The result of a merger of several companies, each one producing unrelated goods or services *

enterprise that produces goods or provides services,  usually in order to make a profit

business organization owned and controlled by one person

business co-owned by two or more partners who agree on how responsiblities, profits,  and losses of that business are divided

business owned by stock holders,  who own the rights to the company's profits but face limited liability for the company's debts and losses

both partners are equal in business

one partner runs the business,  the other partner finances the business

limited liability partnership ( LLP)

all partners are limited partners - each one is only responsible for their share

you are totally responsible for anything that happens in your business

the business dies if the owner dies

allows anyone to buy

stock

issued by a corporation,  promises to pay you interest for allowing them to use your money,  timed deposit

combining two or more companies that produce the same product or similar products

combining companies involved in different steps of producing or marketing a product

business composed of several companies,  each one producing unrelated goods or services

multinational corporation

large corporation with branches in several countries

business that licenses the right to sell its products in a particular

area

semi- independent business that buys the right to run a franchise

business operated for the shared benefit of the owners,  who also are its customers

business that aims to benefit society,  not to make a profit

Merger Definition In Business: Everything You Need to Know

A merger definition in business often refers to a corporate strategy where different companies will combine into one company, either to strengthen their financial or operational position.3 min read

1. Reasons Why Companies Merge 
2. Risks of Mergers

A merger definition in business often refers to a corporate strategy where different companies will combine into one company, either to strengthen their financial or operational position. Companies may also try to merge to increase their scale and productivity. Mergers can drastically affect stock before the merger of businesses occurs. 

When a merger occurs, the owners of both corporations will continue on as owners of the new company. There are different ways to classify a merger. Sometimes mergers are referred to as:

  • A vertical integration. This type of a merger often refers to two companies that were in a previous supplier/customer relationship.
  • A horizontal integration. When a merger is referred to as a horizontal integration, the two business were previously competitors.

To complete the transfer of ownership after a merger, stock from the companies will either be transferred, swapped, or there will be a cash payment that occurs between the two companies.

Once a merger has been completed, the newly formed company may choose to implement new branding. If you choose not to completely rebrand, you can use both company names to identify the new company. In 2015 alone, there was more than 4 trillion dollars worth of mergers and acquisition in the company showing that it is a popular way to grow the revenue of companies.

Reasons Why Companies Merge 

There are many reasons that companies may decide to merge with another company. The most common reasons companies will embark on a merger are:

  • To save on production costs
  • To generate capital to expand their market reach
  • To gain proprietary or technical knowledge
  • To expand to new territories 
  • To grow revenue and increase profits

When a merger has been completed, the new company will need to issue shares of stock to the original shareholders of the previous companies. Mergers are done to benefit the shareholders, and the companies often become stronger in the market by having stronger assets, competencies, and markets.

Smart business mergers will be successful at providing both companies with the ability to:

  • Reach a new market
  • Reach more customers
  • Fill gaps in each company's abilities
  • Push out the competition

Companies can achieve these goals in a merger if they select a complementary company that provides them with the ability to:

  • Acquire additional products
  • Open up new distribution channels
  • Have the cash or infrastructure to push the success of the company

There are many steps that you should follow to help ensure that the merger is the best decision for both companies involved. Some of the most important steps to complete include:

  • Do your homework to make sure you are choosing the right company.
  • Decide whether a merger with the company chosen will be in the best interest of your company.

Once you have determined that a merger is in your company's best interest, there are some steps you will need to take to prepare yourself for the upcoming merger. You will need to:

  • Get your balance sheet in order
  • Cut poor performing products
  • Cut excess fringe benefits
  • Remove any inside deals that are in place
  • Ensure your taxes have been paid
  • Prepare two years of audited financial statements

Remember that if you provide a unique product or an exclusive distribution channel, the company you are merging with may be willing to pay a premium price to be able to merge. It is also important when choosing a competitor to merge with that you don't broker a deal with one that was interested in pushing you out of the space. They may not be interested in preserving the business and may simply want to cut off the competition.

Risks of Mergers

Mergers sometimes do not strengthen a company, but end up diluting their financial strength. This can occur more commonly if the newly formed merged company issues more stocks across the same asset base of the two companies before the merger. Mergers can also fail if the cultures between the two corporations do not mesh well, there is resistance to the restructuring of management or operating procedure, technologies are incompatible, or the workforce experiences disruption. If a merger is a difficult implementation but one company still wants to join with the other, an acquisition may occur by the stronger company purchasing the weaker one.

If you need help with the merger definition in business, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb.  

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