The information that an entrepreneur is considering the sale of their privately held company or family business will always be held in strict confidence by IBA when evaluating a potential representation project. We consider it a privilege to be brought into your confidence and promise not to betray that trust regardless of whether you select us for representation or not. It is our goal that employees, customers, vendors, and competitors do not learn about sale plans until our client’s elect to share them.

IBA is unique in the mergers & acquisitions community in our employment of a 100% paid on performance business model. Our objective is to be paid simultaneously with the payment from the buyer to our satisfied client upon completion of a sale.

IBA has completed transactions in almost every community in the Pacific Northwest and many others throughout the United States. We have merged businesses into publicly traded companies and sold beloved neighborhood restaurants. All of this occurred in our storied history, however the benefit of this activity doesn’t occur in the past, but in the future in the form of the information and knowledge that we can pass onto our present clients.

Marketing a business for sale is a difficult task requiring skill, knowledge, and experience because on one level it is in a seller’s best interest to have the maximum number of potential buyers compete for the acquisition opportunity while on another ownership does not want anyone knowing a sale is being contemplated until it is completed.  A professionally facilitated sale process includes non disclosure agreements, buyer financial vetting, and a controlled, thoughtful process for marketing and sharing information with potential buyers.    In many cases, there is only one chance to get this right.  Once the “Cat is out of the bag” in the public domain, it is VERY difficult to return it.

Successfully getting parties to “YES” on a Letter of Intent is a significant transactional achievement.  It is not a completed transaction.  A knowledgeable, experienced, highly skilled guide is needed at this point to navigate due diligence, legal documentation, equipment/real estate inspections, financing, and spectrum of other loose ends that need to be addressed prior to the transfer of ownership.  80 – 90% of IBA transactions annually where agreement is reached on a LOI close.