Behind the Wheel

The hardest acquisitions to evaluate are those involving a decision to enter a new line of business and new markets. "Bolt-on acquisitions" are much simpler, involving familiar business environments with known characteristics and risks. Often, the acquisition target in such situations is quite familiar to the acquiring firm as one of the well-known players operating in the same market. But when the acquisition option involves a new and unfamiliar situation, the need to ask the right questions becomes paramount.