Smart Business Dealmakers: The Middle-Market M&A Podcast

For early-stage companies, raising capital is the fuel that gets you into the middle market. So what happens when the economy effectively shuts down and the ability to access capital tightens? David Weaver, Chief Investment Officer of City Side Ventures, discusses how venture capital firms and angel investor groups are looking at companies in this new normal.

As president of the Columbus chapter of EO, Jeff Burt is at the nexus of more than 90 entrepreneurs trying to adapt to a new business norm. As CEO of branding solutions firm EclipseCorp, Burt is on the front lines himself. In this special episode, he discusses what Central Ohio entrepreneurs are doing to adapt and how he re-engineered his own operations to manufacture social distancing markers, branded face masks and plastic face shields.

Most CEOs weren't prepared for COVID-19 and the disruption to their companies. Howard & Howard attorney Dan Cotter offers a wide range of legal takeaways from the crisis, including why your current business interruption plan is obsolete.

What's the state of deal flow, and how might deals already in the works find ways to get closed? Paul Mattaini, a partner at law firm Barley Snyder, talks about what PE firms and strategic buyers are focusing on as the M&A market careens toward a new reality.

If there's one industry that entrepreneurs and business executives are looking to for answers in these troubling times, it's banking. Paul Carlisle, Executive Vice President of Commercial Banking at Wintrust Bank, explains what business owners should think about as they analyze their balance sheets and think about cash flow.

What should entrepreneurs be doing during the COVID-19 crisis to ensure their companies are ready once M&A activity picks back up? Veteran dealmaker Lou Schneeberger, Executive Chairman of Proformex, discusses why now is a good time for CEOs to shore up the fundamentals and reassess their companies.

Legal questions from CEOs regarding contracts, M&A and employment issues continue to rise as employers start getting back to work and settling into a new normal. Tim Damschroder, a member of Bodman PLC and co-chair of the law firm's Business Practice Group, discusses what he's hearing from middle-market entrepreneurs and what changes may be coming down the road.

What does a new normal look like, and how should the owners of closely held or family businesses approach their balance sheet and dealmaking? Harry Cendrowski, Founding Member and Managing Member of Cendrowski Corporate Advisors, discusses what he's hearing — and counseling — clients to think about.

What's the state of M&A for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to sell? Griffin Financial Group Senior Managing Director John Lee breaks down the landscape for sellers and offers his thoughts on the psychological impact of COVID-19 on dealmaking.

As business owners begin to look at how they can restart operations and begin to settle in to this new reality, two areas are becoming top of mind: cash flow and forecasting. BKD Chicago Managing Partner Russ Romanelli shares his thoughts on how CEOs and entrepreneurs should approach this critical task.