and 23 additional details to hammer out.
all things being equal, in a merger between firms of relatively equal size and weight, not all things are equal. here marc rosenberg, author of cpa firm mergers, lists the thorniest questions that crop up most frequently.
the most critical issues read more →
how a larger firm worries about the smaller firm’s issues.
mergers between larger cpa firms have their own special issues, as marc rosenberg, author of cpa firm mergers, discovered when he interviewed the partners of one of them. they are:
one question: for initial buy-in, should you write a check or transfer wip and a/r?
there’s a lot to worry about in any cpa firm merger deal. but in one deal between two small firms, when marc rosenberg, author of cpa firm mergers, interviewed one firm’s partners, he heard seven major issues. they are:
with a 32-point checklist.
by marc rosenberg
how to negotiate a cpa firm merger
since mergers happen between partners as much as firms, the partners of each firm must walk into the deal with eyes wide open. a structured interview process helps to produce open, honest and brutally candid responses. here are 32 questions you shouldn’t ignore. read more →
marc rosenberg, who has participated with hundreds of firms in merger strategies, lays out 29 issues to consider when examining a downward merger candidate. one of the first questions to ask is why would either of you want to merge. from there, the questions get even more difficult. read more →
merging upward isn’t easy. and it shouldn’t be. marc rosenberg says you’ll need to cover at least these 31 items in your due diligence.
25 questions smaller firms must ask larger firms before merging.
by marc rosenberg
how to negotiate a cpa firm merger
it’s very likely that when a small firm considers merging upward with a much larger firm, the small firm will pretty much have to accept the terms offered by the larger firm.
in these cases, the “negotiations” take the form of the smaller firm simply learning what the merger terms are and deciding whether it can accept those terms. here are the 15 most important questions. read more →
positioning your firm as an attractive merger candidate for larger firms doesn’t happen by accident. it takes discipline in management, leadership and teamwork. here are 11 keys to preparing your firm for the future from marc rosenberg. read more →
by marc rosenberg
1. are there one or more partners at the larger firm who will be retiring in the next 5-10 years?
2. will the retirement obligation to one dominating partner be so large that the firm cannot afford the payments?
3. will the retirement of one or more key people in the next few years threaten the larger firm’s ability to maintain partner income levels? read more →
the essential data needed for a sound merger evaluation process.
by marc rosenberg, cpa
start with…
1. financial statements for the last three years and the most current financial statements for current year.
then add: read more →
step 1: how to find the right candidate.
every merger is different, says marc rosenberg in how to negotiate a cpa firm merger. “it’s impossible to choreograph, from a to z, exactly how the process for all mergers will work.” in this 20-step roadmap, the milestones are laid out in the order they most commonly occur. each twist and turn has its own perils. and they don’t necessarily come in the same order every time.
learning how to to ask all the right questions.
accounting firms combine for a reason, or not at all. in fact, firms may need many reasons to merge. making sure the merger discussions end in a successful deal requires hard work, some compromise and not a small amount of luck. according to marc rosenberg in how to negotiate a cpa firm merger, it shouldn’t start with “love at first sight.” but it must start with at least 13 ingredients necessary for success. read more →