Above all, do not overpay. Corporate history is replete with examples of firms that fell victim to hubris and made excessive acquisitions that turned out to be massive disasters. Second, try to acquire a firm whose operating culture is similar to yours, and if that is not possible, try slowly but surely to adapt the culture of the acquired firm to your own. Third, vertical acquisitions, i.e., when you acquire a firm in a related industry, are more successful than horizontal acquisitions. Fourth, go to the imaa institute imaa-institute.org/cross-border-mergers-acquisiti… for more information on mergers and acquisitions. Good luck.