TheBridge
Issue: 41 February 2016
Upcoming Events 
February 2016
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The M&A Source has two events this month, and there's still time to register!
  1. Course #600: Presentation Skills for the M&A Professionals, Feb. 19-21 (Kennesaw, GA)
    • An intensive 3-day course where you'll hone your presentation skills, and even practice speaking on camera. Learn more and register here. 
  2. Certified M&A Professional Program ,
    Feb. 11-26 (Kennesaw, GA) 
    • A five-day program focused on the unique aspects of middle market M&A activity. It is ideal for M&A intermediaries and other professionals serving this sector, as well as senior management and business owners of the companies they serve. Click here to learn more and register. 
                                                                                                                              
In This Issue
Save the Date for the 2016 M&A Source Spring Conference
Are You Crazy?
Mid-Market Report: M&A Outlook for North America in 2016
8 Tips for Writing a Great Press Release
Editor's Desk
Deal Sought for MAS Spring Conference Presentation
Why You Need a Business Attorney to Sell Your Business
I Wanted to Give You a Million Dollars but...
Meet the Staff: Lesley Martin
Save the Date for the 2016 M&A Source Spring Conference
May 2-5 Orlando, FL
Rosen Shingle Creek
Are You Crazy?
Joe Lindsey, M&AMI, CBI
M&A Source Chairman  
Back in 1997 Apple Inc. ran a television advertising campaign entitled " Think Different."  Pictured during that TV commercial were the images of:
Albert Einstein
Henry Ford
John Lennon, etc.
As the images of those fourteen people were shown, the off-screen voice delivered a message that said, in part:
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Mid-Market Report: M&A Outlook for North America in 2016
Firmex Inc. (This report is provided from Divestopedia)

Takeaway: A summary of Firmex's report created in collaboration with Mergermarket on North American mid-market M&A projections for 2016.

Virtual data room provider, Firmex, worked with Mergermarket and a panelist of industry experts to produce a recently released report on the outlook of M&A deals for North America in 2016. As pointed toward in their last report, business development companies (BDCs) and strategic acquirers are to thank for the emergence of both cheaper financing and increased competition. However, uncertainty remains about how decreased oil prices, what the interest rates will be in 2016 and who will be the next U.S. president will all affect future mid-market M&A deals.

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8 Tips for Writing a Great Press Release
Steve Sink
Senior partner and owner of Phoenix Affiliates Business Intermediaries

Press releases are an essential element of any public relations strategy. These short, compelling documents detail product releases, event announcements and other newsworthy items a company produces.

A great press release does more than keep the media and the industry-at-large informed of your company's recent developments. They are meant to pique the interest of journalists, who may seek to cover the topic further. Crafting a great press release is often the first step in securing an interview or being featured in your local media-and thus, more visibility and new customers.

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Editor's Desk 

As Chair of the Communications Committee and Editor of the BRIDGE, I welcome your questions, comments, suggestions, Letters to the Editor, etc. Our goal is to provide content that is relevant to our readers. Your feedback will help us achieve that goal.

Members of The M&A Source are encouraged to submit articles for publication.

Mike Camerota, M&AMI, CBI
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Deal Sought for M&A Source Spring Conference 

The Conference Planning Committee is seeking help from M&A Source members to identify a deal that was successfully sold to a private equity buyer to be featured in the Lets Make a Deal - PEGs Put Their Cards on the Table session at this spring's conference in Orlando, Florida, May 2-5.

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Why You Need a Business Attorney to Sell Your Business
Marcel Bernier, Partner, Murtha Cullina

Editor's Note:
We all learn from our experiences and (hopefully) the experiences of our peers so let me share one of mine.  Several years ago I was able to negotiate a significant synergistic/strategic premium for my client's company but the buyer needed to close in 30 days.  I recommended an experienced M&A attorney but my client insisted "saving" on legal expenses by retaining his local attorney against my vehement objections.  You can guess what happened; the owner's attorney was unable to close the deal in a month and it "cratered" soon after.  That experience prompted me to ask my friend, Marcel, for a letter outlining the reasons for a Seller to hire counsel experienced in the sale of businesses.  I patterned my own letter after it.-Michael Camerota

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I Wanted to Give You a Million Dollars but...
Gabe Galvez, CEO of CAPTARGET LLC
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I help a lot of M&A firms and private equity groups find new clients and develop their pipelines in a professional capacity. This is a skill I have honed after a lot of experimentation and failure over the last five years.

Every project starts with me asking the banker who they think their target client is.  Nearly all answer the same way - they are looking to target business owners over 55 years old with mature, stable businesses that are positioned to sell. These business owners are also thought to be mostly men.  Additionally, most bankers feel these potential clients do not interact much on social media or even email and generally are low tech. 

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Meet the Staff: Lesley Martin
New Membership Manager
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Lesley Martin recently started as the new Membership Manager for The M&A Source. Many of you probably know her as our excellent Registration Manager. She will still assist with Registration as she takes on this new role.
Here are three fun facts about Lesley:
  • She is originally from Florida and is a big Lightning hockey fan.
  • She has an amazing attitude and loves to help members. Even when busy, Lesley always gets it done.
  • Lesley was nominated as the Employee of the Year at Meeting Expectations in 2015.
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About Us  M&A Logo
The association is organized and operated to promote members' professional development to better serve their clients' needs, and to maximize public awareness of services performed by intermediaries and ancillary advisors who facilitate solutions available for lower middle market merger and acquisition transactions.

The M&A Source was established in 1992 to address the challenges faced by merger and acquisition professionals. This international organization currently has more than 350 M&A dealmakers including intermediaries, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants, financial planners and others involved in the M&A process.