“The reason we are in this situation of wider values and details, is because of the uncertainty. The factors that we used before COVID in the M&A space still apply, they’re just harder to apply.” Aaron Jackson, Jackson Law Firm

Industry leaders said the M&A marketplace has become even more a matter of “survival of the fittest” in the COVID era. Industries with built-in virtual solutions such as e-commerce, fintech and broadband, have become an essential part of virtual work, while smaller, family-owned businesses have been forced to implement years’ worth of innovation in a matter of months to stay alive.

Most entrepreneurs start a business because they know something about a particular industry, its practices, its products and services, and its customers. Generally, they believe they can do whatever it takes to match or beat competitors profitably and successfully. Many new businesses don’t survive, but for those that do, the belief of the founder that ...