Publisher's Synopsis
Being selected to assist someone in the sale their business or their purchase of a business is a high
honor which we take very seriously. We knew the skillset necessary to be effective in this arena
included some financial acumen, but we didn't know how much psychology was necessary or that we
would give up a part of our central nervous system with each transaction, whether it turned out to be
successful or not.
These are some of our stories - the ones we could disguise enough to protect identities of the brilliance
of some of our clients and the foolishness of others. It is our hope that by sharing our experiences, the
future for the small and intermediate M & A deals becomes brighter and the success rates become
higher.
Jay M. Bylsma has a BBA and an MBA from the University of Michigan and began his career as a CPA. He
has been in the M&A arena and the valuation of small businesses for over 30 years as well as overseeing
three turnarounds. He continues in the M&A field in semi-retirement while he teaches business and
math at Grand Rapids Community College.
Randy Rua has a BS in Engineering from Calvin College as well as an MBA with a concentration in
entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. Randy founded and acquired two of the
largest West Michigan mergers and acquisitions firms. Randy is a Certified Business Appraiser (CBA)
through the Institute of Business Appraisers (IBA) and is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA)
through the Exit Planning Institute (EPI). In addition, Randy has served as an adjunct professor at Calvin
College and Grand Valley State University.
