority of businesses sales are kept private with the terms only known to relevant parties.
Sophisticated buyers generally expect a sale to remain confidential beyond the sale.
I may also want to buy an online business (I am a strategic, financial, and/or individual entrepreneurial buyer.) How do I become a qualified buyer and get to review the businesses you have for sale?
We always welcome new buyers. Many of our sellers become buyers and many of our buyers become sellers. The first step will be to get in touch with a member of the FE International team, who will guide you through the buyer onboarding process.
To ensure we protect our sellers, you will need to sign a non-disclosure agreement and pass a background check before viewing any information. By helping our team understand your needs, we will ensure you see the right businesses to meet your acquisition objectives. Should you wish to proceed to offer on a business, a further round of verifications are required.
Visit our buy a website page https://feinternational.com/buy-a-website/ and either request information on a listing or join our buyer network and one of the team will be in touch with next steps.
