Creating a Successful Acquisition Strategy By Steve Corso, CPA

Introduction• A master of business administration graduate of New York

University, Steve Corso, CPA, has three decades of accounting and auditing experience. Now a Securities and Exchange Commission consultant and legal advisor at his own accounting firm, Steven J. Corso previously worked for Arthur Andersen, LLP, First National Mortgage, and Glencourt Capital. In addition to his work as a CPA, Steve Corso has overseen corporate taxes, prepared financial statements, and guided companies through the acquisition process.

Acquisitions can be an exciting and challenging time for the companies involved, as they often create new strategic or market opportunities that will help the resulting company grow and prosper.

Successful Acquisition Strategy• To help the process go smoothly and successfully from

start to finish, there are a number of things for the companies to consider.

By nature, acquisitions are a time of upheaval for everyone involved. The goal of the process should go beyond simply increasing the size of the companies and should focus on a specific reason, such as strengthening product lines, establishing a presence in new markets, or creating better distribution channels. Maintaining a consistent vision for the acquisition avoids unnecessary work for unrelated structures and processes.

Conclusion• Additionally, the company leading the acquisition

should form a team dedicated to the process early in it, and the team should be comprised of people with clear roles from several departments including sales, finance, and marketing. For example, if the acquisition is establishing a new product line, the team should focus on its definition, how it will be funded, which core assets are required, what components will be brought on from the other company, and what may be acquired in the future.