Why founders should start talking now to bankers and potential buyers

Our chat has been edited lightly for length.TC: How much has the world changed in the last few weeks?DK: There is certainly a feeling of more pressure on sellers to get deals done as quickly as possible in light of the fact that there’s a lot of market volatility right now and they don’t know how buyers may be reacting to a significant decline in their stock price. For those that are reportable — the threshold is approximately $100 million —  we’re spending an incredible amount of time analyzing the potential for regulatory issues.TC: How long does an M&A process take, and at what point do both sides agree on a price?DK: From that initial approach from an acquirer, the time period can vary from a few weeks if there is alignment right away, up to several months if the target company wants to see if there is other interest.