Why ESA?
With a focus on technology-driven industries such as manufacturing, industrial, business services, as well as software and technology, we offer our clients a level of expertise that is unmatched in the industry. Whether you're considering an exit in the near future or preparing for a sale down the road, ESA is honored to be your trusted advisor throughout the journey.
Expert Guidance For Your Exit
What Makes Us Different
Your business is anything but cookie-cutter, so your M&A journey shouldn’t be either.
List High, Sell Fast
We understand that you want to get the highest possible value for your business and sell it quickly. At ESA, we make this happen by listing your business high and targeting unique buyers lists that are tailored to your business. Our approach ensures that 90% of all businesses we list sell for 97% of the appraised value.
Deep Industry Knowledge
You need an advisor who understands your industry and can position your company effectively with prospective buyers. At ESA, we have a team of experts with deep knowledge in technology-focused industries like manufacturing, industrial, business services, and software/technology. With our expertise, you can be confident that we'll market to institutional-quality buyers and investors with high standards and rigorous diligence processes.
Efficient, Exact Valuations
You don't want to work with advisors who overvalue your company and ultimately bring down the price over time. At ESA, we pride ourselves on quickly providing efficient and exact valuations. You can be confident that we'll provide a spot-on valuation that ensures a smooth transaction process for your sale.
Not Ready For Sale? We Optimize Your Value Over Time
We partner with family-owned and founder-owned, lower middle-market companies to prepare for their eventual exit, even if it's still 2 to 5 years down the road. When you work with ESA, you can be confident that we'll help you maximize your value over time and prepare for a successful sale in the future.
Extensive Network
What sets us apart is our extensive network of industry contacts and access to proprietary deal flow. This allows us to identify potential acquisition targets or buyers that align perfectly with our clients' objectives. In addition, our innovative technology solutions help optimize deal structure and valuation, ensuring the best possible outcomes.
Driven By Our Values
Our core values of trustworthiness, innovation, and excellence guide everything we do. This ranges from our focus on delivering top-notch analytical skills in corporate finance to our commitment to profitability for all parties involved. We honor our word and operate with ethics and honesty, always respecting people and confidentiality, while actively listening to our clients. Our innovative thinking enables us to deliver extraordinary results and exceed our clients' expectations.
Your Trusted M&A Advisor
Bill Nicholson, MBA
CM&AP, CM&AA, M&AMI, CEPA
Bill Nicholson has 20+ years as a business owner and managing business transactions. As a seasoned intermediary, Mr. Nicholson has successfully represented companies in a broad range of industries helping entrepreneurs and business owners achieve their desired exit strategy or growth initiatives. Mr. Nicholson provides a solid cross-functional background in engineering with an MBA in finance. He fully understands both technology and business. He uses that background to drive enterprise value for his clients.
For Exit Strategy Advisors, he provides the highest level of investment banking M&A advisory services to our client firms in manufacturing, industrials, business services and software/technology generating $5 million to $100 million in revenues. The firm’s M&A services include sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory, business valuations, and exit planning services. Mr. Nicholson holds an MBA in finance from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), a master’s in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
He is a Certified M&A Professional issued from Kennesaw State University’s Cole College, a Certified M&A Advisor from the Alliance of Merger and Acquisition Advisors, a Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary from the M&A Source, and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor from the Exit Planning Institute.
Personally, he enjoys attending various local sporting events in basketball, football, and baseball. Also, he enjoys spending time with family, reading, and traveling to many spots around the globe.
Certifications & Affiliations
How We Give Back
At ESA, we believe in the importance of giving back to the community. That's why we're committed to donating a percentage of our net revenues to Habitat for Humanity, an organization that strives to create affordable housing for families in need.
By choosing ESA as your M&A advisor, you can feel good knowing that you are not only getting the highest quality strategic guidance and transaction execution, but you are also contributing to a worthy cause that helps create safe, affordable housing for families and communities around the world.
