Greg Ponder

Introduction

SMP Capital Partners creates efficient and profitable exit strategies for business owners in the lower middle market. Here’s how we do it:

Focused Attention: We’re not a good fit for everyone and everyone is not a good fit for us. We will work immediately to determine if we are a good fit for your company. If there is a better option, we will tell you who they are. We need to make sure that everyone is on the same page, telling the same story, having the same conversations, and are prepared for every transaction stage.

Confidentiality: Confidentiality is the most critical component of a business sale and we treat it that way at SMP Capital Partners. We know the value your team, customer base, reputation, goodwill, and historical performance create to make your company the industry titan it is. We manage all transaction aspects with the strongest confidentiality.

Integrity: we follow a straightforward set of values at SMP Capital. Grit, High Motor, Accountability, and Self Awareness. We build long term relationships w/many of our clients, many before a transaction, but most clients lean on us for advisory services for several years after a transaction. We lead with doing, we are here to help, and we take responsibility for our charges. We will always answer the phone, email, or text message long after the transaction closes.

Structured & Proven Process: Our over 50 years of combined deal experience led us to develop a structured process designed to efficiently manage your business sale with minimal stress and worry and maximize the value owed to you and your shareholders. Our confidential marketing along with our thorough buyer qualification process makes sure that you only meet qualified prospective buyers. Similar to sellers, nearly 75% of buyers across all groups and types have never bought a business before. They may have participated in M&A transactions in some capacity, but they have never signed documents at closing. Besides receiving an education in business acquisition, they will always sign our detailed Non-Disclosure Agreement, provide proof of financial qualification, meet with us to introduce their investment criteria, and will agree to follow our process to close. Rest assured that when we are prepared to make a buyer introduction, we have done our homework.

Marketing: SMP Capital Partners develops customized marketing materials specifically designed to highlight your strengths, growth opportunities, and place in the industry. We spend significant time dedicated to deep learning about your industry and how your business fits into the ecosystem. We will be the resident industry experts before we go to market. In addition, many times buyers use our marketing material which includes industry data, geographical information, and local demographics as a baseline document as they build out their business plans for their limited partners and senior debt lenders.

Our marketing is built to generate motivated and serious buyer activity and it works.

Structured Negotiations: Eighth grade math is not difficult: unless it has been 25+ years since you have taken eighth grade math. Transactions follow a similar heartbeat, but they are all unique as fingerprints. We do them every day and with over 50 years of combined transactional experience, we have learned where the impasses are. We know what to expect throughout a transaction and can help you stay several steps ahead of the transaction.

Nearly every seller experiences “deal fatigue” even when they work with teams like us. Transactions are hard and they are final. Sellers always have an emotional experience when transitioning. It is a lot of change. We help manage the emotional ebbs and flows of deal making and have the tough conversations so that buyer and seller can start transitioning post closing on good terms.

Transactions are living, breathing organisms. They change, shift directions, and can surprise you if you are unsure of next steps. Once we sign an exclusivity agreement with a buyer group, we will work collectively to establish a transaction checklist which begins at offer stage and concludes after a post closing reconciliation day.

Bottom Line: We believe every business owner should know what their businesses are worth. We will initially provide a complementary valuation which will outline your current range of value based on a careful analysis of your financial data, recent and thoroughly researched comparable sales, and commonly held industry standard metrics including infrastructure, customer concentration, owner role, growth potential, and company strengths. We then work to create a controlled environment where we engage multiple and targeted buyer prospects simultaneously while offering most of our listings via “Market Value” pricing. We want to bring a carefully curated list qualified buyer prospects to the conversation early. We never stop negotiating on your behalf. From the initial buyer prospect conversations, to LOI analysis, due diligence coordination, legal documentation, and finally to close, we never stop working to generate the most positive result possible for you and your shareholders.