Minneapolis, MN

The professionals in the Minneapolis office of CFAW bring a unique and powerful perspective to our business of advising owners of companies. Each of us has been an owner and a CEO of one or more companies and has been directly involved in acquisitions, financings, and sales of companies as part of our work as operating executives.

This means that we understand the perspective of company owners from the beginning of each assignment. We know what it takes to build a company that can be sold; we know that the process is about more than money, we know that our clients need to have absolute trust in us to handle such a significant assignment.

We take every engagement personally and bring all our experience, knowledge, contacts, research resources, process management, and deal making expertise to every assignment.

Our objective is to complete a transaction that recognizes that value is far more the assets of the company - it comes from the people and their relationships as co-workers and their relationships with the outside world.

When we are engaged on a project, we maximize value in these four ways:

• Inside-out understanding. We bring our operating experience to develop an inside understanding of your business. We learn how you make money and what are the constraints to growth.
• Buyer's perspective. We look at each client from the buyer's perspective so that we can position the opportunity in a way that maximizes buyer's interest and maximizes how they look at value for the deal.
• Research. We start every assignment with fresh research to understand how your company fits into your industry to describe how industry trends will affect your company's outlook.
• Buyers. We build a new list of active buyers who we believe will bring high value offers on your company. Because buyers are constantly changing, we don't rely on old Rolodex or relationships when we are working to maximize your value.

Our commitment to remaining independent from any investment or lending affiliates ensures that we deliver unbiased guidance. We represent only one side, your side. Imagine the advantage of tapping into the negotiating skills of a CFAW principal who knows both sides of a deal.

Selling, buying or financing a business is a complex process that requires thorough preparation, skillful negotiation, and intimate knowledge of markets and financial resources. With CFAW, you'll work locally with a senior principal, who can provide expert valuation, analysis, and negotiating skills, as well as preferred access to a national and international network of CFAW industry experts and resources.