The survey results are in. Despite the slowing economy, liquidity issues and tight lending conditions, deals are likely to pick up for the second half of 2009 according to a recent survey of dealmakers completed by the Association for Corporate Growth and Thomson Reuters.

While the credit crunch is seen as the biggest potential impediment to corporate growth, deals are likely to pick up - in fact, over half of the survey respondents expect the number of M&A transactions to increase through the end of 2009. Also, over 70% of survey respondents expect the debt markets to improve six months from now – opening up greater deal opportunities in the coming months.

Here are some other key findings:

• Deals are continuing to be completed, with a majority of transactions happening in distressed sales and mergers.

• Top industries for transactions being completed this year are Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing & Distribution, and Financial Services.

• The healthcare and life sciences, energy and business services sectors are expected to experience the most organic growth over the next six months.

While deal activity may have slowed, financially strong companies and investors with cash are looking for quality acquisitions and are starting to return to the market.

Is now the right time to sell? For some owners who are ready to move on to the next phase of their lives, selling now may be a good exit strategy. The number of high quality companies on the market is down dramatically, which will help good companies stand out. But in this market, getting the best price will require solid preparation, unique strategies and a little resourcefulness.

For other business owners, if the market does not support the value you hope to achieve, you may want to wait and use this current time to prepare your business for a future sale. Realistically, the process of preparing your business for sale and completing the transaction can take anywhere from 6 months to 3 years.

No matter where you are in the process, here are some strategies to keep in mind:

• Begin to understand your options now - Setting your goals and knowing your options upfront can save you a lot of time and energy in the long run and ensure a greater likelihood of success.
  
  
• Keep expectations on price at a reasonable level – Having a proper business valuation can keep your perspective realistic. Understand what it will take in terms of time and resources to maximize the value of your business.
  
  
• Stay focused on growing your company – The best thing you can do for your business is to make sure you do not lose focus of where the company is headed.  Continue to stay focused on attaining your business goals.