The Portfolio Partnership

Why PE backed Private Companies Are Attractive Acquirers

by Ian Smith | Mar 9, 2016 | Acquisitions

The reality is sometimes sobering for the owner of a private company. The odds of cashing out one day are slim. Certainly to exit your business for $10 million or more, and I’m using factual numbers to make the point, the odds are 1 in 6000. That’s the...

The Portfolio Partnership Forms New Partnership with Midaxo

by Ian Smith | Mar 7, 2016 | Press Release

NEWS RELEASE March 7, 2016 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Portfolio...

How to Avoid Four Common Problems in Mergers

by Ian Smith | Feb 23, 2016 | Acquisitions

Yesterday the WSJ published a great article by Dr. Sydney Finkelstein professor at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College explaining four common merger problems. I’d like to summarize the key points made and add to that discussion with my own experience as...

How Do Public Companies Create Empathy When Acquiring?

by Ian Smith | Feb 15, 2016 | Acquisitions

A public company acquirer has a challenge, right out of the gate. Buying a private company requires an important secret sauce most public companies don’t possess – empathy. If you like, when you’re buying you’re selling! Take a classic target acquisition profile. The...

Problem Solving Playbook – A 6 Step Tool

by Ian Smith | Feb 9, 2016 | Operational Blueprints, Operational Tips, Problem Solving

Last year at The Portfolio Partnership we embedded our operational playbooks across many sectors, to scale our clients. The most common symptom across all clients? Handing operational problems correctly to get them solved. Yes key operational blueprints regarding...

Successful Acquirers Look Forward Not Back

by Ian Smith | Feb 3, 2016 | Acquisitions

Before we acquire anything we seem to be infatuated with the past. Cars, houses, talent, and companies – the big items in life! Now don’t get me wrong, it is important to understand the history and to validate it. Think about it. Take cars. Depending...

One PDF – Access to 400 Plus One Page Solutions – Smith Report Index

by Ian Smith | Jan 29, 2016 | Smith Report

Download our new complimentary, pdf to your tablet or phone. Whether your issues are operational, sales, leadership, talent or M&A related, this document will offer a best way forward. A simple little pdf, it offers hyperlinks to over 400, one page blog posts,...

Treating Marketing Systems Like Accounting Systems

by Ian Smith | Jan 26, 2016 | Marketing

It’s tough for any business to keep up the rhythm of publishing remarkable marketing content week after week. But every leadership team needs to embrace this content requirement, this relentless publishing schedule as if it was their core business. The CEO needs...

400 Smith Report Blog Posts At Your Fingertips!

by Ian Smith | Jan 19, 2016 | Index Tool

I’m delighted to announce a new complimentary, downloadable pdf to help you find a solution to your current business issues. Whether your issues are operational, sales, leadership, talent or M&A related, this document will offer a best way forward. A simple...

Managing People – The Feedback Dilemma

by Ian Smith | Jan 12, 2016 | Leadership, Management, Management Help

As your team reaches out into 2016, to execute their myriad of tasks, it’s worth remembering a little research on managing people. Harvard Business Review published a fascinating piece a few years ago on research conducted by Emily Heaphy and Marcial Losada into the...