The Portfolio Partnership

The Acquirer’s Playbook – Stage 6 – Prioritize Targets & Assessment

by Ian Smith | Oct 23, 2015 | Acquisitions

Another weekend treat, a complimentary extract from The Acquirer’s Playbook. Stage 6 is one of the key engine rooms for successful acquisitions. It will give you perspective and allow you to prioritize who you talk to. The M&A tables suggest we are entering...

The Loneliness of the Long Distance CEO

by Ian Smith | Oct 20, 2015 | Mentoring

This is a post for new CEOs who want to stay the distance. It’s really a post for new leaders of any age. I hope it helps recognize what you’re feeling. I hope it guides you through those early months and clarifies your priorities. Most of all I hope it gives you the...

The Acquirer’s Playbook – Phase 2, Stage 5 – Acquisition Team Assembled

by Ian Smith | Oct 9, 2015 | Acquisitions

Another weekend treat! In this fourth extract from my latest book, The Acquirer’s Playbook, I examine the crucial stage of assembling the right team. Stage 5 kicks off the second phase of Acquisition Approvals Model. This Phase identifies targets and sets you up...

Radio Interview – The Art of Acquisitions

by Ian Smith | Sep 29, 2015 | Acquisitions

Only today, the WSJ highlighted the negative impact acquisitions can have on your share price. As Liz Hoffman pointed out “Historically, acquirer share-price declines were the norm. The average buyer’s stock fell most years from 1996 through 2011 as investors...

Acquisitions – The Hunt for the Ideal Target – Stage 3 & 4

by Ian Smith | Sep 25, 2015 | Acquisitions

Another weekend treat! In this third extract from my latest book, The Acquirer’s Playbook, I examine the final stages of search for the ideal target. Stage 3 – Ensure Targets Exist It is important to check that targets exist that match your precise Acquisition...

Scaling Up – Repositioning First, People Second – A Tool To Transform

by Ian Smith | Sep 21, 2015 | Positioning drives growth, Repositioning

I’ve just purchased Verne Harnish’s 2014 book, “Scaling Up, How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t.” This is a follow up to the very successful “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits.” I’ve just started the book and it looks good but I’m already disappointed....

Creating a Seamless Acquisition Integration Team

by Ian Smith | Sep 14, 2015 | Acquisitions

Research conducted by Cass Business School, covering 12,339 deals including 2,917 acquisitions of distressed companies from 1984 to 2008, concluded that price was not the determining factor for successful acquisitions but that post-acquisition integration was the key...

The Acquirer’s Playbook – Acquisition Profiles – Stage 2

by Ian Smith | Sep 11, 2015 | Acquisitions

A weekend treat – complimentary extracts from my new book. The Acquirer’s Playbook was recently published on Amazon. It sets out a simple little process map to build M&A capability into your business – The Acquisitions Approvals Model. Using...

Essential Process Maps – To Scale Up Safely

by Ian Smith | Sep 7, 2015 | Scaling

For the vast majority of entrepreneurs (> 99.9%) you will never raise venture capital, you will never have 3.5 million followers on LinkedIn (Google) and you will never employ 500 people or more (US Census data states 18219 firms out of 28.7 million enterprises...

The World of Office Speak – What it Really Means

by Ian Smith | Aug 31, 2015 | Entrepreneurship, Management, Management Help

As you develop your career in the corporate world, it’s important to understand what you’re hearing. People say stuff all the time and it isn’t always clear what they are thinking or meaning. So here is a quick guide to some stuff you’ll hear:...