Buying a business

Our Services

Discover your next acquisition

Interested in buying a business in the freight and logistics sector? 4CAP Equity’s specialist services help buyers achieve their targets and grow their company.

We will save you time during the prospecting phase, delivering a wide choice of acquisition opportunities from our broad network. Crucially, we will accomplish this with your search criteria as our primary focus, each step of the way.

our process

Buying a business

We understand that the process of acquiring a business can be a strenuous one. Therefore, our team is committed to reducing your workload, by supporting your management teams through the process, identifying only the most fitting targets in line with your aims, and moving forward with absolute efficiency.

The 4CAP Equity approach to buying a business follows these 6 steps:

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Buying icon Buying icon Step 1

Initial Meeting

We will meet with you to discuss your goals for the acquisition, your budget, and the resources you will require pre and post transaction. We will use the findings from this meeting to develop your initial specification and agree your requirements in a written project brief.

Buying icon Buying icon Step 2

Market Research

Our research team will identify a long list of potential targets that match your requirements. This will be made available for you to review at your convenience, so you are always kept informed of the latest developments. We gather the vital information on each target, including financial performance, office locations, shareholding structure and services offered.

Buying icon Buying icon Step 3

Approaching Targets

A confidential approach is made to the key shareholders of each acquisition target. Each target’s appetite to sell is determined and our initial list is updated accordingly, ensuring that no time is wasted pursuing unwilling sellers and that all targets match your acquisition criteria.

Buying icon Buying icon Step 4

Shortlisting

Together, we will review the long list, removing targets who do not match your specification, or whose appetite to sell is weak. Having agreed on a shortlist, we will contact the targets to explore their businesses in greater depth, collating information such as management structure, client concentration and financial performance, with a view to providing an initial analysis of their suitability.

Buying icon Buying icon Step 5

Introduction

With your approval, we will organise an introduction between yourselves and the shortlisted targets that fulfil your requirements. We will arrange, manage and lead initial meetings during which both parties will have the opportunity to share their business journeys, and the reasons behind their interest in the transaction.

Where both parties have a mutual interest in proceeding, a second meeting will typically discuss the financials of the target, identifying synergies/economies of scale and formulating both parties’ views on post-acquisition integration.

Buying icon Buying icon Step 6

Negotiation & Completion

Should you wish to present an offer, we can prepare a valuation and a structure for the purchase to present to the target’s shareholders or appointed advisors. We will then actively negotiate with the target or its advisors where required to achieve a mutually acceptable agreement, formulating a final Head of Terms.

Once the Head of Terms are signed, we will work with all parties, including legal representatives from both sides, to determine a Purchase Agreement, typically an SPA. We will act as a mediator during this negotiation process to ensure any hurdles are overcome efficiently and amicably.

BUYING A BUSINESS

Private Equity

As an M&A firm with substantial specific expertise in the freight and logistics industry, 4CAP Equity works in partnership with the management teams and their shareholders of companies with an existing Private Equity commitment to realise the value of their investments and introduce them to opportunities throughout our extensive global network.

Our Private Equity services are effective whether you are looking for an entry point into the sector, or to consolidate your position. Get in touch today to benefit from our proactive approach and exceptional knowledge of this sector.