Question 1

Can I shortlist investors located in a specific location?

Accepted Answer

Most businesses filter investors by where the investor wants to invest and not where they are physically located. But if you want to find investors who are based in a specific loaction, use the “Investor Location” filter instead of "Location" filter as shown below.

How to do it:

Open the “Investors & Buyers” page from the top menu.
In the left panel, click on the “Investor Location.” and select your preferred city, state, country or region.

Investor Location

Question 2

What is the validity period of my profile?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS offers different validity periods for different paid plans, and these may change over time. To view the exact validity and expiry date of your paid plan, please check your dashboard or check the benefits pages. Note that your profile may become inactive before the end of the validity period if you use all the credits/proposals included in your plan. Free plans typically have a 3-month validity. Once your profile validity expires, you will lose any remaining credits/proposals. You can resubscribe before the expiry date to carry them forward.

Question 3

After I receive my professional plan documents, what next?

Accepted Answer

Professional Plan subscribers, will receive tailored documents such as a Valuation Model, Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM), Franchise Brochure, ROI Model, etc, prepared specifically for their business or franchise.

You have complete discretion in using these documents. You can share them with prospective investors on SMERGERS by messaging them from your 'Introductions' page, or upload them to your profile directly to make them accessible to all current and future introduced investors. It is up to you to decide whether you would like the investor to sign an NDA before you share these documents.

Please note, once the professional plan documents are prepared, SMERGERS shares them only with you and not with any other investors. These documents stay completely confidential with SMERGERS.

Question 4

When does the validity of a subscription plan begin?

Accepted Answer

If a subscription plan has a defined validity period, it begins from either the payment date or the activation date, whichever comes later. If the user already has an existing plan, the newly subscribed plan will take effect post expiry of the current plan. You can also check the exact validity date after payment by visiting your dashboard.

Question 5

How can I assign a different profile manager to one of my listings?

Accepted Answer

You can assign a different profile manager by following these steps:

1. Go to your dashboard and locate the listing you wish to update.
2. Click on "Edit" for that particular listing.
3. Check the box labeled "I have someone else who will take care of this profile."
4. Enter the email address of the profile manager in the provided field, as shown in the picture below.
Note:

- The assigned profile manager will have full control over your profile. This includes the ability to view and edit the profile, send proposals, and message potential connections.
- The profile manager will receive emails related to this profile and will be able to access it from their own dashboard once they log in with thier email address.
- It’s crucial to ensure that the person you assign understands the importance of maintaining the security of your profile information.
If you wish to remove them as a profile manager:
- Simply uncheck the option "I have someone else who will take care of this profile" and save your changes.
- Once you do this, the person will no longer have access to your profile.

Question 6

Should I interact with someone who no longer has a profile on SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

Please ensure you interact with your introductions only through the SMERGERS platform. In case the introduction is no longer available on your dashboard, then you should take precautionary measures and immediately stop interacting with that specific member.

Question 7

What is seller financing?

Accepted Answer

Seller financing is a common way to finance small business acquisitions. It involves the seller providing a loan to the buyer to purchase the business, in which the seller will receive the payments in installments following a substantial down payment. Many business owners offer this option to buyers to help bring in more buyers and complete a transaction. However, seller financing agreements should be reviewed by a lawyer and should distinctly outline the corrective actions that would enable the seller to pursue any available legal remedies in the event of a payment default.

Question 8

What exactly are Tags I see on a profile?

Accepted Answer

Tags are automatically created keyword phrases based on parameters selected on the profile, such as industry, location, transaction type, and so forth; there is no manual way to alter these tags. Search engines may be able to use these tags to search profiles.

Question 9

How does SMERGERS promote profiles on social media?

Accepted Answer

As per the terms of engagement that were agreed upon by the user during registration, SMERGERS can make its best efforts to advertise, market, and promote the user's requirements, including pictures, on various platforms and social media, with the goal of maximizing introductions. The decision to feature a profile on social media will be at the discretion of SMERGERS, taking into account factors such as high-quality pictures, attractive valuation, and business legitimacy. If you do not want your profile to be featured on social media, please send an email at help@inbox.smergers.com.

Question 10

Can I delete a message already sent on SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can delete messages sent by you. Visit the inbox page of the introduced member, identify the message that you want to delete, and click on the red "X" icon on the top right corner of the message. Confirm the deletion by clicking on the "Delete message" prompt.

Question 11

My profile was previously activated but is now "Closed" or "On hold" even though my subscription has not expired. Why?

Accepted Answer

We regularly scrutinize profiles, and depending on the results of our routine checks and input from users of the platform, your profile may be flagged for a re-verification. It will remain in the inactive state until the verification process is completed by the team. Please write to us with any proof/documents which could help us verify and re-activate your profile faster.

Question 12

I cannot login. How can I reset my password?

Accepted Answer

If you have forgotten your password, you can reset the same. Visit this link: https://www.smergers.com/login/ select the Login tab and click on 'Forgot your password?' as shown below.

You can enter your registered email address or phone number to receive a message regarding your account and reset your password.

Question 13

What are the ROC-Verification.pdf and Domain-Verification.pdf documents that I see on my business profile? I haven't uploaded them.

Accepted Answer

These are the documents that are automatically generated by SMERGERS at the time of profile approval, depending on the information available. These documents provide potential investors with further information about the credibility of the business. Profile owners can access these documents via their Edit page and also choose to delete them if required.

ROC-Verification.pdf - This report compiles data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) regarding public limited, private limited, and limited liability partnership companies that are registered in India.

Domain-Verification.pdf - The document contains the website ranking from SimilarWeb and Domain Authority from Moz which is an approximate indicator of a website's popularity. Note that this document is generated only if the user provides us with their website information and also has a good traffic ranking.

Question 14

Does SMERGERS have a mobile app?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS works as a Progressive Web App (PWA) which can be downloaded from the browser, instead of the App store. This is a lightweight app which takes minimal memory on your phone but an experience on par with native apps. To install, visit www.smergers.com on Safari (for iPhone) or Chrome (for Android Phones) and click on the logo to trigger the install message as shown below and follow the onscreen instructions.

Safari on iOS Chrome on Android

iOS web app Android web app

Question 15

How to change the currency in which the amounts are displayed?

Accepted Answer

The currency symbol is displayed on the top left portion of the website. By default, this is set to the local currency of your location. If you wish to change this, click and select the required currency from the dropdown. All numbers on the website will now be shown in the currency you have selected.

Question 16

Can I get a list of investors with emails and phone numbers?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, we do not sell investor databases and there is no option to directly access the phone numbers and emails of our members, as we believe this leads to unwanted calls and spam emails. Instead, you can list your business on SMERGERS and generate interest from investors to connect with you. You will have complete access to investors' email and phone numbers who specifically express an interest to connect with your business. If you are an advisor with multiple business opportunities, you can explore our Sell-side advisor plans to list multiple mandates and generate investor interest for each opportunity separately.

Question 17

How do I request permanent data deletion on SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

Login to the account which you would like to permanently delete and then visit the following link: https://www.smergers.com/profile/delete-account

Question 18

I received an email stating "Member feedback for your profile". What is this? Where can I find all such feedback?

Accepted Answer

For select profiles, investors on SMERGERS have the option to mark their feedback on why they did not connect with the business/franchise profile. The feedback is not displayed publicly but is shared with you, the business owner, so you can use the same to make your business/profile better. You can find all such Feedback received on your dashboard under "Feedback from Members".

Question 19

How can I unsubscribe from emails?

Accepted Answer

Log in to your Dashboard, click your profile picture on the upper right corner and select "Settings" as shown in the image below. You'll see an option to update your "Email Preferences" on the left side.

Question 20

How do I change my existing password?

Accepted Answer

Log in to your Dashboard, click on your profile picture on the upper right corner and select "Settings" as shown in the image below. You'll see an option to "Change Password" on the left side of this page.

Question 21

Where can I see the number of emails sent as part of accelerated marketing?

Accepted Answer

Login to your Dashboard and click on the Introductions page. Accelerated marketing emails appear as Exclusive Emails Sent on the left hand side, directly beneath the Profile Insights graph, along with the number of emails already sent. The emails are sent over a period of 3-4 weeks after profile approval.

Question 22

Why does my closed profile still show up on a search engine?

Accepted Answer

Once a profile is closed we mark the transaction has closed and remove it from search engine indexing. But Google and other search engines may still retain it and show the results for a while which isn't in our control.

Question 23

Why do advisors still connect with me when I’ve chosen not to receive quotations from advisors on my business profile?

Accepted Answer

Introductions are not blocked based on this. Instead, we show an indicator on the profile if the business is interested in connecting with advisors. This is because several advisors who have a buy-side mandate to identify target companies for their clients may still connect with you if your business matches their client's requirements. You may continue to receive such introductions. However, if other sell-side advisors connect with you, you could let them know that you are not interested in engaging an advisor for this transaction.

Question 24

Are documents uploaded on my business profile publicly visible?

Accepted Answer

Documents uploaded on a business profile are not publicly visible. They are accessible only to introduced members depending on the option you select on your profile:

If “Display company details to introduced members so that they can know about my company” is checked, introduced members can access the documents.

If unchecked, then the buyers/investors would not be able to access the documents even after the introduction and would instead see this message: "Profile owner has disabled view of documents. You can request these documents by messaging the user after introduction."

Question 25

What if I pay the finder's fee and then the buyer/investor backs out?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS Finder's fee would be applicable as soon as a definitive agreement is reached between the parties or on receipt of the first tranche of payment, whichever is earlier. In cases where the buyer breaches the definitive agreement, the parties involved will have to settle it through legal recourse.

Question 26

Is there an option to temporarily close my profile?

Accepted Answer

There is no option to temporarily close a profile. You can instead "Close" your profile and reopen it when required. To close your profile, log in to your dashboard and click on the "Close" button on the profiles shown below. Please note that the subscription validity will remain unaffected and will follow the original payment date.

Close Profile

You may reopen your profile anytime within the subscription validity by clicking on "Edit & Reopen" as shown in the picture below.

Reopen Profile

Question 27

How are notifications generated on my dashboard?

Accepted Answer

Dashboard notifications are based on the location, deal size, and industry preferences set in your account. These preferences are also used for sending email recommendations. You can edit them by visiting your dashboard and clicking on the ‘Feed Preferences’ section on the left side under your profile picture.

Dashboard Notifications

Question 28

How to use Bundle Plan credits to upgrade expired fast track profiles?

Accepted Answer

If you have Fast Track credits left from your Bundle plan, you can use the same to re-upgrade your expired business profiles. To do the same login to SMERGERS, click on "Edit" under the profile you wish to resubscribe, and scroll all the way down to choose “Existing Fast Track Credits” as shown in the picture and click "Submit".

Question 29

What is the official email address mentioned in the profile used for?

Accepted Answer

The official email address is used only for verification purposes. All transactional and marketing emails, based on your email preference, are sent only to your registered email address and not to the official email address. Even introduced members see only your registered email address and not the official email address mentioned in your profile.

Question 30

I have problems with the party I closed a deal with. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS is an online marketplace that connects businesses, investors, franchises and advisors. While we carry out basic checks on profiles that go live on the platform, the final responsibility of conducting thorough due diligence prior to deal closure lies with the users. You may also refer to the best practices.

If there is any transaction related concern at any stage, then both parties need to resolve it along with their concerned team and, if necessary, seek legal recourse. SMERGERS would be unable to mediate such disputes between parties as it is beyond the scope of our services. However, we encourage the aggrieved party to report the issue by sharing complete details and documentation so that our team can go through it, investigate the matter, and take appropriate steps on the platform as deemed necessary.

Question 31

How to change my personal profile picture?

Accepted Answer

The profile picture is picked up automatically from your social login. To edit it please login to your Dashboard and click the Edit icon at the bottom right of your photo as shown below and select an alternate picture.

Question 32

Can the valuation prepared by SMERGERS be treated as a regulatory valuation report?

Accepted Answer

The valuation model prepared by SMERGERS, while being prepared by experienced valuation professionals, is not a regulated valuation report which can be used for regulatory or tax purposes. It is an excel valuation model built relying on several assumptions provided by the company and independent sources without independent verification or due diligence by SMERGERS team. This model can be used for internal and negotiation purposes only. It is not a registered valuer or merchant banker or a tax valuation.

Question 33

Will payment for a subscription plan be charged automatically on a recurring basis?

Accepted Answer

None of the subscription plans on SMERGERS renew automatically. User will have to manually resubscribe to continue using the plan based on the validity of the plan. Details of paid plans can be viewed here.

Question 34

What is SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS is derived from "SME" (Small Medium Enterprises) and “Mergers”. The online platform was developed to help SMEs to find reliable matchmaking and transaction opportunities i.e. Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Private Equity, Venture Capital Fundraising, Debt Syndication, Joint Ventures, and Franchising.

SMEs across the globe have been underserved by traditional Investment Banks, especially in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). SMERGERS is an alternative business matchmaking platform for such small to mid-sized enterprises to access affordable investment banking services to sell, buy, invest, franchise, or divest businesses through an online platform.

The SMERGERS Logo, featuring six interlocking square boxes, represents our core mission and the six steps of the M&A process: Deal Discovery, Business Valuation, Negotiation, Financing, Due Diligence, and Closure Agreements. We offer these services either through in-house services or partner firms. To learn more about us, visit www.smergers.com/about

Question 35

Why am I not receiving emails from SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

There could be several reasons why you may not be receiving our emails.

1. Firstly, visit this page: Not receiving emails to check if your email address has been tagged as invalid in our system. If so follow the process mentioned in the page to resolve the same.

2. If the above page does not show any issues with your email, the problem could be at your end. Please check your spam folder, email filters and maximum inbox capacity to ensure your inbox is working fine and receiving emails. If your email service provider allows you could whitelist info@smergers.com so emails are received at your end without any blocking from your email service provider.

If none of the above work, please send an email to info@smergers.com stating you are not receiving our emails even after following the above steps.

Question 36

How do I logout from SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

If you have logged in from your desktop or laptop, please click on your profile picture on the top right of your screen and select the last option "Logout" from the dropdown.

If you have logged in from your mobile, please click the navigation menu on the top left of your screen and select the last option "Logout" from the dropdown.

Question 37

How does the 'Unlimited Proposals' plan on sell-side work?

Accepted Answer

Unlimited Proposal allows you to enhance your outreach and get the best visibility for your business or franchise profile on SMERGERS. You get unlimited proposal credits (subject to fair usage policy) to reach out to registered investors and acquirers for a period of 1 year. SMERGERS will also trigger proposals from your business to top 50 investors/acquirers in your sector. Additionally up to 3,000 registered members from your industry will receive your business profile over an email blast as part of the marketing outreach.

To check the pricing and subscribe to this plan, log in to your profile, click on edit, and scroll all the way down to choose "Unlimited Proposals" plan inside "Select Individual Services" section.

Question 38

How can I connect social media accounts to my SMERGERS account?

Accepted Answer

You can connect LinkedIn, Facebook and Google accounts to your SMERGERS account by logging on to your dashboard and clicking on the links shown below. Logging into SMERGERS using your social account automatically captures this information if they are registered under the same email address. Kindly note that these social media links are not displayed on your public profile but would rather reflect in blue as verified once connected.

Social Media Accounts

Question 39

How to archive introductions I'm no longer interested in?

Accepted Answer

All introductions that you no longer wish to pursue or have been concluded can be archived by clicking on the "Archive" button on the bottom left of the introduction card as shown below. All archived introductions can still be accessed by clicking on the "Archived" tab on top of the introductions page.

Question 40

How to resubscribe to emails from SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

If you accidentally unsubscribed to all emails from SMERGERS, you can resubscribe by logging in to your dashboard. Click on "Edit" next to "Email Preferences" on your profile card. Under the “Important Communication” you could choose the “Subscribed” option as shown below and save the changes.

If you are unable to log in to your account, you can click on this link: Not receiving emails from SMERGERS and follow the instructions provided to re-activate your email address.

Additionally, if you wish not to receive any marketing emails from SMERGERS (and wish to receive only important communication regarding your profile and queries) you can select "No Email" option for New Opportunity Notifications and Business Proposals.

Email Preferences - Edit Email Preferences - 2nd Page

Question 41

Why can't I change my business profile to a different business?

Accepted Answer

Each business profile created is for a specific business and all introductions and recommendations on the platform are based on that business' industry and location. Once a profile is activated, users can update their profile with new information, but changing the profile materially in such a way that it represents a different business is not allowed. If the deal is no longer valid, the user will need to close the existing profile and create a new profile if they wish to list a new business.

Question 42

How is the blue title on my business profile generated?

Accepted Answer

The title in blue is auto-generated based on the industry and location of your business. If you would like to convey a specific title, the same could be incorporated in the single line description which appears right below the title.

Question 43

Why haven't I heard from SMERGERS after submitting my profile?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS follows a priority based queue to review profiles due to the high volume of profiles we receive each day. Paid profiles are actioned within 1 business day as per our service guarantee. Ensure complete and relevant information is updated on your profile along with your official email address, verification documents and images as applicable. Such profiles are prioritised higher in the queue.

Question 44

Who should register on SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

Business owners, Entrepreneurs, Franchise owners, Investors, Business Buyers, Lenders and Financial Advisors who would like to be in the know of latest deals in their industry register on SMERGERS.

Question 45

Do you have a sell side plan that allows me to list multiple businesses?

Accepted Answer

Yes, SMERGERS offers Fast Track Bundle plan which allows you to list 10 businesses at a substantial discount compared to the regular sell side plans. Plan details available here.

Question 46

A profile on SMERGERS seems to be of my company, but I haven't created one. How do I report such an issue?

Accepted Answer

While we take appropriate measures to ensure only authorized personnel upload profiles on SMERGERS, it is important to understand that the content written on profiles is mostly user-generated and sometimes may infringe on others' copyrights. Before you reach out to us, please talk to all stakeholders in your company including other directors, investors, authorized employees, advisors engaged, etc, to check if they have listed the profile on your behalf on SMERGERS, as many a times such miscommunication leads to unnecessary emails with SMERGERS.

After confirming with all stakeholders, if you still have a reason to believe that your company's details have been listed on SMERGERS by unauthorized personnel, you can report the same at help@inbox.smergers.com from your official email address with the following details:

1. Link to the profile on SMERGERS which you believe represents your company

2. Specific details (photos, text, etc) which match your company

3. Proof of such matching details on your company's website or documents

4. Your name, designation and company's name

Once submitted, our analysts will verify the same and take necessary action. If there is reason for us to believe that such a profile indeed violates your copyright, we put the profile on hold and request the user to send us proof of authorization to reopen the profile. It is in our best interest to ensure only authorized personnel use SMERGERS, but if our analysts believe that the user's profile does not represent your company, we may allow the profile to continue on our website, with or without modifications. Please note that, unless there is a legal requirement, we will be unable to share details of who listed the profile in the first place because of privacy reasons.

Question 47

How to check the 'Promotions by SMERGERS' as part of the paid plan?

Accepted Answer

Promotion by SMERGERS for paid business profiles happens through emails. Such profiles are included in our regular industry mailers as premium listings. While there is no direct way of tracking the number of such emails sent and their status, you can view the number of visitors to your profile from such emails.

Login to your dashboard and click on the Introductions page. On the left hand side you’ll see a graph with Profile Insights. The number displayed as "Alerts" indicates the number of visitors to your profile through such emails. In case you do not see any number it would mean members haven’t reacted to your profile listing yet. Refer to the picture below:

Question 48

How can I deduct Advance Tax/TDS for payment towards SMERGERS' services?

Accepted Answer

Advance Taxes / TDS might be applicable to your business, depending on its location. Once the complete payment has been made towards SMERGERS, depending on your country and applicable tax rules you will need to submit the Advance Tax / TDS certificate to SMERGERS so we can process and provide a corresponding reimbursement.

Question 49

How does SMERGERS recommend the valuation range for business?

Accepted Answer

Investment bankers widely use the comparable method to value a business. We use the same method to arrive at a valuation for any business. We use both publicly listed companies and similar private companies listed on SMERGERS to compute the valuation range of your company.

Please note the recommended valuation range is only visible to profile owners. For a more precise and in-depth valuation, you may refer to our detailed valuation services.

Question 50

Why can't I browse SMERGERS website without registering?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS is a private network of members and hence all users are required to register and login before they can view a profile on the website. It is quick and easy to register on SMERGERS. Click here to get started.

Question 51

I see some proposals sent from my free business profile. Who sent this?

Accepted Answer

If you started your business/franchise profile creation on a specific investor/buyer page, then the free proposal is triggered to that member after activation of your profile. This would show up as a proposal on your introductions page.

For a select few profiles, SMERGERS also sends out proposals on a complimentary basis to improve the chances of a deal closure.

Question 52

Do you provide any analytics on my profile?

Accepted Answer

The analytics which we currently provide are accessible from your dashboard as shown in the picture below. Click on the numbers to view further details:

You can also access Profile Insights from Introductions page as shown in the picture below:

Question 53

How do I cancel an introduction?

Accepted Answer

An introduction cannot be canceled once it has been initiated because the other party would have already been alerted of this introduction. In case you are not interested in connecting with this party, send them a note regarding the same. However, there won't be any re-credits provided for this.

Question 54

Does SMERGERS offer a discount on subscription plans?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS offers loyalty discount on subscription renewals only. If you renew before your current plan expires, the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. The standard discount rate is 15% on resubscriptions, except when the previously purchased plan is lower-priced than the plan you are currently purchasing.

We may also email you about your discount eligibility before your plan expires and any such offers will be available only for a limited time as specified in the email.

Follow our social media channels for regular updates:

Instagram

Facebook

X (Twitter)

Youtube

Question 55

What is the traffic on www.smergers.com?

Accepted Answer

SMERGERS is one of the fastest growing website in our industry and we rank amongst the very top. SMERGERS has a global footprint with users from many different countries. Depending on the level of engagement at the time, some countries may exhibit high activity. One can load the live map on the home page or use the location filters on the Business for Sale and Investors & Buyers pages to discover the total number of registered businesses and investors. SMERGERS’ web traffic rank can be checked by clicking on the link below and comparing it with other websites:

https://www.similarweb.com/website/smergers.com

Question 56

How to update company name, tax number and other details in the invoice?

Accepted Answer

Changing a specific invoice is possible only if you have not already saved it and only in the same month the payment was made.

To edit your invoice, log in to your dashboard and click on the top right picture of yours and select "Invoices". Find the invoice which you would like to update and click on "Print Invoice" next to it as shown below. This should open up a page with default billing details from your account. You can edit and save this information, provided it was not saved earlier and the payment was made in the same month. If the invoice is already finalized then it will directly download the invoice without allowing you to edit the same.

To update your default billing details visit your dashboard and click on "Update Details" below your profile card and enter the details as shown below. These values will be used as default details for your future invoices.

Please note that GST number can be updated only on Indian payments and not on Export invoices. If valid GST is updated in the same month of payment and the filing does not reflect on your GST portal even after 3 months of payment you can reach out to us at help@inbox.smergers.com. If you wish to display a VAT/Tax number on your Export invoice, you can add the same next to your company name, for example, "TransTech Restaurants LLC (VAT: 987654321)"

Question 57

How do I close my profile?

Accepted Answer

Log in to your dashboard and click on the "Close" button on the profile which you would like to close. Refer to the image below:

Kindly note, closing a profile does not mean that we will be deleting your information permanently from our database. We retain confidential information from closed accounts to derive industry knowledge, comply with law, prevent fraud, collect any fees owed, resolve disputes and take other actions otherwise permitted by law.

Question 58

How should I proceed in case of a payment failure?

Accepted Answer

You may try alternate payment methods highlighted in the links below in case of a payment failure. You can also check if your card is enabled for international transactions or use an alternate card.

https://www.smergers.com/faq/how-do-i-pay-using-stripe/251/

https://www.smergers.com/faq/i-need-smergers-bank-account-details/250/

Question 59

Why am I being asked to upgrade?

Accepted Answer

The free plan is available only for your first profile on SMERGERS so you can understand how it works and experience the capabilities of the platform. Kindly note that we allow only one free profile per user or per company and it is possible that someone else from your company could have utilized this free profile. For consecutive profiles you will have to upgrade your profile to enjoy uninterrupted services.

If you are being asked to upgrade on your first profile, it could be because of a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, a similar profile on a different account, expiration of the profile term of your previous profile, default of fee payments towards SMERGERS, inactivity / bad experience for users etc. Please note that we will be unable to provide specific details regarding why your profile was marked as "Needs Upgrade" and any details of the previous profiles due to privacy reasons. You can still continue using our platform, but only on a paid plan as we are unable to provide any free plan services.

Question 60

What should one do if a member or a business owner doesn’t respond post the introduction?

Accepted Answer

Post the introduction if you’re unable to establish initial connect, then kindly report the issue on your dashboard. Ensure you've tried every means to reach out to the party after fetching the contact details available on your dashboard.

However, if the initial connect has already been established and the party is now not responding, then it would simply mean that they may not be interested to pursue the transaction with you. You may follow up after a few weeks if you wish to and then move on and explore the possiblility of connecting with other parties on the platform.

Question 61

What formalities need to be completed post successful deal closure?

Accepted Answer

Once a deal is successfully closed, as per T&C, both the investor/acquire/advisor and the business should promptly disclose in absolute good faith the correct transaction value and transaction closure date to SMERGERS by sending an email to info@smergers.com within 2 business days of transaction closure.

The business/franchisor is also liable to pay the finder’s fee, except in the case of advisor listed profiles as per the contractual agreement. In case of non-compliance, the onus falls on both investor and business to clear the finder’s fee along with penalty interest of 4% per month. Failure to do so would attract legal action from SMERGERS.

Question 62

When would SMERGERS re-credit an introduction?

Accepted Answer

Users need to report the issue with complete details on the specific introduction on their dashboard within 30 days from the date of introduction. Post reporting the issue, we reach out to the concerned business owner to understand the problem. Kindly note this process may take upto a week. Under the following circumstances, SMERGERS re-credits the introduction:

- No initial contact can be established between the business and the interested member

- Inital contact has been made, but it was learnt that the business is already sold or not available for transaction

- There is material difference between what is mentioned in the profile and the actuals of the business

Please note, SMERGERS may ask you for related documentary proof/email exchanges before accepting your request and recrediting your account.

Question 63

How long does it take to successfully close a deal on SMERGERS?

Accepted Answer

Deal duration is highly dependent on the attractiveness of the industry and business proposal. We have seen deals take anywhere between 10 days to 2 years. Deal duration is also affected by the depth of due diligence conducted, keenness of the business owner and information availability.

Visit our testimonials page here to see the time taken to close deals by some of our members on SMERGERS.

Question 64

Can I send attachments through SMERGERS messaging system?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can. SMERGERS messaging system offers a convenient and easy platform to exchange attachments post the introduction.