Welcome to Episode 6 of M&A Zing - a weekly show for acquisition entrepreneurs, search funds, and holdco builders across the UK and Europe. In this episode, Alfie Lambert and Gareth Hawkins dive into the *Do’s & Don’ts of Due Diligence* for small and mid-sized M&A deals. They also highlight news from Italy’s newest search fund close, a Canadian incubator for acquisition entrepreneurs, and a recent Spanish exit.
*Timestamps:*
[00:01:02] *This Week’s News*
- Latest surge in Italian search funds, featuring Nostos Capital
- A Calgary-based program (Rumi) bringing on 10 new acquisition entrepreneurs
- A Spanish search-funder’s 8-year journey leads to a successful exit
[00:03:35] *Main Topic: Due Diligence Do’s & Don’ts*
- Gareth’s background (8+ buy-side, 1 sell-side)
- Why diligence intimidates first-time buyers
[00:05:00] *Types of Diligence*
Financial, Legal, HR/Org Chart, IP, Commercial/Market checks
[00:06:45] *Red Flags & When to Walk Away*
- Evading key documents
- “Hospital pass” liabilities revealed mid-diligence
- Customer/supplier concentration
[00:09:00] *Deal Fatigue & Time Management*
- Setting milestones
- Materiality thresholds
- Frequent check-ins
[00:10:30] *Data Rooms 101*
- Proper organisation & structure
- Avoiding repeated requests
- Potential for AI-powered summarizing
[00:12:00] *Commercial Diligence*
- Competitor analysis, NPS checks, verifying market share
[00:13:30] *Post-Diligence Steps*
- Renegotiating price or structure
- Using earn-outs if risk is uncovered
[00:14:50] *Wrap-Up & Acquisition Incubator*
Alfie and Gareth mention the BizCrunch “Acquisition Incubator,” invite listeners to apply, and sign off with “Keep on Crunching!”
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*Episode Highlights*
- *Assembling Your Deal Team*: Strategic accountant, lawyer, sometimes sector specialist
- *Avoiding Common Pitfalls*: Transparency vs. red-flag evasiveness
- *Time Kills Deals*: Why well-defined timelines & materiality thresholds are essential
- *Earn-Outs & Restructuring*: Handling discovered risks with flexible deal terms
- *BizCrunch Acquisition Incubator*: Join us for the first BizCrunch incubator program
*Have questions or feedback?* Drop them in the comments, or join our BizCrunch Community for private AMAs and early access to new resources—like *The Diligence Checklist: Essential Docs for SMB M&A*.
### About M&A Zing
Hosted by:
- *Alfie Lambert* – Co-Founder of BizCrunch (multi-time startup founder, outreach expert)
- *Gareth Hawkins* – Co-Founder & CEO of BizCrunch (serial acquirer, M&A investor)
Each week, we tackle the real-world challenges of SMB M&A—especially in the UK & EU markets.
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### Join the BizCrunch Community
If you want to attend our livestream recordings (and private Q&A), sign up here: https://www.bizcrunch.co/community
### Attend the BizCrunch Acquisition Incubator Program
Apply to be one of the 6 individuals chosen to join our 8-week intensive journey to acquiring your first business. Apply here:
https://www.bizcrunch.co/programmes/acquisition-incubator
*Community Perks*
- Early access to new episodes
- Live Q&A with hosts & guests
- Networking with fellow acquirers & investors
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### Thanks for Watching!
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*#mergersandacquisitions #SearchFunds #SMBsuccession #BizCrunch #Dealmakers*