SMERGERS Blog is your go-to resource for insights into the world of SME investments, mergers, and acquisitions.
It offers expert analysis, industry trends, and practical advice to help business owners, investors, and professionals navigate complex financial transactions.
Whether you're buying, selling, or scaling a business, the SMERGERS Blog delivers valuable knowledge to drive informed decisions.
Malaysia, with its robust economy and strategic position in Southeast Asia, is becoming a popular destination for investors seeking to buy businesses. However, choosing the right city in this diverse nation can significantly impact your business success. Let’s explore the top ten cities in Malaysia to consider when looking to purchase a business and uncover some unexpected insights along the way.
Continue reading..Exploring Global Business Opportunities: A Comprehensive Guide to Businesses for Sale
Dec 26, 2024
2 minutes
Are you looking for your next business venture? The market is brimming with opportunities, from bustling cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad to international hotspots like Singapore, Qatar, Portugal, South Korea and Canada. Here's a guide to navigating the vast landscape of businesses for sale
Continue
reading..
In the evolving landscape of the 21st-century economy, the definition of value and what makes a company valuable and asset rich have transformed. Traditional notions of assets tied to physical objects or properties have changed and given way to the rise of intangible assets. As we navigate this paradigm shift, understanding what intangible assets are, types of intangible assets, how to value them, how companies have valued them, and their pivotal role in determining a company's worth becomes imperative.
Continue
reading..
One investment is all it takes to make your dream of owning a restaurant a reality - buying an already-established one. But before you make an offer on the restaurant of your dreams, you need to be aware that there are still plenty of challenges associated with buying an existing one, just like when opening a new restaurant. Careful research and consideration must be taken before taking the leap and investing in your ambitions. Owning a restaurant can be one of the most rewarding experiences, and with the right preparation and dedication, you can make it happen!
Continue
reading..
The pandemic has engulfed a major part of 2020. The world started going into lockdown around the month of March and small and medium businesses across the world were the segment that has been affected the most. The industries that have evidently been affected include – real estate & construction, hotel, restaurant, and transportation. As the world ventures into a new year, here is a look at the pandemic’s effect on small businesses.
Continue
reading..
A business exit strategy is a method used by investors such as venture capitalists and angel investors to receive a cash out of their investment. It gives them a way to reduce or liquidate stake in a business and if the business is successful make a substantial profit. It also helps to limit losses in case the business has not been successful. Some of the common exit strategies include initial public offerings (IPO), strategic acquisitions and management buyouts (MBO). The strategy chosen for exit would depend on numerous factors with each method offering its own advantages and disadvantages.
Continue
reading..
The right financing for your business can come in many forms, as well as many sources. There’s crowdfunding, alternative lenders, bank loans, unsecured loans, secured loans, lines of credit, term loans, equity, debt, and many more.
At a particular point, you may want to settle for a straightforward and simple personal loan instead. However, the question is, can you use it for business purposes? Is personal loan better than a business loan?
Continue
reading..
While e-commerce may never eclipse in-store retail sales, e-commerce is a giant that continues to grow. Currently, about 14% of all retail sales are done online while by 2022, that number is expected to increase to 20%. That’s 1 in every 5 purchases will be made online!
Many people are choosing to jump onto the ecommerce ship for their new business or existing one. It’s simply another way to build up the business, attract new customers, and increase sales over time.
Continue
reading..
Entrepreneur's Guide to Raising Finance for Business Acquisition and Funding Initial Cash Flow
Oct 22, 2019
8 minutes
What’s in this guide: with nearly a decade's worth of experience in business financing, franchising, and business selling, we at SMERGERS have a tried and tested guide to help entrepreneurs raise finance for business acquisitions. This guide covers all three aspects of business financing, beginning with closing costs, varieties of financing options, and funding operational expenses.
Continue
reading..
In this post we explain the fundamentals of M&A, we describe specialists who are part of the M&A process, and we highlight 12 most common jargons used during an M&A transaction. M&A stands for Mergers and Acquisitions. M&A is a process where companies sell and buy each other. There can be instances where even individuals invest or buy small businesses. When an entrepreneur decides to sell his business, the reasons can be many. He may want to retire, relocate to a different city, focus on another business or simply move on from the business and receive a lucrative offer to buy a beach property.
Continue
reading..
Is your business set for profit or value? Modern day technology and fewer entry barriers in most industries have changed the business landscape around the world. Starting a business now is easier than ever before in human history. However, starting is just the first step. Convincing people to work for your business or product idea, convincing customers to buy your product and most importantly convincing investors to put money into your business are the most challenging aspects for a business owner. Once you have put a strong business foundation and created an interesting product people want to buy, you will need to raise funds to grow or sell your business. Convincing a buyer is as challenging as convincing investors to invest in your business.
Continue
reading..
Buying a business is generally cheaper than starting one. And what’s also important is that there are huge advantages that you get when buying a business rather than starting it from scratch. Entrepreneurship through acquisition, or buying a business gives you the added advantage of existing customer base, working marketing strategy, already hired employees, easy financing, avoiding delays of compliance and regulatory approvals, etc. But if you end up buying a business without proper due diligence it may cost you much more time, money and energy that what you would have spent starting one. Hence it is important to check the below listed aspects before you take the plunge.
Continue
reading..
In most countries, of all the registered companies only 60-70% of them are actively in business. Some businesses fail in their planning phase, some are declared dormant and some just run out of money. For most of the young entrepreneurs out there, this is a harsh reality. You might think that your idea is good, but if not executed properly, it can be one of the worst mistakes you do in your life. A bad business will have heavy consequences and will drain your financial resources and time.
Continue
reading..
As an entrepreneur you’ve have spent a lot of time, money and other resources to build and grow your ecommerce business, that you want to sell now. But, how do you proceed with the sale? Pointers below will help you to prep-up for the sale of your eCommerce site.
Continue
reading..
Entrepreneurs with surplus funds often like to start a franchise business. It may not be their primary source of income but it can lend them a great deal of profitability because the business model is already proven successful and is led by a strong existing and recognised brand.
Continue
reading..
If you’re a small business owner, a franchise can be one of the best ways to build your business. Many entrepreneurs dream about exponentially growing their business and making their brand a household name, but typically lack the growth capital required to get to such a stage. Franchising your business ensures a low cost scaling model, though it requires diligence and a laser focussed execution strategy.
Continue
reading..
As an entrepreneur, the eventual exit from the business, however successful, can be made sour unless the tax structure of the sale is optimized. Many business owners have paid over 40% of the sale amount to the Government as taxes, merely due to bad financial planning. In this article, we’ll attempt to decipher some of the less understood points about the taxes incurred while selling your business.
Continue
reading..
Every business owner has to exit their business at some point – be it for personal or professional reasons. Though selling the business can be a challenge, attempting to sell it quickly poses a unique set of problems. The aim of this article is to educate small business owners on how to sell your business fast.
Though every sale transaction is unique, a well-run business generally takes around 90-180 days to be sold. Most business owners prefer a quick sale, but it makes the acquirers nervous as they like to have enough time to do their due diligence.
Continue
reading..
For those who’re ready to take the entrepreneurial leap, starting a business from scratch might not be the only option. When you build a business from ground up, there’re many challenges in the same including initial set up, finding early customers, hiring key employees, managing cash flow, etc. These issues are negated when you choose to buy a business which has a proven track record of customers, internal processes, revenue and profit. If you’re asking yourself ‘How can I buy a business?’ this article is for you
Continue
reading..
Selling a business is never an easy task so you can always enlist the services of a broker to sell your business. They are intermediaries between a business owner who’s selling their business and an acquirer who want to purchase it. They play an important role in sale of businesses in providing expertise needed to get the sale done, a trait most small business owners lack. Also, selling a business takes time, so working with a broker allows the business owner to focus on operating the business while the broker does the leg work required to complete the sale.
Continue
reading..
"Price is what you pay. Value is what you get" - Warren Buffett
Calculating how much a business is worth is a complex financial subject which is difficult to cover in one article. In this article, let us look at the basics of valuation and what are the typical methods and drivers for valuation of a business. To begin with, it is first important to understand the reason behind why one would like to value a business
Continue
reading..
Buying an existing business from an owner who’s retiring, relocating or cashing out is a great way to become an entrepreneur. Buying is particularly interesting as most of the legwork is already done by the existing business owner. Plus, you don’t have to go through the long process of figuring out a business model that works, monetization techniques, etc. and go straight to expansion and growing profits.
Continue
reading..
For business owners, a great way to retain their business but still get some liquid cash is through selling a part of the business. That’s right – selling a business doesn’t mean you have to sell it completely. You can always sell a portion of it while holding onto the rest. The cash can be used for further growth of operations or get some liquidity. Selling a part of your business might be a better option for you and the business, if you plan and execute the strategy well. Let’s start by exploring the use cases for selling a part of the business.
Continue
reading..
Different entrepreneurs have different motivations for starting and running a business. Some do it to escape the monotony of working for a corporate outfit, while others do it to pursue a passion. Whatever the reason an entrepreneur has for pursuing a business, eventually he/she would think of selling the business to realize its full potential. There are several reasons why one would want to sell the business. It could be retirement, absence of succession planning, no legal heir, mental fatigue for the entrepreneur or simply, to cash out for the right offer. In this article, we’ll explore different steps one has to take before putting up a running business for sale.
Continue
reading..
If you’re a business owner with a great firm and are wondering why you aren’t able to attract buyers/investors, perhaps you’re committing some of these classic mistakes (with easy fixes) we’ve seen hundreds of businesses commit.
Continue
reading..
📈 Industry Watch
Automobile industry facing a tough time as vehicle demand is sluggish. Valuations of companies on the lower end. Autocomponent industry is also expected to witness a flat growth this fiscal because of weak automobile demand. The industry will remain
Fitness industry in India is worth Rs.4,500 crore and is growing at 16-18% annually and is expected to cross Rs.7,000 crore by 2017. The industry is fragmented with majority of the market dominated by unorganized and independent gyms outlets. The
Low utilization rates and weak demand from realty and infrastructure sectors is driving consolidation in the Indian cement industry. More mergers & acquisitions are expected in the medium-to-long-term as valuations are attractive to buyers and
Demand for electronics hardware in India is projected to grow at 25% compared to only 15% growth in production, expected to create a demand supply gap of Rs.14.8 lakh crores by FY20. This creates a unique opportunity for electronics companies
The ecommerce space in India is still evolving and companies have limited history. Many of them function at negative operating cashflows and are dependent on investments from venture capital firms. Using traditional valuation methods like DCF
The food processing industry in India is getting a shot in the arm with increased focus from the government and policy makers, higher involvement of scientists to help increase food processing productivity, and establishment of mega food parks
The Staffing Industry includes companies which list employment vacancies, place applicants in employment, supply temporary workforce and all other employment related services. Market size of the Indian staffing industry was INR 26,650 crore in 2014
Global acquisitions by Indian IT firms rising with a majority of the transactions happening in Europe and North America. Primary reasons driving these acquisitions are increasing local presence in the US and Europe, acquiring employees with a
The Indian healthcare market is expected to reach ₹ 24 lakh crore by 2022 from ₹ 9 lakh crore in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 17.7% driven by rising incomes, greater awareness, prevalence of lifestyle diseases and increasing penetration of medical
Nutraceuticals (also called health supplements) are specially processed or formulated foods designed to satisfy particular dietary requirements and/or provide medicinal or health benefits. They generally contain extracts from plant & animal sources,
The Apparel industry or the Ready-Made Garments (RMG) Industry is the largest segment of the Indian Textiles and Apparel (T&A) Industry accounting for approximately 50% of the total industry. Given that apparel manufacturing is economically viable
Facility Management (FM) refers to the use of a third-party service providers to maintain a part or entire building facility in a professional manner. It is increasingly gaining popularity amongst commercial as well as residential clients driven by
Fuel additives are fuel-soluble chemicals added in small quantities to enhance the properties of the fuel, improve fuel handling and fuel performance. The rapidly increasing demand for hydrocarbon fuels from transportation and power industries have
Advertising spends in India are expected to grow 12.6% year on year to Rs 48,977 crore for the year 2015. The ad spend in 2014 was Rs. 43,490 crore, which reflected a 12.5% increase over 2013. Firms in the advertising industry prepare advertisements
The worldwide ERP software grew by 6.4% in 2014 to reach $27B market size. The segment is anticipated to garner $41 billion in sales by 2020 with a CAGR of 7.2% during 2014-2020. ERP software is second fastest growing segments within Enterprise
It is widely believed that India has not fully leveraged its strength in the Manufacturing sector in the last decade, but the sector is expected to emerge stronger in next decade as companies innovate and adopt new business models. To support this
Pharmaceutical industry seems to be entering a growth phase after a muted growth over the last few quarters. Valuations of pharma companies fairly high as they are expected to perform. Indian Pharmaceuticals industry is the world’s third largest in
The Indian restaurant industry is highly unorganized and fragmented but is getting rapidly organized with Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) segment leading the way. Private Equity and Venture Capital firms have shown increased interest in this sector
The salon industry in India is largely unorganized but is getting organized at a fast pace. The average per person spending on salons in India is a minuscule of spending in other locations such as North America, Europe, and Asia. Even a small growth
India is world’s second largest producer of textile and apparel after China. China is slowly reducing its focus on textiles and this has had a positive impact on the Indian textile and apparel industry. But not everything in the garden is rosy as
Indian managed farmland industry provides a lucrative passive investment opportunity. Managed farmland lets investors own farm plots while companies handle operations, sharing profits from produce sales. With India's 159.7M hectares of arable land
The Indian AYUSH and Ayurveda industry is booming! 🌿✨
AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Homoeopathy.
Growth: Manufacturing sector hit INR 2 lakh crores (US$ 24B) by 2024. Total industry worth INR 4.1 lakh crores (US$
The global e-commerce market is expected to grow from $16.6 trillion in 2022 to $70.9 trillion by 2028. Key players like Shopify are driving this growth, while M&A activity, including seed funding for apps like Okendo, highlights the dynamic nature
Fueled by innovation, aging populations, and chronic illnesses, the market is set to reach USD 863.2B by 2030. With segments like diagnostic imaging, cardiovascular, and dental devices, this sector spans essential healthcare tools. The USA leads
The UAE foodservice market is rapidly expanding, driven by growing consumer demand, diverse cuisines, and innovative restaurant technologies. With a projected CAGR of 17.10%, it’s set to reach AED 161.53 billion by 2029. Discover key insights on the
Australia’s supermarket and online grocery industry is evolving fast, valued at AUD 113B and projected to hit AUD 129.6B by 2026. Post-COVID trends, digital adoption, and economic shifts are reshaping how Aussies shop. Discover insights into market
Global oil demand is rebounding post-pandemic, driven by transport and industrial fuel needs, while Slovakia’s fuel retail market modernizes through automation and strong independent players. Our latest Industry Watch dives into trends, recovery
Singapore’s construction industry faced a sharp 33.7% decline in 2020 due to COVID-19, labor shortages, and project delays. However, recovery is underway, led by public housing, healthcare, and infrastructure. With renewed investments and policy
🎲 The global toy industry is booming, expected to surpass $120B by 2023! Europe is the 3rd largest market, with 99% of manufacturers being SMEs. Offline sales still lead, but online channels are growing fast. Innovation, regional demand, and
The $193B global gaming industry is evolving fast — not just play, but earn. 🎮
Gamers are creators, streamers, and income earners, with Web3 and NFTs unlocking asset ownership and digital economies.
By 2025, the industry hits $211B, driven by
Unlock investment opportunities in Malaysia's lightning protection industry! ⚡🏢
High Demand: Malaysia experiences extremely high lightning discharges, with cities like Bayan Lepas having 293 lightning days per annum.
Critical Infrastructure: Over
Unlock the potential of the Greece furniture retail market! 🛋️📈
Market Growth: Expected to generate EUR 1.15B in 2023 with a CAGR of 2.45% until 2028.
Key Segments: Bedroom, Living Room, Kitchen & Dining, Bathroom, Outdoor, Home Office.
Global
The global robotic mower industry is booming! 🌱🚜
Market Size: Valued at USD 1.5 billion (EUR 1.36 billion) in 2021, expected to reach USD 3.9 billion (EUR 3.56 billion) by 2027 at a CAGR of 12% 📈
Western Europe: Leading the market with
The global smoking accessories and cannabis industry is evolving! 🌍🚬🌿
Market size (global smoking accessories): USD 64.4B in 2021, projected to grow at 4.0% CAGR till 2030.
Trends: Shift from cigarettes to safer non-smoking products. Rise of
The Malaysian playschool industry is on the rise! 📚✨
Market Growth: Expected to reach RM 19 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 5.6% (2021-2026).
Curriculum: Adheres to the National Preschool Curriculum, emphasizing play, thematic, integrated
The community management software is transforming customer engagement, brand advocacy, and support. Valued at AUD 13.33B (USD 8.32B) in 2023, this market is set to hit AUD 58.66B (USD 36.68B) by 2032, growing at 17.93% CAGR. Driven by remote work
🌟 Dive into the world of themed fabrication! From crafting immersive experiences for theme parks 🎢 to creating interactive museum exhibits 🏛️, this industry blends engineering, artistic craftsmanship, and storytelling like no other. With booming
🌟 Revolutionizing healthcare in the U.S.! The telehealth market has surged with a CAGR of 28%, projected to hit $43 billion by 2026 📈. Fueled by mobile technology, broadband connectivity 🌐, and increasing demand for safe, convenient care
