No less than 70% to 90% of takeovers fail to succeed. An important reason for this is that people often only take a one-sided look at what there is to gain from a target company. In practice, however, it appears that the chance of success of a takeover increases if people look at what value can be added to a target company. In the case of plans for a merger or acquisition, it is therefore of vital importance to focus attention on an ideal company profile as regards strategy, organisation, staffing in crucial positions and culture.
First selection
If the ideal company profile has been drawn up, then the actual search can begin. Subsequently, you can first look at companies that are for sale. It is often possible to make an interesting first selection simply on the basis of the company profile. But your competitors won’t be sitting still either and perhaps, like you, are also looking to acquire a company. Perhaps the companies with the greatest potential for you have already been taken off the market. In that case, you could try a different, smarter approach.
