Guides
How selling a company works in Canada.
Plain accounts of what happens when a private Canadian company is sold, written for the owner rather than the advisor. They explain the stages, the people, the tax and the timing so you recognise each one when you meet it. None of it is advice, and none of it estimates what your company is worth.
How to sell a business in Canada
Selling a private company in Canada, step by step: the 7 stage process, share sale vs asset sale, the capital gains exemption, timing and cost.
Business broker or M&A advisor: which one sells your company?
Business broker vs M&A advisor in Canada: who each one works for, how each sells a company, what they charge, and how to tell which one you need.
M&A advisors in Canada: what the title means and how to check one
M&A advisors in Canada: why the title is not a licence, what the securities rules actually say, the credentials that mean something, and the 6 checks to run.
Selling a business in Ontario: what is different here
Selling a business in Ontario: the broker registration rule, the 26.76% top rate on a capital gain, what happens to employees, and what is not different here.
What it costs to sell a business in Canada
What selling a business costs in Canada: broker and M&A advisor success fees, the Double Lehman scale, retainers, legal, accounting, and 3 worked examples.
Share sale or asset sale: the tax decision behind every Canadian business sale
Share sale vs asset sale in Canada: what moves in each, the $1.25 million lifetime capital gains exemption and its 3 tests, GST/HST, employees and contracts.
How long it takes to sell a business in Canada
How long selling a business takes in Canada: 6 to 12 months from engaging an advisor to closing, stage by stage, and the 2 to 3 years of preparation first.
Getting a company ready to sell: the 2 to 3 year checklist
How to get a business ready to sell in Canada: the 10 things a buyer prices, and what to do 3 years out, 2 years out, 1 year out and in the last 6 months.
Family business succession: passing a Canadian company to the next generation
Family business succession in Canada: how a company passes to a child, the 2024 intergenerational transfer rules, the exemption, price, fairness and timing.