M&A and Restructurings for Entrepreneurs and Advisors

Note: This course contains the use of artificial intelligence:

- Udemy Role-Play AI feature to make the course more practical and interactive;

- AI-generated Voice-Over since some students complained about my heavy accent;

If you’re looking to understand Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Restructurings, now is the perfect time. Global disruptions—COVID-19, the Great Resignation, geopolitical tensions, shifting supply chains, inflation, and the rapid rise of AI—are setting the stage for a new wave of deals. Whether we like these changes or not, they create enormous opportunities for businesses to grow, transform, and adapt.

That’s why M&A and Restructurings are no longer just financial transactions; they’re becoming essential elements of corporate and business strategy. Entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, investors, and strategic advisors all need to navigate these complexities effectively.

This course goes beyond the simple goal of selling a business for a big payout. Instead, we focus on the full process—preparing your company well in advance, choosing the right approach, structuring your deal correctly, and avoiding costly mistakes.

What You’ll Learn:

We’ve structured the course to cover four key areas:

- The Entrepreneurial Challenge – How to prepare your company (or your client’s) before launching an M&A process.

- Defending Your Valuation – Understanding valuation methods and how to justify your price.

- Managing the M&A Process – Structuring and executing a deal from start to finish.

- Insights from Restructuring – Lessons from divestitures, spin-offs, and other restructuring strategies.

1. The Entrepreneurial Challenge:

Preparing a company for sale isn’t just about “cleaning up the books.” It’s about making the business as attractive as possible to potential buyers. We’ll cover:

- Investor Perspectives – How different types of investors (strategic buyers, private equity firms, venture capitalists) evaluate opportunities.

- Liquidity Options – Selling to an investor is one option, but an IPO or other exit strategies might be better alternatives.

- Building an Attractive Business – Scalability, industry alignment, and reducing founder dependency are critical for maximizing value.

- The Role of Advisors – How investment bankers and M&A consultants add value and help avoid costly mistakes.

- Common Deal Breakers – Understanding valuation gaps, cultural mismatches, and due diligence risks to prevent failed transactions.

2. Defending Your Valuation:

We’ll walk you through the key valuation methodologies and show you how to defend your price:

- Asset-Based Valuation – Determining company worth based on tangible and intangible assets.

- Market (Multiples) Valuation – Comparing similar transactions to assess a fair price.

- Income-Based Valuation (DCF Method) – Using Discounted Cash Flow to project future earnings and value.

Beyond theory, we’ll go hands-on—guiding you through an Excel file to test valuation assumptions, explore ways to increase value, and decide whether to sell the company as a whole or in parts.

3. Managing the M&A Process:

Closing an M&A deal requires more than just preparing documents and negotiating offers. We’ll guide you through:

- Key Transaction Phases – From marketing your business to surviving due diligence and signing the Sale & Purchase Agreement.

- Post-Closing Price Adjustments – Avoiding financial surprises after the deal is done.

- Earn-Out Agreements – Structuring payments based on future performance.

- Stock Payments & Contingent Value Rights – Protecting yourself if you accept shares as compensation.

- Staged Payments & Distributions – Evaluating whether to receive payments over time instead of upfront.

4. Insights from Restructuring:

Restructuring is a key part of the corporate playbook. We’ll cover:

- Divestitures – Selling off parts of a business for strategic or financial reasons.

- Spin-Offs & Equity Carve-Outs – Creating shareholder value by separating business units.

- Voluntary Liquidations – Knowing when and how to wind down operations efficiently.

- Other Restructuring Strategies – Exploring additional options for corporate realignment.

Why Take This Course?

This isn’t just theory—it’s a practical, strategy-focused guide packed with real-world insights, hands-on techniques, and expert tips. By the end of the course, you’ll be confident in your ability to navigate M&A and restructuring decisions, whether you’re an entrepreneur preparing for an exit, an investor assessing deals, or an executive leading corporate strategy.

I look forward to seeing you inside the course. Let’s get started!

Enjoy,

Boris