What is a business overview?
A business overview documents the current state of a business including financials, market position, products, supply chain and other elements that give good insights into the business and how it functions. The information is supplied as a printed or soft copy document.
Why do a business overview?
The business review is used when you are buying a business, selling a business or are at the start of a strategic review process. For the seller it is the initial document that is shared with prospective buyers, for buyers it is used to validate all or part of the information provided by the seller of the business. At the start point of a strategic review process the business overview is used to get an external view of your business. This allows an objective conversation on the state and structure of the business with the aim of driving improvements.
Who would benefit from a business overview?
Usually the business overview is done as part of the due diligence for the sale or purchase of a business. It can also be done as part of a strategic review when a business wants or requires an external assessment of itself and of its market position. Typically, the businesses that would use the full process are under $100m in revenue, as larger businesses use merchant bankers for their documentation as well as the sale process. Where business brokers are involved or the business is running its own process, the Business Overview process can add significantly to the quality of your documentation.
How long does it take?
A business overview can take between 1 – 3 calendar months to run. This is dependent on the size and complexity of the business as well as availability of information.
What is included?
The main elements of the process are:
- Summary of the business, its markets, financial performance and value drivers.
- Business structure
- Overview of key markets and divisions
- Competitor overview
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Product range
- Supply chain
- I.T. systems
What is the process?
We start the process with a scoping discussion and a written scope document. Prior to starting the job we provide a letter of engagement, setting out the terms of the engagement. You will need to sign this document on behalf of your business and return it to Competitive Insights. Putting the document together requires access to internal financials and documents. In addition we will need to interview a small number of people who hold key positions in the business. We update with the key contact or group on a weekly basis and are available for discussion on completion of the document.
What do you get?
The output from this process is a PDF document that is suitable for electronic sharing or printing. In addition to the document there are weekly progress/debrief sessions during the engagement as well as presentation/discussion when the final document is delivered.
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