When you are making big changes in your business, it’s likely that you will need to prepare your team, your processes, and your goals as a company. Whether you are looking to completely overhaul everything and start over or if you are looking to remain partially involved once everything is said and done, you should have a plan. Making sure that you have everything in order before you start a merger or acquisition can make transition things much smoother.

Here are some things you should know before your merger or acquisition starts.

Transferring information

You will need to know well beforehand how you are planning on sending your information to your new business partners. Security can be incredibly important since you might be dealing with credit card numbers, sensitive documents, and more. This is where a virtual deal room can be a great asset and can keep files organized. When you want to maintain the loyalty of your customers, having a location where you don’t have to worry about having files hacked or stolen during the process of your merger or acquisition.

Alerting your employees

It’s up to you how you plan on letting your employees know about the changes going on in your business. You might decide to let them know at the beginning so they can prepare to change positions or get used to the idea of new management. Whether you choose to sit them down individually, to have their managers tell them, or give a company-wide address is up to you. However, you should be respectful of the time they have put into your business.

Change won’t happen overnight

Even when you are making the transition over to someone else, there will still be some things that you will need to handle in order for it to be successful. You might need to be available either through email or in the office in order to make sure that your successor has everything he or she needs in order to run operations correctly. While this may not be the news you want to hear, it’s better to help your business to succeed when you’re not there than to have it fail—especially if your contract relies on the company continuing to have you on the payroll.

Your company cultures should match

You might be excited about moving onto new things, but before you go, make sure that the company you are merging with or that has taken your business on agrees with you on the basics. They should know how you like to treat your employees, customers, and more. Having the same ethos can solve a lot of problems and can also make you feel good about this drastic change to your baby.

In summary

Taking on a merger or acquisition can be a thrilling time, but it can also be essential to make sure everything is in place before it happens. This can help to set up the new iteration of your business to succeed and give you peace of mind before you move on.