M&A Unplugged

M&A Unplugged Season 1 is coming to an end. Season 2 will be back after this summer. Visit our website to download our free resources for those wishing to buy or sell a business: https://k2adviser.com/resources/ If you enjoy our content, please remember to subscribe and leave a review. We look forward to seeing you again on the next episode of M&A Unplugged. Until then, please remember that scaling, acquiring or selling a business takes time, preparation and proper knowledge.

M&A exclusivity is one major strategy utilized by many, but some are unaware of how to push its advantages to the limit. Starting a series of topics from his one-on-one client consultations, Domenic Rinaldi shares one conversation focused on exclusivity. He explains how this gives buyers the owners' undivided attention and speeds up the entire purchasing process. Domenic also breaks down the most important tips for sellers in releasing their company from the market to make it exclusive. He discusses why sellers must always believe in karma and never push away exclusive buyers in favor of way better offers. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here's How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Although many businesses out there are similar in many ways, each one has value drivers unique to them. These significant factors dictate the overall framework of a business, and looking at them much closely will help a lot during valuations. Domenic Rinaldi highlights one of his most downloaded episodes that discusses the most common value drivers to consider. He explains how they hugely contribute to closing M&A transactions. From people management to complex finance and infrastructure programs, Domenic delves into the most important aspects every buyer must take note of. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here's How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

It’s no secret that a lot of industries were severely impacted by the pandemic. But how exactly did it affect bank financing for owners and buyers of businesses? Domenic Rinaldi shares some handy information for people who are interested in purchasing and selling their business. He explains the need to understand how banks view these deals and the different issues that come with them. Banks are being cautious and are looking at a good track record, monthly financial plans, and comparison between the current and pre-COVID situation. Not only do businesses need improvement, but they also need to be stabilized before banks accept a deal. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Employee integration is such a critical aspect of any M&A transaction that it’s a wonder why most entrepreneurs spend too little time planning for and executing this element. As a result, they often end up trying to catch up with it during the due diligence phase, which is quite a bit late to say the least. When is the right time to start thinking about employee integration? What essential considerations do you have to take in its execution? Domenic Rinaldi goes deeper into this topic with Jennifer Fondrevay, an expert in the human capital aspect of M&A transactions. Join in and learn as Jennifer shares key insights on the most overlooked aspects of integrating people, some of the best practices for handling employees and teams, and how COVID has simultaneously changed the game yet highlighted the evergreen principles of human capital. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

It is never a bad idea to acquire a thriving business. But sometimes, buyers find themselves in a bit of a pickle because of successor liabilities. Dissecting this topic with Domenic Rinaldi is Dino Armiros from the law firm Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr. Together, they discuss the most common sorts of successor liabilities every buyer should be aware of. They delve into the red flags to be determined while the final act asset purchase agreements are getting drafted. Dino also explores the responsibilities of the seller by talking about how they can mitigate their liabilities, making them desirable assets in the eyes of potential buyers.

These days, social media presence is in itself an asset. That is why it should be included in your due diligence when you’re sizing up a company you’re trying to purchase. If you’re a business owner, it is one thing that you have to consider if you want to take your company’s valuation a notch or two higher. However this aspect of due diligence doesn’t get nearly enough attention, especially considering the fact that digital will only grow in importance in the future. Recognizing this gap in the knowledge of most buyers and business owners, Domenic Rinaldi discusses this topic on the show with John Vuong, the owner of Canada-based Local SEO Search, Inc. Tune in as John discusses at a high level the components of digital presence that buyers need to pay attention to prior to closing an acquisition deal. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

After hours of engaging discussions and interesting guests, M&A Unplugged now marks its 100th episode! Besides hitting this momentous achievement, the show is also being downloaded in more than 50 countries and one of top ten M&A shows worldwide. To celebrate their first hundred episodes, Domenic Rinaldi looks back with gratitude to everyone he has worked and collaborated with to make the podcast show possible and successful. He also brings some of his previous guests who share their anniversary greetings as well as their number one advice in closing M&A transactions.   Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

M&A deals don't just end after the acquisition. In fact, inherent to it are post-closing risks that buyers and sellers will have to face. Are there stones left unturned during the due diligence process? What monetary holdback and liability will arise? Domenic Rinaldi's guest for this episode, Patrick Stroth, has been the go-to person for many buyers and sellers looking for their way out of these risks. As the founder of Rubicon Insurance Services, LLC, he has been a pioneer in applying what is called rep and warranty insurance (RWI) to lower middle-market M&A transactions so that all parties can achieve a clean transition. Together with Domenic, he explains to us what this insurance is all about, what are involved with it, how the underwriting process goes, how much will be spent, and how to introduce this concept to potential deal negotiations. Follow along to this conversation to find the peace of mind you need post-closing. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Knowing how to prepare for and conduct an initial meeting with a business owner drastically increases your chances of having a successful first meeting. First meetings are crucial when building any business relationship. When you come into the meeting fully prepared, you'll easily build rapport and gain the trust of the business owner. In this episode, Domenic Rinaldi provides a best practices overview on how to have a successful first meeting with an owner and why this is critically important to get a deal done. You'll learn how to properly introduce yourself, what preparations you need to make, and what important questions you need to ask in that first meeting. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Do you want to be knowledgeable and prepared when you decide to exit your own business? Having an in-depth look at Small Business Acquisition Loans (SBA) will come in handy when that day arises. Today’s guest is Douglas Adams, the principal and president of Emerson Capital Corp, which provides financial solutions in business acquisition loans. In this episode, Douglas discusses with Domenic Rinaldi the qualification, costs, and debt structure of SBA. If you want to have great intel so you can better understand the assumptions that banks and buyers make with SBA, then this episode is for you. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Casting a wide net over the marketplace gives you a lot of choices when it comes to business acquisitions. But without proper search criteria, having many options may result in more challenging decision-making. Tim Lahey joins Domenic Rinaldi to share how he narrowed his business acquisition choices to just a few industries, allowing him to acquire the custom integration company, Homerun Technology. He also talks about the strategies he followed to ensure a smooth transition with its past owners and existing employees, how he used an SBA loan to finance this transaction, and how they closed the deal even with the COVID-19 virtual setting. Tim also explores the many ups and downs of business acquisitions, underlining the importance of having a thick skin. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Many people who get into the world of merging and acquisition pay little to no attention to various tax consequences and how to optimize them. Despite the different experiences between sellers and buyers, how can we bridge the gap here? Joining Domenic Rinaldi to delve into this matter is CPA and attorney, Ed Castellani. Together, they talk about the right way to approach a seller demanding stock transaction with no optimal tax outcome, the specifics of the letter of intent, the buckets of allocation, and how sellers can overall minimize their tax burden. Ed also dives deep into the world of C Corp, particularly on how they can be utilized to defer tax. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Did you know that 90% of all businesses never exceed $1 million in sales? That is a huge number of companies and solopreneurs basically just plateauing in their business growth after capping a certain threshold value. If you’re an existing owner of a business or someone who is contemplating to acquire one and grow it, you may want to take some time for this one. Join in as Domenic Rinaldi talks to a return guest, Brett Trainor, an expert in helping companies that have plateaued break through that barrier and achieve substantial growth. Listen as they discuss Brett’s template for analyzing a company's growth barriers, strategies for growth, and how to implement those strategies without making bad investments that won't provide a return. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at www.k2adviser.com/resources.

When you get to the core of why people fail during their transactions, you’ll see that it is because of the lack of preparation. And Domenic Rinaldi has some data to back this up. In this episode, he shares the highlights of the 300 buyer assessments collected in 2020, offering insights into why people fail to prepare and how you can avoid it. As we get into the thick of 2021, it is time to overcome the number one thing standing in the way of having a successful transaction. Follow Domenic in this short yet insightful discussion to learn the actionable steps.

There is something romantic about growing a business organically, but those who have been in the trenches know how unglamorous that process can be in the day-to-day. Growth through acquisition is a far quicker and easier option if you want to grow in scale, but you also have to be very careful about the potential pitfalls. This B2B marketer’s story beautifully illustrates that point. Priscilla McKinney is no stranger to adversity, as she has seen her previous business literally burn down to the ground. Somehow, the confidence that she gained from rebuilding that business from the ashes backfired on her when she finally tried her hands on business acquisition. You are going to appreciate Priscilla’s candor in sharing what transpired in this transaction, which is a cautionary tale on the many pitfalls of M&A and a reminder of the importance of surrounding yourself with an experienced M&A team. Join in as she shares all of that in this learning-packed conversation with Domenic Rinaldi. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at k2adviser.com/resources.   Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Valuation has always been one of the tougher nuts to crack in M&A deals, even under normal circumstances. When you throw in a pandemic to the mix, things begin to become more challenging, but also more interesting. Join Domenic Rinaldi as he speaks with Howard & Howard’s Joe DeVito to discuss some of the creative deal structures that M&A parties have adopted to bridge the valuation and risk gaps that came as a result of COVID-19. While 2020 certainly has been a tough ride as far as M&A transactions go, there is no reason to believe that 2021 would be any easier, so this episode is a must-listen if you’re planning to strike a deal anytime soon. Listen in and pick up some cool ideas that you can use to close your own transaction. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at k2adviser.com/resources. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

70% of M&A transactions are doomed to fail because of poor preparation and unclear strategies. To help minimize the risks faced by most business buyers and sellers, Domenic Rinaldi talks about seven of the most common M&A pitfalls that must be avoided at all costs. From the ROI targets and due diligence to valuation and integration, he delves into the most important stages of M&A and how to navigate through them effectively. Take note of each one, and you are on a straight, clear path to a successful and rewarding transaction. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at k2adviser.com/resources. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Whether you are contemplating buying your first business, or you already own a business, growth is one of the key elements to the long-term health of your company. It has become hard to grow a business in traditional ways. On today’s podcast, let Domenic Rinaldi share a strategy to grow your business faster and cheaper. For more comprehensive guidance, download our due diligence best practices guide and checklist, as well as, additional free resources on our website at www.k2adviser.com/resources

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the nation to its core and swept through various industries, putting a halt to many business operations and shutting down numerous businesses. Although private equity is one field that is profoundly affected by the crisis, it managed to jump back into the game before 2020 finally ended. With so many things significantly changed now, how should entrepreneurs navigate this space? Domenic Rinaldi is joined by Scott Becker of Becker's Hospital Review to discuss how to approach private equity with smaller, COVID-19 resistant deals on the rise and his thoughts about politics influencing the possibility of regulation. He also shares the major business factors every seller must take into consideration to find success in private equity, which is mostly about maintaining independence, scalability, and financial integrity. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

There is no such thing as a perfect deal and there will always be pitfalls waiting for buyers as they go through the diligence process. The most common ones can be avoided, however, if buyers can pay attention to them in due time. Joined by Joe Beer, the VP of Operations at Sun Acquisitions, Domenic Rinaldi shares the top seven most common due diligence pitfalls that buyers encounter during M&A transactions. Having been involved in over 200 closing transactions, Joe is familiar with almost every aspect of diligence and closing a deal. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the pitfalls that buyers need to avoid, but it’s a good place to start. For more comprehensive guidance, check out the M&A Unplugged’s due diligence framework, best practices and checklists available on the website. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

It goes without saying that getting due diligence right can make or break your M&A transaction. Cutting corners and not getting professional advice can cost you your very investment when you’re already in too deep in the acquisition process. The best way to learn these things is to listen to the advice of those who have been there. Your go-to M&A expert, Domenic Rinaldi, devotes this episode to give you a roadmap on how to approach due diligence so that you can understand the totality of the process. He discusses the best practices that successful deals in various industries share in common. He also provides a high-level checklist of specific tasks that you have to undertake during diligence so that you can increase your chances of success while minimizing cost at the same time.

Many people have been praying for new opportunities this 2021. For those who delve into business acquisitions, huge changes may already be coming their way. Doug Adams of Emerson Capital and Domenic Rinaldi talk about the significant amendments to the CARES Act, which is mainly about waving SBA fees for all newly booked deals. This huge news will result in cheaper acquisitions for buyers and more cash earnings for sellers, all thanks to leverage banking. Doug and Domenic talk about the many possibilities of how everyone can take advantage of this update, particularly those who want to achieve a serious comeback from a pandemic down this new year. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Many entrepreneurs and businesses turn to wealth management firms for help in managing their finances and assets. Having an effective and trustworthy advisory service can certainly help ensure that one of the essential elements that fuels their business is properly monitored, arranged, and utilized. To learn more about this industry, Domenic Rinaldi interviews Tom Hine of Capital Wealth Management, LLC. He looks back on how he transitioned from being an independent insurance agent to starting his own financial planning career, as well as the lessons he learned along the way. Tom also shares how he builds his network, how he approaches every deal in a bespoke way, and his motivations in writing his book, The Zen of Business Acquisitions. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

A business has its cycle. Many successful entrepreneurs know that, in one way or another, you will have to find your exit—one that leaves you far better than when you started. In this episode, Domenic Rinaldi invites serial entrepreneur and CEO of CareerGrig, Greg Kihlstrom, to talk about Greg’s experience growing a business through acquisition and then selling that same business years later for a much higher multiple. He shares how he was able to integrate a business into his existing operation and how you, too, can methodically prepare your business for an eventual sale. While taking us throughout his journey, Greg then lets us in on some of the lessons he learned, the pitfalls many entrepreneurs fall into, and how he is helping bridge the gap between having that stability from a full-time job to the freedom and flexibility that comes with being a freelancer. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

What a year it has been! If you are still here standing, then you deserve a pat on the back for making it through. Now that we’re at the end of this chaotic 2020, it’s time to look back and recount the things we gained and the lessons we learned. Domenic Rinaldi bids this year goodbye in this last episode of 2020 as he provides an end-of-the-year recap and a good story about deal preparation. After all, what is a good way to end a challenging year than prepare for the next and make it the year it could have been and more? Join Domenic as he signs off 2020. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Many businesses have admirable visions, enticing goals, and meaningful purposes, but still fall short in attaining success. Most of the time, it is caused by a lack of a well-targeted business mindset. Domenic Rinaldi talks with Michael Zipursky, the CEO of Consulting Success, in discussing how to redirect your focus, hone an effective message, maximize outsourcing services, and pinpoint your target audience in order to start an effective, self-managing team. Michael also shares some useful tips on buying another business and coping with the business challenges caused by the pandemic. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

The world has undeniably become different due to the pandemic. As such, the landscape from where banks operate has also changed. In this episode, Domenic Rinaldi discusses how the banks are handling M&A transactions in lending these days with the help of Doug Adams of Emerson Capital. Doug is a loan broker that specializes in helping people secure SBA loans for their acquisitions. With his expertise, he shares how deals are getting financed when the revenues of a business have been impacted positively or negatively, what the banks are looking for during underwriting, how to look at the deal structures when buying a business during this time, and more. Join in on this great conversation to learn how to best navigate these uncertain times and stay afloat. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

The COVID-19 pandemic has put all of us into this environment of uncertainty that moving forward often feels like walking with eyes closed. In this episode, Domenic Rinaldi goes solo to help us make sense of what is happening now in the M&A marketplace. He answers whether or not deals are happening and how they have changed during this period of time and likely in the future after COVID. Domenic provides some great key things to think of before doing a deal, no matter if you’re a buyer or a seller. Tune into today’s show as you learn how to face the uncertainty and navigate this environment well.  Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Due diligence and integration should have equal weighting in any acquisition. As integration is gaining more and more steam, more acquirers are asking how to do integration these days compared to years ago. Joining Domenic Rinaldi on today’s podcast is Mark Walztoni, who shares his high-level formula for approaching this phase, along with how to avoid some of the common pitfalls. Mark has many years of HR mergers and acquisitions experience, and this episode will surely help you be prepared for your next acquisition. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

When we have just acquired a business, it can be easy to dive into transforming and growing it immediately. However, this episode’s guest, Jennifer Goldman of Jennifer Goldman Consulting, is all about the opposite. In fact, she tells you to stop and start by doing nothing other than developing what she calls a “simmer pot”. Domenic Rinaldi uncovers what this means as he and Jennifer go right into the things you need to go over with your business operations and develop a roadmap for changes. Don’t let the excitement force you to make hasty decisions. Take a step back and take the time to assess the business. Follow along to this conversation to know the steps to take before diving in deep.

There are a number of components that you should be looking at any time you’re valuing a business. In this episode, Domenic Rinaldi dives into one of them – value drivers. What are the common value drivers that you should be looking at? Why are these value drivers so important? How does each of them affect a company’s valuation during an acquisition? Listen in and learn what things you need to look for in terms of money factors, people factors and industry factors that may increase or decrease a company’s value in the market.

Keith Knohl always dreamed of owning a business. He tried to start a few ventures during his long and successful corporate career, but like the vast majority of all startups, he could never quite get it off the ground. He decided that buying an existing business that already had ongoing revenues, profits, clients, trained employees, and a foundation was a much smarter and safer path to business ownership. On today’s show, Keith joins Domenic Rinaldi to share his journey of buying a business, which included retaining a buy-side broker to help him through all phases of the process. If you’ve never acquired a business before, there are many key takeaways in this episode that can help you plan for and execute your own business ownership process.

There are so many paths to becoming an entrepreneur. One of the common struggles many face beforehand is deciding whether to start a business or buy instead. If you found yourself in this dilemma, then this episode is for you. Host, Domenic Rinaldi, goes solo to talk about the differences between starting and buying a business and what advantages the latter has over the other. He provides an outline of key things you need to consider in both, and, if you decide on buying, figure out what to look for. Tune into this episode for more details.

There is a lot at stake in getting your communication strategy right during a merger and acquisition. Apart from just ensuring a healthy give and take between the two parties, you need a communication plan to trickle information down to your employees, customers and vendors. These stakeholders are as much invested in the process as you are and they deserve transparency and the assurance that they are being taken into due consideration. Domenic Rinaldi talks about this critical but oft-neglected aspect of M&A with Andrew Cross, Senior Vice President and partner at Walker Sands, one of the nation’s top integrated marketing firms. Andrew has been involved in a number of M&A transactions, helping clients build a successful communication strategy and execution plan. He knows from experience that the right messaging is essential in maximizing employee, client and vendor retention while preserving the company's brand. Listen in as he imparts some of his wisdom in that regard.  

Human capital is the most important asset of every company. Without it, you can't maintain clients or grow your business. This aspect of due diligence is so critical in the M&A process to see whether or not you are looking at the right company to acquire. Many of us would have felt by now that somehow, there is a relationship between human capital performance and corporate financial performance. But how do we exactly calculate the return on investment in human capital? Is it even calculable in financial terms? Joining Domenic Rinaldi to give some clarity on this is Dr. Solange Charas, a human capital metrics expert and the Founder and CEO of HCMoneyball, a technology company that provides an application for organizations to calculate their human capital metrics. It is inevitable that we are going to see a radical change in how we view human capital. Listen in to take a sneak peek of this exciting future!

As a business owner, it is important to understand what a buyer is looking for in a deal so that you can position your company for a future sale. Representing this side of the M&A equation are Ben Mimmack and Andy Waltman of Baymark Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm based in Dallas, Texas. Listen in as they join Domenic Rinaldi on the show to talk about how their form is approaching acquisitions. They also share insights on what the M&A market might look like over the next months. If you want to learn what things you need to work on to set yourself up for a profitable exit from your company, this episode is a must-listen for you.

Did you know that over 95% of businesses in the US fail to reach one million in annual sales? According to today’s guest, it’s not for lack of great ideas but rather, implementation and execution. Domenic Rinaldi sits down with Brett Trainor, a B2B startup mentor and investor who draws upon more than 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, demand generation, and customer service to help his clients. Extending his wisdom to us, he shares how business owners can get past the micro-business stage and start to grow. He talks about being customer-centric, networking, marketing, and exiting, taking you through the whole process and providing great tips and tricks to get the best out of them. Plus, Brett also shares his 11-point checklist to guide you on how to scale your business and reach that one-million threshold.  

An ever increasing number of traditional businesses are looking to grow and diversify by adding an online component to their business model. Just like in offline business, buying an online business that is already established and generating leads is way more profitable than starting a new one from scratch. Joining Domenic Rinaldi on this episode, online business mentor, coach and investor, Jaryd Krause shares how offline businesses can increase their lead generation and revenue just by buying an online business and integrating it to their business model. He also talks about the five fundamental things that you need to be looking at in online due diligence. Having learned how to do this through the school of hard knocks, Jaryd helps other people achieve the same level of success he had through his coaching programs and his own platform, Buying Online Businesses. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

There probably is an asset that is nothing more important in an acquisition than the people. They are the ones that make the engine run and carry the entire business. That is why knowing how to handle the integration of the people really matters. Helping you with that, Domenic Rinaldi interviews human resources professional Klint Kendrick to talk about the best practices for integrating employees during the mergers and acquisitions transaction. He talks about the due diligence that relates to HR, assessing culture, leadership and compliance, and the most important things to consider when it comes to human capital. Don't miss out on this great conversation to learn more about how you can avoid losing employees or productivity after acquisition and more.  Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Every transaction hangs by the thread of communication. How you get your message across can either make or break a deal. Yet, this important aspect tends to be the most overlooked by many in the M&A industry. That is why in this episode, Domenic Rinaldi invites guest Justin Breen, the CEO of the PR firm, BrEpic Communications LLC, to talk about how you get the communication down the line in a way that positively impacts the entire M&A process. At the heart of it is the importance of knowing your story that captures your message and getting it out there. He gives advice for those who just purchased a new business on how they should approach their PR in terms of their employees, clients, and even with the media.  Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Whether you're a group of investors acquiring a business that you're going to operate yourselves or your company looking to acquire another company, integration is critical. Matot, a fourth-generation dumbwaiter manufacturer, complete a strategic acquisition several years ago. Jim Piper, its President, sits down with Domenic Rinaldi to talk about the integration of the acquired company - what went right, what could have been done better, and some best practices to consider when planning for your own acquisition. Tune in to today’s show to learn all about their success story. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Many business owners who sell their businesses wind up being remorseful, not because of the amount of money that they received for their business, but because they don’t know the next thing to do and have lost their purpose. Are you really ready to step aside from your business personally, financially, and emotionally? If you want to learn how to prepare for the sale and avoid some of the common pitfalls when selling, check out Domenic Rinaldi’s interview with Will Moore of Moore Momentum. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Where should you start when you think about integration? In this episode, Jim Jeffries, founder of M&A Leadership Council, joins Domenic Rinaldi to talk about post-merger integration and transition and how that can typically make or break the return on investment for your acquisition. Oftentimes, this phase of the deal gets lost in the shuffle because so much time and attention is spent on consummating the actual transaction. Jim and Domenic discuss the importance of formulating your strategy and the difference between doing the deal versus completing the deal. Get to know the S-3 model and how each of these plays an important role in integration. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Not nearly talked about in M&A transactions is the critical role of mindset and emotion. Without realizing it, you may have overspent or even over-invested in a transaction or deal that is not giving you the results you expected. Tackling this very important yet often overlooked topic, Domenic Rinaldi sits down with Jason Abell, the President of Rewire, Inc., to help get you thinking about your mindset for a deal and how to be better prepared. Jason helps us better understand the elements of mindset, how it could make or break a deal, what role it plays to people going through major transitions in life, and how it impacts the ultimate culture of a business. Whether you are a seller or buyer, this episode will help you figure out how mindset can improve your odds of getting a successful transaction done. Follow Domenic and Jason as they share more. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

From an M&A perspective, healthcare is an interesting frontier that you may want to look into as an investor. On the other hand, as the industry works itself through the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a good time for owners who want an exit to start contemplating a sell. Whether you’re an owner looking to sell or an investor looking to dip their toes into healthcare, you’d be surprised to know that there is so much to learn about regulation and valuation in M&A transactions in this particular industry. Before entering a transaction, you may want to consider talking to your regulatory attorney. Dive right into this conversation between Domenic Rinaldi and healthcare regulatory attorney, Joshua Freemire of Epstein Becker & Green to learn more. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Earnouts are an important part of M&A transactions, with about 20% of all deals involving some form of it in normal circumstances. With COVID-19 at our heels, that percentage is going up as buyers take extra precaution, given the uncertain economic environment we now find ourselves in. Whether you’re a seller or a buyer, it’s important to learn how earnouts work, protect yourself, and strike win-win deals based on mutual trust and understanding. Domenic Rinaldi takes a peek at this timely topic as he sits down with deal attorneys, Jeffrey Petersen of The Law Offices of Jeffrey T. Petersen and John Schreiner of Perkins Coie. With Jeffrey taking the seller’s side and John playing the buyer’s counsel, they trade ideas on how sellers and buyers can make the best deals given their specific circumstances. It’s all you need to know about earnouts in one episode! Be sure not to miss out on it! Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

As we navigate this uncertain business environment created by COVID-19, both sellers and buyers have to add a few considerations if they’re contemplating an M&A transaction. The question of the PPP loan is certainly one of the elephants in the room. How does it affect an asset’s valuation? How can sellers and buyers protect themselves when entering these transactions? Don’t miss out on this episode, where M&A experts Tad Render of Miller, Cooper & Co., Ltd. and your host, Domenic Rinaldi, discuss in detail some of the most important things buyers and sellers should take into account before striking a deal in these uncertain times. Contemplating a sale? Planning on buying an asset out? Now more than ever, you may need to sit down with all your advisors before you proceed. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

There is room for intuition in business, and it can lead us to better decisions and better results. This is what Dean Newlund explores in his podcast, The Business of Intuition. Dean is the CEO of Mission Facilitators International, a training and development firm that offers leadership development programs to medium to large organizations nationally and worldwide. Dean is a student of intuition. His passion is to get intuition out of the closet and into the boardroom. With host Domenic Rinaldi on the show, he explains why we don’t use intuition as much as we should and why it pays to pay attention to it a little bit more. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

Valuing a business is hard enough when things are going well, but valuing a business that has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can be another kind of tricky at best. Joining host, Domenic Rinaldi, in this episode, to talk about how best to get through the motions of these troubled times in your business is Alexandra (Alex) Reed Lajoux, Ph.D., M.B.A., the founding principal of Capital Expert Services, LLC. Alex discusses the things buyers and sellers should be thinking about when it comes to valuations during this pandemic and how business owners should look at a potential exit. She also shares some advice for buyers out there on how to approach a potential seller without looking like taking advantage of the current tough situation we are all in. Listen in on this important conversation to learn how to navigate through these times and come out stronger than when you entered. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram

In our business evolution, there will come a time where we have to take our business to the markets. Unfortunately, not many small business owners realize the value of their business that this transition can be quite difficult to do. With the help of experts in the mergers and acquisitions space, getting your business sold will be a lot easier. Taking the hot seat in this episode is host, Domenic Rinaldi, as he gets interviewed by Lou Diamond for his Thrive LOUD Podcast. Here, Domenic shares more about his superpowers on helping represent business owners to the market as well as buyers who want to acquire businesses. What are the stages business owners go through when looking to sell? What are the checklists to sell successfully? What are the common mistakes people commit when it comes to mergers and acquisitions? Domenic answers all of these and more in this unique interview. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How » Join the M&A Unplugged Community today: k2adviser.com M&A Unplugged Twitter M&A Unplugged Facebook M&A Unplugged Instagram