Summer may be almost over, but there’s still time to get in a beach read or two. If you have the bandwidth to pick up a book during the last few weeks of August, why not optimize your reading time by combining business with pleasure?

Growth through mergers and acquisitions has already surpassed $1.7 billion this year, which is the fastest growth rate in value ever recorded. According to accountancy firm Deloitte, this figure is already well beyond the $1.3 billion in M&A growth recorded for the entire year of 2017.

Virtual data rooms (VDRs) are highly secure, cloud-based data repositories that make it easy and safe to upload and share critical information. VDRs are already commonly used to facilitate mergers and acquisitions, due diligence investigations, and fundraising rounds. However, given their utility and affordability, they are increasingly relied upon in a variety of other capacities. Here are five reasons VDRs are particularly useful for board communications. 

Decades ago, the file room was often the heart of an organization — information  flowed  in and out of its chambers, bringing critical resources to every part of a company. While  paper  is on the fast track to obsolescence in many environments, the file room has evolved to take up residence on local servers or the cloud, with virtual data rooms making M&A due diligence and paperwork that much easier.

And yet, the  organization  of that data room remains a key aspect of ongoing business success. Check out these three tips for maintaining an organized virtual data room to support your entire organization — whether you’re in the midst of M&A activity or not.

Overall, the middle market is experiencing strong performance in 2018. According to the National Center for the Middle Market, companies in this sector reported employment growth rates of 6.3 percent and revenue growth rates of 8.4 percent -- both at the highest level within the past year. The center also notes that confidence in both the global and local economy is at an all time high in this sector, which is likely encouraging M&A activity and growth.

There are a lot of potential advantages to acquiring another entity, and this is true for both fledgling startups and well-established enterprises. Joining forces with an existing business by virtue of a merger or acquisition can help a company increase its market share, tap into new geographical areas, expand product and service lines, eliminate a competitor, or cut costs through economies of scale. It does not necessarily matter why a company pursues an acquisition, so long as there is ample preparation beforehand and a carefully crafted, well-executed plan. Here are eight best practices for acquiring a company:

SecureDocs, Inc. has announced that Mr. Casey Roberts has been named Vice President of Sales. Roberts’ new role places him responsible for overseeing the growth of the SecureDocs, Inc. account management team, ensuring that prospective customers have a tremendous experience from their first point of contact, through the evaluation process, and as a customer.

Whether a larger company is absorbing a smaller brand or two entities are merging to form a new company, branding plays a critical role in the success -- or failure -- of the outcome. By creating a comprehensive branding strategy that takes culture, customers, and communication into account, organizations can set the stage for greater success with M&A activity. Here are four tips for developing a strategy that protects existing brand values, which are often an important asset driving mergers in the first place.

Going public doesn't always go well, and even the biggest brands can stumble when leaping this hurdle. In 2013, for example, Twitter scored huge with the fourth biggest IPO of the year, while social giant Facebook floundered with unexpectedly poor performance on the first day. Even IPOs that break records on day one aren't necessarily success stories, though (it works the other way, too, as the eventual Facebook success shows). CEOs can take action to help hedge bets leading into an IPO. Here are five areas that should be in order before going public.