M&A Advisory
M&A Advisory Services
Financial leadership for mergers, acquisitions, and transactions. Navigate deals with confidence.
What is a M&A Advisory?
M&A transactions require specialized financial expertise. Whether you're buying, selling, or merging, our M&A advisory services provide the financial leadership you need.
Why Choose Our M&A Advisory Services
From due diligence to integration, we guide you through the transaction lifecycle with the financial insight that protects your interests.
At 1CFO, our team has supported hundreds of transactions—from small tuck-in acquisitions to significant strategic sales. We bring the deal experience that helps you avoid pitfalls, optimize terms, and execute successfully.
Key Benefits
Due Diligence
Thorough financial analysis of targets or your own readiness. We identify risks before they become your problems and opportunities that support your negotiating position.
Deal Structure
Optimize transaction structure for value, risk, and tax efficiency. Purchase price allocation, earnout mechanics, representations and warranties—structure matters.
Valuation Support
Realistic valuations grounded in financial reality, not wishful thinking. We help you understand what a business is truly worth based on defensible analysis.
Integration
Financial integration planning and execution. Systems consolidation, reporting harmonization, synergy tracking—we help capture the value you expected.
Transaction Management
Project management for the deal process. Timelines, workstreams, issues tracking—someone needs to keep the transaction on track.
Negotiation Support
Financial analysis to support negotiations. When counterparties make claims, you need quick analysis to validate or refute them.
Detailed Benefit Breakdown About M&A Advisory Services
Click to see comprehensive details about each benefit
Detailed Benefit Breakdown About M&A Advisory Services
Click to see comprehensive details about each benefit
Due Diligence
Thorough financial analysis of targets or your own readiness. We identify risks before they become your problems and opportunities that support your negotiating position.
Deal Structure
Optimize transaction structure for value, risk, and tax efficiency. Purchase price allocation, earnout mechanics, representations and warranties—structure matters.
Valuation Support
Realistic valuations grounded in financial reality, not wishful thinking. We help you understand what a business is truly worth based on defensible analysis.
Integration
Financial integration planning and execution. Systems consolidation, reporting harmonization, synergy tracking—we help capture the value you expected.
Transaction Management
Project management for the deal process. Timelines, workstreams, issues tracking—someone needs to keep the transaction on track.
Negotiation Support
Financial analysis to support negotiations. When counterparties make claims, you need quick analysis to validate or refute them.
How Our M&A Advisory Services Can Help Your Organization
Our m&a advisory services deliver expert guidance tailored to your business needs. We make onboarding simple and results-focused.
Preparation
Ready your financials for transaction scrutiny. For sellers: clean books, compelling materials. For buyers: define criteria, establish valuation framework.
Diligence
Conduct or support financial due diligence. Deep-dive analysis into financial performance, quality of earnings, working capital, and risk factors.
Negotiation
Support deal structuring and negotiation with financial analysis. Model scenarios, analyze counterparty positions, optimize terms.
Close & Integrate
Execute closing mechanics and post-close integration. Working capital true-up, systems integration, synergy realization.
Understanding M&A Advisory Services
M&A advisory services provide expert financial support throughout the merger and acquisition process. This includes transaction preparation (getting your company ready to buy or sell), due diligence (analyzing financial aspects of potential deals), deal structuring (optimizing transaction terms), and integration (combining operations post-close).
Unlike investment bankers who typically focus on deal sourcing and negotiation, M&A advisory from a CFO perspective emphasizes the financial substance of transactions. We help you understand what you're buying or selling, identify risks that affect value, structure deals that protect your interests, and execute post-transaction integration that captures expected synergies.
M&A is where sophisticated financial analysis matters most. A missed liability in due diligence, an poorly structured earnout, or a botched integration can destroy value that took years to build. Having experienced M&A financial leadership reduces these risks significantly.
Our M&A services span both buy-side and sell-side transactions. For buyers, we help evaluate opportunities, conduct financial due diligence, model deal economics, and plan integration. For sellers, we prepare financial packages, manage data rooms, respond to buyer diligence, and ensure you're positioned for maximum value.
When to Consider M&A Advisory Services
Signs your business is ready for this service
You're Considering an Acquisition
Before committing to a purchase, you need objective financial analysis of the target. What's it really worth? What ri...
You're Preparing to Sell
Selling your business is likely the biggest financial event of your career. Proper preparation—clean financials, defe...
You've Been Approached by a Buyer
When buyers express interest, you need to quickly assess whether to engage—and if so, how to position for the best ou...
You're in Active Deal Process
Navigating due diligence, deal negotiations, and closing requires intensive financial support. Your day job doesn't s...
You Need to Integrate an Acquisition
The deal is signed, but the hard work of integration begins. Capturing expected synergies requires disciplined financ...
You're Exploring Strategic Options
Even if you're not actively buying or selling, understanding your strategic options (and what preparation they'd requ...
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you help me sell my business?
Yes, we provide comprehensive sell-side support including: financial preparation and clean-up, creation of the confidential information memorandum, management of the data room, response to buyer due diligence requests, analysis of offers and deal terms, and support through closing. We work alongside your investment banker or can support transactions where you're handling the process directly.
What does buy-side due diligence include?
Financial due diligence examines: quality of earnings (are profits real and sustainable?), working capital (what's normal vs. one-time?), debt and debt-like items, customer concentration and revenue quality, key contracts and commitments, tax exposures, and integration considerations. We create a comprehensive picture of what you're actually buying.
How much do M&A advisory services cost?
M&A advisory is typically priced based on transaction size and scope. Simple buy-side diligence might be $15,000-$30,000; comprehensive sell-side preparation and support can range from $30,000-$100,000+. For larger transactions, fees may be structured with success-based components.
How long does typical M&A support take?
Timeline varies with transaction complexity. Sell-side preparation: 2-4 months. Active sale process: 4-9 months. Buy-side diligence: 4-8 weeks per target. Integration: 6-18 months depending on complexity. We scope engagements based on your specific situation.
Do you do business valuations?
We provide valuation analysis to support transactions—understanding what a business is worth, key value drivers, and how different scenarios affect value. For formal valuations required by tax authorities, estate planning, or litigation, you may need a certified appraiser. We can recommend specialists and work alongside them.
How do you help with integration?
Integration support includes: financial systems consolidation, chart of accounts harmonization, combined reporting implementation, synergy identification and tracking, working capital management, and first-100-days planning. Many deals fail to capture expected value due to poor integration—we help avoid that outcome.
What's the difference between a CFO advisor and an investment banker?
Investment bankers focus on deal sourcing, marketing, and negotiation—they help you find buyers/targets and close transactions. CFO advisors focus on financial substance—getting your books ready, analyzing targets, structuring terms, and executing integration. Many transactions benefit from both; we work alongside investment bankers effectively.
Can you help evaluate acquisition opportunities?
Absolutely. We help assess potential acquisitions through: preliminary financial analysis, valuation modeling, fit assessment, risk identification, and transaction structuring. For serial acquirers, we can help build repeatable evaluation frameworks.
Related Services
Industries We Serve
Ready to Get Started?
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your business needs and learn how our m&a advisory services | transaction & due diligence support | 1cfo can help you achieve your financial goals.