Essential Tips for Business Owners Facing Acquisition Offers

October 18, 2024
Podcast episode

Trever Acers recently joined The Deal Scout podcast, hosted by Josh Wilson, as a guest expert. In the episode “Essential Tips for Business Owners Facing Acquisition Offers,” Trever discusses the mistakes business owners make that impact their company’s value, how to approach an acquisition offer, and the role of investment bankers in a sale.

Listen to the full episode with Trever Acers.

What the Episode Covers

Many owners first engage with the idea of selling when an unsolicited offer lands on their desk. That moment is exactly when preparation — or the lack of it — shows. Trever walks through how to evaluate an offer with clear eyes, why a single interested buyer rarely produces the best terms, and how the right advisor changes the dynamic in the seller’s favor.

  • The common mistakes that quietly reduce a company’s value before a sale ever begins.
  • How to assess an unsolicited acquisition offer instead of reacting to it.
  • Why a competitive process — not a single conversation — protects price and terms.
  • The role an investment banker plays in leveling the playing field with experienced buyers.

When a single buyer is the only one at the table, they set the terms. The owner’s leverage comes from optionality — and that’s what a well-run process is designed to create.

Trever Acers

About the Guest

Trever Acers is a Managing Director at Objective with more than 20 years of investment banking, acquisition, and strategy experience advising middle-market companies on transaction execution and strategy. Before founding Objective, he led financial and strategy consulting at TGG Capital, directed Western U.S. private-equity activity for The Oxford Investment Group, and was Managing Partner at Passage Venture Capital Partners. He holds an MBA in finance from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

About the Author

Trever AcersManaging Director · The Deal Scout Podcast

Media

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I respond to an unsolicited acquisition offer?

Evaluate it carefully rather than reacting. A single buyer sets the terms; bringing in a competitive dynamic is what protects your price and structure.

What common mistakes reduce business value before a sale?

Owner dependence, customer concentration, deferred investment, and unclear objectives are among the most common — and most are fixable with lead time.

Have a question about your situation?

Our senior team is happy to talk it through — confidentially and with no obligation.