Intermediation

We connect sellers with the right investors – discreetly and effectively.

Your offer will be added anonymously to our database and selected network of industry investors, capital groups and funds.

Book a free consultation
Dwóch biznesmenów podaje sobie rękę

Who is this service for?

Business intermediation is a solution for microbusiness owners and entrepreneurs who are considering selling their business. They would like to explore whether there is demand for their business and talk to investors on a trial basis without incurring the costs of the full process.

MICRO BUSINESS OWNERS
(< 4 MILLION PLN TURNOVER)

You want to talk to potential buyers, but you don’t want to incur the costs of an M&A process.

Entrepreneurs who have time

You can wait for investors and conduct your own verification of potential buyers.

Entrepreneurs who want to test the market’s reaction

You can conduct test conversations with interested buyers and assess what conditions you can expect.

owners who do not want to bear the costs of the entire M&A process

With minimal financial outlay, you create opportunities to connect with investors.

What are the benefits of using an agent?

By maintaining confidentiality, you signal to investors that you are ready to engage in talks. Every conversation with an investor gives you a chance to sell and gain a different perspective on your business.

You don’t have to publicly announce the sale. Your offer is anonymous. We will pre-screen investors to protect your business relationships and stability.

We contact investors and conduct preliminary checks on their preferences and visions for the transaction. We pass this information on to you, and you decide what steps to take.

If you already have an interested buyer and need advice on closing the deal, you can benefit from our experience.

Book a free consultation
Dwóch mężczyzn patrzących na kartkę papieru

Intermediary costs

Settlement is based on a commission of 5%.
The initial fee is PLN 1450 net for preparing basic information and listing on the exchange.

Book a free consultation

OPINIONS MAKE THE BUSINESS

Join entrepreneurs who have already taken this strategic step

Thanks to a sound process strategy, experience and knowledge, Planner MA sold the company for more than we had anticipated, and the entire process was conducted with discretion. We received full support throughout the process, which was completely new to us.
Bilbin
Company name
The M&A planner demonstrated experience, knowledge and a professional approach during our cooperation. We recommend them as a proven partner in mergers and acquisitions, and we plan to continue our cooperation.
Polna 
Company name
Book a free consultation

Qualification

The M&A intermediary service is for companies that meet the following criteria:

  • A micro-company with a turnover of up to PLN 4 million
  • The owner is hesitant about selling and wants to check the market.
  • The owner has decided to build a company that is attractive to investors and is open to discussions about sale/investment.
Dwóch mężczyzn rozmawiających ze sobą

FAQ

Well-organised companies with good results and good scaling prospects sell best and fastest.
Depending on the cooperation option and the strategy adopted, the sale time may be:

– full process: 6 to 12 months (The time may be extended in the case of more complex transactions or specific industry requirements. Our fastest transaction took only 3 months).

– intermediation: we have little influence on the time of closing the transaction

We use a multi-level information protection system:

  1. Confidentiality agreements at every stage of the process
  2. Verification of the credibility of interested parties
  3. Verification of the match between the investor and the seller without disclosing names, using anonymous descriptions
  4. Gradual disclosure of information depending on the stage of the process
  5. Controlled access to company documentation

The costs on the M&A services market vary and depend on many factors, including: the size of the transaction, the scope of services, the experience of the advisor, the industry, and the territorial scope.
M&A services are settled by commission plus flat fees/lump sums/commission.

Our settlement model is as follows:

  • Success fee: From 5% to 20% of the transaction value
  • For the full process: success fee + process costs from PLN 25,000 net to PLN 120,000 net

We can also provide a preliminary cost estimate for your process during a free consultation.

You can terminate the process at any time without additional obligations. Our cooperation model does not include contractual penalties for leaving the process.

It is worth looking at two areas.

Business attractiveness in the eyes of investors. A good business, i.e. one that is organised, has structures in place and where the owner’s role is limited to management rather than operational functions, is definitely easier to sell. The sales and marketing department is efficient and ensures that individual customers contribute to the company’s revenue. All processes in the company are measured and monitored so that efficiency can be improved.

From the point of view of the sales process, the key areas of preparation are:

  • Checking whether there is demand on the market
  • Organising legal and financial documentation
  • Checking whether there are any formal restrictions on the process, e.g. joint position of co-owners, lack of pre-emptive rights
  • Ensuring business security if the investor withdraws from the process
  • Preparing a team or person responsible for the sale process and the integration phase after the acquisition

If you find this topic interesting and would like more information, please contact us.
If you need a detailed action plan, we will develop it during introductory workshop

Every transaction is different, but most often investors analyse:

  • The company’s financial situation
  • Market position
  • Competitive advantage
  • Benefits and synergies from the purchase
  • Growth potential
  • Risks

A company with a good market position, good organisation and good results is much more likely to enter into relations with investors and ultimately close a deal on better terms. We know that there are no perfect companies and that most businesses have something to improve. If owners are seriously considering selling their business, it is important that they are able to realistically assess the situation in the company and its market position. The role of an M&A advisor is to provide the owner with the investors’ perspective and jointly assess the company’s readiness for sale and the validity of initiating the process. If you need support in this assessment, we invite you to a free consultation.

Valuing a company before accepting an investor or selling it is a key point in the M&A process. For the purposes of a transaction, investors most often use:

  • The EBITDA multiplier method* x coefficient (the coefficient is determined on the basis of other market transactions or the investor’s strategy. These coefficients usually range from 2 to 7)
  • Income method (based on future cash flows)
  • Asset method

At Planner M&A, we know that the transaction price is shaped by the market and negotiations with potential buyers, so if the goal is to sell the company, you need interested investors more than you need a valuation.

We often encounter a situation where a client requests a valuation at the beginning of the process, but it is worth remembering that a valuation is a subjective expert opinion that does not always take into account all the risks that an investor sees. Therefore, when conducting the process of selling a company (assuming that there is demand for it) we create competition between investors, because this has the greatest impact on the final terms of the transaction.

Company valuations made for purposes other than sale require agreement with the client on the method and scope of the valuation.

*EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) – a company’s operating profit before deducting interest on interest-bearing liabilities (loans, bonds), taxes, amortisation of intangible assets and depreciation of tangible fixed assets.

It depends on the arrangements with the buyer. The investor will certainly do everything to retain good and very good employees. Most often, purchase agreements include:

  • Employment guarantees on terms no less favourable than those currently in place
  • Incentive packages for key employees/management
  • A succession plan for the current management team

The details are agreed during the negotiation of the terms of the transaction.

The scope of your involvement after the sale is negotiated with the buyer. Possible options include:

  • Immediate and complete exit from the company
  • Transition period (usually 6-12 months)
  • Long-term cooperation in a new role
  • We will help you choose and negotiate the best solution for you.
  • When the company is performing well and is on an upward trend. You can get more offers and high valuations.
  • You need to focus your resources and time on your core business.
  • You own a company with several business profiles, and some of the divisions are dragging the others down.
  • You are trapped in organisational growth without an increase in value.
  • You are unable to grow your business or lack ideas for doing so.
  • You do not have a successor or are concerned that transferring shares to your successors will lead to problems.
  • Your industry is consolidating, competition is getting stronger, and you are looking for a partner to help you achieve your strategic goals.
  • The industry you operate in is shrinking, and your business is no longer profitable.
  • You need to sell assets or a division as part of a restructuring or strategy change.
  • One of the most common reasons for failure in the sales process is a lack of knowledge and experience. Owners go through this process too rarely or only once in their lifetime. Working with experienced advisors will reduce the risk of mistakes. The costs of conducting the process with an experienced advisor are significantly lower than the costs of mistakes made or lost benefits when approaching the process without the necessary experience and knowledge.
  • Acquiring an investor/selling a company can take a long time. If we want good terms, selling the company quickly may not be effective. That is why we recommend planning the M&A process well in advance so that you are not under time pressure, can build the right structures and achieve a good negotiating position.
  • The involvement of a third party allows you to maintain an objective view of the complex process and reduce typical mistakes that can result from an emotional approach.
  • Thanks to our many years of presence on the market, we are in contact with industry investors, capital groups and financial investors. These contacts create an ecosystem that facilitates the dissemination of sales offers and builds demand. We work with experienced practitioners on the European market. In such a team, it is easier for us to solve M&A problems.
  • Professionally, we are involved in reaching investors with company sale offers; advertisements alone are not enough. We are able to effectively verify the intentions of investors.

There are basically two strategies in M&A processes: ‘fishing’ or actively searching for a buyer/investor.

The ‘fishing’ strategy (brokerage) involves providing anonymous information about the sale of a company to many investors, including random ones. The information is posted on our offer exchange, national and international M&A portals, other M&A boutiques and investor networks with which we have relationships. When selling a company in this way, we do not have full control over who obtains information about your company and what they do with it. This strategy is good if you want to save on process costs, you are a microbusiness owner, you are not in a hurry to sell/acquire an investor, and you have the time and knowledge to verify potential buyers yourself.

Actively searching for a buyer/investor (process) is a combination of the ‘fishing rod’ strategy and conscious contact with the market. Unlike brokerage, we verify the intentions of investors, allowing only those who meet the jointly agreed assumptions for the future transaction to enter the process. This strategy allows you to significantly increase business security, control the process and, by generating demand, obtain much better transaction terms than with brokerage.

Who are we?

We are an experienced team of advisors who have been supporting clients in the secure purchase and sale of companies since 2001.

Our expertise covers the full range of services necessary for the successful completion of the M&A process – from preparing the company, through actively searching for buyers, to finalising the agreement.

Planning to sell your company, or wondering if it’s a good move? Let’s talk!

Book a free consultation