Alarm and Integration leaders look to the Graybeards as the premier Mergers & Acquisitions firm in the security industry
We provide concise information and specific directions to help make the due diligence process less costly and time consuming. Graybeards associates from all aspects of corporate life, both within and outside of the security industry, are always available to help the sale of your company.
Competencies exhibited by our members and associates include:
- Finance
- Marketing
- Management
- Contract Law as it relates specifically to the Alarm Industry
- Brand Asset Management
- Strategic Planning
- Business Support Programs
Our consultations foster dramatic growth and exploration of new opportunities for our clients. Specifically, we provide support services to help clients to achieve their goals and increase the profitability of the business.
Today, many alarm companies are faced with a multitude of decisions, such as:
- Should I partner?
- Should I develop a low-end marketing program?
- Should I be in structured wiring, telephone systems, entertainment systems, GPS, etc.?
- Should I expand the customer security division?
- Should I be in video monitoring?
- What should I pay suppliers for my inventory
- Should I increase prices?
- Should I add financing to my programs?
- Should I get financing for my company? If so, how?
- Do I need an exit strategy?
These and dozens of other questions typically thought about, but rarely verbalized by alarm dealers, are answered routinely during our consultations.
Strategic Overview
A client’s first meeting is a strategic overview session, conducted by Graybeard executives. The purpose of this session is to develop a business profile of the client company along with a mutually agreed-upon group of goals and timetables. Once the profile is developed, clients receive help in creating their business plan. This business plan which includes a strategic marketing plan along with an overall operations program, will give specific insights into such subjects as:
- How to recruit, train and maintain key people
- How to have a benefits planning and administration program
- How to develop a purchasing program that provides savings for the company
- A work standards and expectations program
- A “best practices” program including workflow analysis and administration
- Office automation, including telephone systems, accounting systems and comparisons to other practices
- Customer relationship management, how, when and why
- Contract administration
- Estate Planning including succession policy
- Legal documentation and an understanding of what’s involved from a legal standpoint
- Exit strategy review and planning
- Using the internet effectively
- Setting up a website
- Creative and effective pricing schedules.
Once the business plan is established, the client then consults with additional advisors representing all of the disciplines required to build a successful alarm company. The business plan will be submitted to our advisors so that they have an opportunity to review proposed operations. Management would then make a presentation to the team (as in the corporate world) and get criticism, praise, suggestions, real life feedback and specific recommendations for implementation. After the presentation and review (usually about two hours), management of the client company, along with their Davis Group representative, go back to implement the program. Ninety days later a second meeting is held to review progress. Six months later, an annual review and Best Practices Evaluation is held by the advisory team.
While it is anticipated that this program will generate profits well above the program’s cost, the real focus of the program is to help management get into the habit of performing effectively and according to a plan.
Strategic Planning
Another service offered by the Davis Group is strategic planning, offered primarily to manufacturers, distributors and potential equipment suppliers to the security industry. This program provides clients with knowledgeable feedback as well as objective reaction to business and marketing plans by potential clients. The premise of this program is simple: Many companies looking at entrance or market penetration into the alarm industry are relatively unaware of the dynamics of the industry, and frequently unknowledgeable about how to reach the independent dealer. The strategic planning service process provides client companies with research, feedback, marketing support and specific recommendations for the implementation of programs. Unlike one-time consulting services, our strategic marketing program provides ongoing support at regularly scheduled intervals to assure the greatest benefit of marketing expenditures.
It is estimated that there are hundreds of manufacturers and/or potential entrants into the alarm industry that do not have an understanding of the complex subtleties that make up the North American alarm dealer community. The Davis Marketing & Acquistiions Group program provides the insights to complete a successful business plan or exit strategy.