Exitwise Weekly M&A Newsletter

In this week’s edition of the Exitwise M&A Newsletter:

CASHING OUT: Check out Episode 46 of the Cashing Out podcast, featuring 3x Bootstrapper, Melissa Kwan. Melissa has an incredible background, having built three companies without any venture capital support, including Spacio, which became the real estate industry's top open house sign-in solution.

In 2019, she sold Spacio to a strategic buyer for mid-seven figures. Join us as Melissa shares her inspiring journey of building a thriving SaaS business, including the challenges she faced and the valuable lessons she learned along the way. This is a must-listen for fellow founders who can relate to the struggles of building a company without significant resources or venture capital funding.

M&A EDUCATION: “Someone Just Offered To Buy Your Company: Now What?”

In this week’s article, we cover a topic that comes up so many times for our fellow founders - getting an unsolicited, inbound offer to buy his or her company.

Unfortunately, an initial, unexpected offer can create chaos for many first time founders - they’re typically excited for the external validation, unsure of how to respond, and don’t always manage those first few conversation in a way that lead to a positive next step.

We decided to write an article to give some initial guidance - let us know what else you’d add to the list:

1. Reflect on the decision to sell: Consider the implications of selling the company and the impact on employees, customers, and personal aspirations.

2. Consult with an M&A expert: Seek advice from an M&A advisor to level the playing field and negotiate the best deal.

3. Understand the company's worth: Obtain an accurate business valuation to inform negotiation strategies.

4. Sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to protect sensitive information and avoid rushing to share financial or customer details with the potential buyer.

5. Be cautious about sharing with the team: Hold off on informing the team until the deal is more certain to avoid creating unnecessary uncertainty or distractions.

CASHING OUT PODCAST | E46 | MELISSA KWAN

Join Todd Sullivan in a conversation with Melissa Kwan, the co-founder and CEO of eWebinar, a top automated webinar platform. Prior to eWebinar, Melissa spent 13 years building three successful companies without venture capital backing. Her last company, Spacio, became the real estate industry's number one open house sign-in solution, helping agents automate lead capture and follow up.

Melissa sold Spacio in 2019 to a strategic buyer. After years of struggling to build her company with virtually no resources, our fellow founders will easily relate to Melissa's story, especially those who have not had the benefit of venture capital funding.

From eating one meal a day to reduce our personal burn to growing Spacio to over 100,000 users and selling for mid-seven figures. Melissa Kwan gives our listeners a good look into the expectations versus reality of building and exiting a successful SaaS business.

We hope you enjoy the conversation with Melissa!

JOIN US ON OUR MISSION TO ENSURE M&A SUCCESS FOR OUR FELLOW FOUNDERS

Exitwise Referral Program

Building a successful business from the ground up is an extraordinary feat, and at Exitwise, we understand the immense dedication and effort it takes.

And when it comes to selling a business, the complexities can multiply, making it an even more daunting task. That's where Exitwise steps in – to offer our expertise and guidance to you or someone in your professional network.

We are excited to announce our Founder Referral Program as we continue to build out our mission for supporting the entrepreneurial community… and we’d be happy to talk to you about how we can help.

If you missed last week’s M&A Roundtable event, would like more information on referring a potential client, or would like to know when we’re meeting next please reach out to Matt Damman ([email protected]) to receive meeting invitation details and further information about the event.