Gold House M&A Market Preparation Phase Questionnaires
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- 4 days ago
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Questionnaires: detailed requests
Gold House M&A Market Preparation Phase Questionnaires
When Gold House M&A initiates the Market Preparation Phase, the "Questionnaires" you receive are designed to build a "Quality of Earnings" report and a comprehensive risk profile. These requests are intensive because any data gap discovered later by a buyer can lead to "price chipping" (lowering the offer) or the deal falling through.
The questionnaires categorize requests into seven functional pillars:
1. Financial Performance & Tax
This is the most critical section. You will need to provide:
Historical Statements: 3–5 years of P&L, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow statements.
Revenue Analysis: Sales breakdowns by product line, geography, and customer concentration (highlighting if any single client represents >10% of revenue).
Tax Compliance: Last 3 years of income tax filings, VAT/GST returns, and evidence of any prior tax audits or settlements.
Add-backs (Normalization): Identifying "owner's expenses" or one-time costs that won't continue under new ownership to show the true earning potential.
2. Legal & Corporate Structure
Ownership Records: Cap tables, share certificates, and any shareholder agreements or options.
Organizational Documents: Articles of association/incorporation and board meeting minutes.
Material Contracts: Signed agreements with your top 10 suppliers and customers, focusing on "Change of Control" clauses.
3. Intellectual Property (IP) & Technology
Registrations: A list of all patents, trademarks, and domain names.
Software & IT: Details on proprietary software, cybersecurity protocols, and disaster recovery plans.
Work-for-Hire: Documentation proving the company (not individual employees) owns the IP created.
4. Human Resources & Management
Key Personnel: An organogram and a list of senior staff, including their roles, seniority, and salary/bonus structures.
Employee Handbooks: Current policies regarding benefits, leave, and terminations.
Labor Relations: History of any labor disputes, union involvement, or significant absenteeism trends.
5. Sales, Marketing & Market Positioning
Competitor Analysis: Your assessment of your "moat" (competitive advantage) and your top 3-5 competitors.
Pipeline Data: A summary of pending contracts or "near-term" revenue opportunities.
Marketing Strategy: Overview of current lead generation (or direct sales channels).
6. Operations & Physical Assets
Inventory: Valuation methods and a statement of inventory movements over the last 3 years.
Property: Leases or deeds for all office spaces and warehouses.
Supplier Risk: Dependence on specific vendors for raw materials or tech components.
7. Regulatory & ESG
Licensing: Proof of operational licenses.
ESG Compliance: Environmental assessments or sustainability reporting, which is increasingly vital for institutional buyers in 2026.
The "SME Efficiency" Strategy
To prevent this process from overwhelming your daily operations, it is common to:
Appoint a "Deal Point Person": Usually a trusted CFO or senior manager who gathers data so the CEO can focus on keeping business performance high.
Phased Disclosure: Start with high-level financials first, then move to sensitive items (like employee names) only after a serious buyer is identified.
Data Room Readiness: Gold House will help you upload these directly into a secure Virtual Data Room (VDR), ensuring that everything is organized logically for future buyer audits.
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Gold House M&A Market Preparation Phase Questionnaires
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