Financial literacy is the biggest barrier to successful M&A.   Both sellers and buyers need to know how the numbers work to ensure they get the best deal.   In this episode I am joined by Erin O'Leary, an M&A and exit advisor. We explore the intricacies of business acquisitions and exits. Erin shares insights from her extensive experience, including a case study of a legacy bus company and the factors influencing business valuation.   We also share our experiences as women in the M&A space, from representation of women to the strengths women have as CEOs.   This episode is full of insights into what buyers and sellers need to know to get the best out of their deals.   " Valuation is relative to the buyer's situation " - Erin O'Leary   Timestamps   01:53 - An introduction to Erin 03:50 - The biggest issues in acquisitions 07:26 - The lack of financial expertise in acquisitions 13:37 - Why founders need to be financially literate 17:55 - A laborious bus company acquisition 22:15 - Where adjustments in the valuation happen 28:01 - Erin's current projects   Connect with Erin O'Leary:   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinolearymba/   Connect With Julie Wilkinson   LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliewilkinson-accounting/ Tik Tok – https://www.tiktok.com/@wasolutions YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUvq6gfNoP_4dfIJulL6C6A Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wilkinsonaccountingsolutions Website - https://wilkinsonaccountingsolutions.co.uk/   Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and review if you got something out of this episode!