Knowledge

Business acquisition

How to buy a business, due diligence, valuation, financing, and closing timelines.

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Start by defining your acquisition criteria (sector, size, structure). We origin, screen, and diligence targets, then execute negotiation, closing, and post-close support. Cross-border transactions require careful legal, tax, and regulatory structuring.

Operating businesses across manufacturing, consumer, financial services, healthcare, agriculture, and technology are actively being sold or seeking capital. Live mandates are shared confidentially with qualified buyers.

Costs vary with size and structure. Beyond the purchase price, budget for advisory, legal, tax, quality-of-earnings, and technical diligence. Institutional-grade preparation typically saves multiples of its own cost.

Common approaches include EBITDA multiples, discounted cash flow, and precedent transactions. Adjustments for growth, quality of earnings, capex, working capital, and one-time items are essential.

Historically, technology, financial services, healthcare, and value-added manufacturing produce the strongest risk-adjusted returns — assuming disciplined entry pricing and active value creation.

Yes. Most sectors permit full foreign ownership. Strategic sectors may require approvals. We coordinate structuring, permitting, and closing.

Financial (quality of earnings), commercial, operational, legal, tax, environmental, and technical diligence — scaled to deal size and risk. Buyer-side quality-of-earnings work is a good investment on almost any transaction.

Typically four to nine months from mandate to close, depending on size, complexity, financing, and regulatory approvals. Well-prepared processes close faster and cleaner.

Equity, senior debt, mezzanine, seller financing, and structured combinations. Cross-border transactions may benefit from DFI or ECA-backed financing.

Depending on sector, approvals may include antimonopoly clearance, subsoil / licence transfers, banking / financial-services approvals, and sector-specific consents. Timing should be built into the deal calendar.

Other knowledge topics

Investing in UzbekistanWhy Uzbekistan, foreign-ownership rules, incentives, and how to get started.Selling a businessValuation, buyer types, process, and how to maximise price for founders and shareholders.Capital raisingGrowth capital, investor types, materials, valuation, and process.IPO and US public marketsListing on NASDAQ or NYSE, revenue thresholds, SEC and PCAOB, alternatives to a traditional IPO.Alternative investmentsWhat alternatives are, GPs and LPs, funds, co-investments, and risk management.Private equityHow PE firms evaluate companies, roll-ups, platforms, bolt-ons, and management rollover.Family officesWhat family offices are, how they invest, and how to attract long-duration capital.Foreign Direct InvestmentRegistration, licences, foreign ownership, profit repatriation, and investment protections.Central Asia & CISWhy Central Asia, cross-border investment, and country comparisons across the CIS.About Main Street WealthWho we are, what we do, and how we work with founders, investors, and institutions.

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