Mergers and acquisitions

Common ways to expand your business include making a strategic acquisition or merging with another business.

An acquisition is when you buy another business and end up controlling it.

A merger is when you integrate your business with another and share control of the combined businesses with the other owner(s).

This guide outlines the reasons for using these methods to expand a business and the advantages and pitfalls. See benefits of mergers and acquisitions.

It explains what you should know and understand about your own business, how to find out whether a merger could be beneficial, how to evaluate a business you hope to buy and staffing issues during a merger or acquisition. It also goes into the legalities involved in mergers and acquisitions.