David Braun

http://successfulacquisitions.net

About

David Braun is the founder and CEO of Capstone Strategic and author of Successful Acquisitions: A Proven Plan for Growth. His specialty is helping companies grow through acquisition.

Through consistent focus on this one specialty, David has built up a formidable expertise that has led to an acquisition success rate way beyond the industry average.

David Braun is a sought-after educator who has been teaching senior executives and financial professionals for over 21 years. His live seminars and online webinars are in high demand, and his blog is widely read by M&A professionals, business owners and all who wish to understand the dynamics of growth through company acquisition.

Popular

Market Criteria, Market Research

Markets First

I always emphasize to my clients the critical value of painstaking market research and selection before considering individual prospects. Simply by conducting thorough research, you immediately separate yourself from the majority of company buyers and place yourself at an important competitive advantage. Choosing Market Criteria Choosing the correct market criteria may be tricky. Here are […]

Pathways to Growth

Five Pathways to Growth

As you focus your attention on the growth of your company, there are five key pathways to consider: Grow Organically Exit the Market Be the Low-Cost Provider Do Nothing Pursue External Growth Before you even start planning an acquisition, remember there are other growth options available. It is an important realization that you do have […]

Cultural Integration Publicis Omnicom

Publicis-Omnicom Merger May Face Cultural Integration Challenges

The merger between two advertising giants Publicis Groupe and Omnicom Group has caused quite a stir. The two companies combined to form Publicis Omnicom Group would have stock-market value of $35.1 billion, making this the largest advertising merger ever. Although Chief Executive Maurice Levy and CEO John Wren both stress this is a “merger of […]

Recent Posts

3 Ways to Mitigate Risk with International Expansion

3 Ways to Mitigate Risk with International Expansion

Many leaders shy away from international expansion because they are afraid of the risks associated with it, but going global can be an excellent opportunity for reaching new markets and achieving your company’s growth goals. If you’re considering new growth options, here are three steps to minimize these liabilities when expanding internationally. 1. Find the […]

Why Due Diligence Should be Forward Looking

Why Due Diligence Should Be Forward Looking

If you look at a due diligence check list, you’ll commonly find 3-5-year financial statements, employment agreements, leasing contracts, and past litigation on the list. While reviewing these documents is important, they only reveal part of the picture because they focus heavily on past performance. Thorough due diligence involves both looking backward and forward and […]

5 Due Diligence Questions to Help You Consider the Future Impact of an Acquisition Prospect

5 Due Diligence Questions to Help You Consider the Future Impact of an Acquisition Prospect

Reviewing a company’s past performance is only worthwhile when you apply your findings to future results post-acquisition. With this future perspective in mind, here are five questions to help you consider the impact acquiring a prospect may have on your company moving forward. What do the past 3-5-year financials tell you about the company’s growth […]

David Braun Chris Hagan AMA M&A

David Braun to Lead AMA’s Course on M&A in New York City May 15-17

Learn what can make or break a deal I’m excited to be leading the American Management Association’s Course on Mergers & Acquisitions on May 15-17 in New York. I have been teaching this course for 26 years (since 1993) and it is a comprehensive, three-day course designed especially for CEOs, CFOs, owners, and other senior-level […]

Uber to Buy Middle East Rival Careem in International Push

Uber plans to buy Dubai-based rival Careem for $3.1 billion, the largest acquisition for the ride-hailing company. The acquisition ends Uber’s costly rivalry with Careem over market share in the Middle East. In the past, Uber has taken similar action with rivals, most notably forming a joint venture with local rival Yandex in Russia in […]

Why Companies Buy (Rather than Build) New Technology

Why Companies Buy (Rather than Build) New Technology

It’s typically much quicker to acquire rather than build your own solution. When it comes to technology, acquiring can help you leapfrog the research and development cycle to purchase a solution that has already been developed, tested and not only proven to be superior, but is already widely used. Large tech companies like Google, Amazon, […]

David Braun William and Mary Alumni Webinar

David Braun Shares Keys to Integration Success with William & Mary’s EMBA Program

Did you know failing to move quickly during integration is one of the top reasons why deals are unsuccessful? Last week I had the opportunity to guest lecture on this topic at Professor Jeanne Wilson’s Executive MBA class at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary. Many companies […]

3 Ways to Build Trust with Owners in Mergers & Acquisitions

3 Ways to Build Trust with Owners in Mergers & Acquisitions

“It’s the funny thing about all these deals, though. Yes, you can get a banker involved.  But a lot of it comes back to relationships.”

How to Find Qualified Acquisition Prospects

How to Find Qualified Acquisition Prospects

Generating a list of companies to acquire is easy. Simply call up an investment banker or visit a broker website like BizBuySell and you’ll find dozens of for-sale companies. The problem with this approach is although these owners are willing to sell, many of these companies may not be what you are looking for in […]

3 Phases to Successful Acquisitions

3 Phases to Successful Mergers and Acquisitions

In my last post I explained why following a process is critical to M&A success. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, please check it out. This post will further detail our systematic acquisition process, the Roadmap to AcquisitionsSM developed from first-hand experience working with strategic buyers. There are three main phases: […]

The Secret to Successful Mergers & Acquisitions

The Secret to Successful Mergers & Acquisitions

I’m often asked, “What is the key to a successful acquisition?” I have one simple answer: Have a process. You can compare the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) process to the hiring process. Before we even begin interviewing candidates, we develop a job description, whom the employee will report to, when they will start, performance metrics, […]

Why Do Owners Really Agree to Sell

Why Do Owners Really Agree to Sell?

How many of you would say your most recent hire agreed to join your organization purely for financial reasons? Most employees take other factors into consideration including benefits, location, job description, your company’s mission, and “fit” with your company’s culture. The financial side is certainly important, but leveraging these other factors is critical, especially when […]

Looking to Acquire Start with Markets First

Looking to Acquire a Company? Start with Markets First

One of the first questions people ask me about M&A is, “Do you have a list of companies interesting in selling?” But this is the wrong question to be asking. By the nature of our role as third-party M&A advisors we do hear of for-sale companies, but from experience we have found using list is […]

Common Misconceptions About M&A Part 3

Common Misconceptions About M&A Explained – Part 3

This post is part of a series on common misconceptions about acquisitions I’ve encountered over the years as an advisor. Read parts one and two. Misconception #3: Only the CEO and CFO Should Be Involved Because of the confidential nature of acquisitions, naturally most company owners do not disclose their acquisition plans to the entire […]

Common Misconceptions About M&A Part 2

Common Misconceptions About M&A Explained – Part 2

This post is part of a series on common misconceptions about acquisitions I’ve encountered over the years as an advisor. To read the first post, please click here. Misconception #2: You Can Execute an Acquisition “On the Side” Many underestimate the level of effort required to complete a transaction. An acquisition is a significant undertaking […]

Common Misconceptions About M&A Explained

Common Misconceptions About M&A Explained

Throughout my over 25 years’ experience helping companies grow through strategic mergers and acquisitions, I have seen many different types of transactions and while each deal is unique, there are a few common themes that run through them all. In this series I will be answering some typical questions and clarifying a few common misconceptions […]

Be Specific About Price In the Letter of Intent

Be Specific About Price In the Letter of Intent

Don’t rush to get a signed letter of intent (LOI) by kicking the can down the road on price. A signed LOI is a significant milestone in the M&A process, indicating mutual interest in an acquisition. The document covers the basic parameters of the deal that both buyer and seller agree to including what will […]

A New Thinking on Due Diligence Webinar

Three Common Due Diligence Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

In October 2017, four months after closing its $4.48 billion acquisition of Yahoo, Verizon announced that all three billion Yahoo accounts had been hacked in 2013. On October 23, 2018, Yahoo agreed to pay $50 million in damages to affected users. As the acquirer, Verizon will shoulder half the costs. Obviously, most of us would […]

Unlocking Your Company’s Potential for Growth

Unlocking Your Company’s Potential for Growth

“At our last strategic planning session, we realized we needed to do something else in addition to organic growth to meet our company’s five-year goals,” Dan* recently shared with me on the phone. Like many middle market companies, organic growth was stagnant, and the company’s progress had plateaued. Dan saw the gap between where the […]

Happy New Year from Capstone

Happy New Year from Capstone – 2018 Charity Survey Results

Happy New Year! Last year we asked you to help us give back by voting for your favorite charity. We are very excited to announce the results from the survey and have made a contribution to each of the charities in proportion to your selection. Each of the charities noted above have made a significant […]

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