ARTICLES

Our articles on selling a business

Expert advice for selling your business in Quebec: valuation, process, timing, tax planning.

Advice 7 min

Share Sale vs. Asset Sale: A Seller's Guide

Sellers prefer shares. Buyers want assets. Why, what it changes tax-wise, and how negotiation settles the question.

Conseils 6 min

Vendor take-back: a seller's guide

Vendor take-backs are common in SME sales. What's normal, how to protect yourself, and when to push back. A guide for Quebec sellers.

Advice 7 min

How much does a business broker cost in Quebec?

Success-based fees, retainers, or hybrid models: how broker compensation is structured and how to assess the ROI for Quebec SMEs.

Conseils 6 min

Preparing the owner's transition: a practical guide

The most overlooked transition is the owner's own. How to prepare for your departure, the handover, and the life that comes after.

Advice 5 min

Confidentiality breach: how to respond during a sale

Has confidentiality been compromised? The right steps to contain the leak, reassure key employees, and protect the transaction.

Advice 7 min

Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption for Quebec SMEs: a complete guide

The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption can save hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax. The three conditions to meet and how to prepare.

Advice 6 min

Letter of intent (LOI): a guide for sellers

The price on a LOI is just the surface. Structure, conditions, and exclusivity decide what the seller actually receives. A guide for SME owners.

Advice 6 min

How to choose a business broker

Six criteria, seven questions to ask, and the red flags to watch for. An objective guide for choosing the right broker for your SME.

Conseils 6 min

MBO: selling your business to employees or managers

A management buyout lets you sell your SME to employees or managers. How to structure financing, transition, and seller protections.

Advice 6 min

NDA: what it really does in a business sale

An NDA does more than prevent leaks. It defines what a buyer can see, use, and share during a controlled sale process.

Advice 8 min

How Much Is Left After Selling Your Business?

From a $3.5M sale to net proceeds after debt, fees, taxes and cash-flow planning for a Quebec SME owner.

Advice 5 min

Why Buyer Profitability Determines Whether Your Sale Closes

An interested buyer is not enough. For a business sale to close, the buyer still needs to service the debt and remain profitable after the acquisition.

Advice 6 min

Selling your business alone or with a broker: an honest comparison

Selling alone is possible. But the absence of a competitive process comes at a cost. An honest comparison of the two options for Quebec SMEs.

Advice 8 min

Family business transfer: a guide to getting it right

A family transfer protects continuity only if it also protects the relationship: valuation, financing, tax planning, and transition.

Advice 5 min

When should you tell your employees you're selling the business?

Telling your employees too early can cost you key people and scare off buyers. Who to inform, when, and how to keep control of the message.

Advice 7 min

Capital Gains and Business Sales in Quebec

How a capital gain is calculated when you sell a business, why the structure changes everything, and what you can actually optimize.

Conseils 7 min

Seller's guide to due diligence in a business sale

What buyers verify during due diligence, the mistakes that derail deals, and how to prepare your virtual data room before going to market.

Advice 5 min

The three pillars of a successful business sale

Business continuity, defensible price, and probability of closing: three objectives to balance in a successful sale of your Quebec SME.

Advice 7 min

Succession or sale: how to choose for your business

Family succession or sale to a third party: two legitimate paths. Concrete criteria, a comparison table, and the questions that help you decide.

Advice 7 MIN

Financial Modeling: The Tool Behind the Price

How financial modeling helps defend your price, validate financing, test scenarios, and spot a lowball offer before it costs you.

Conseils 7 min

Preparing your business for sale: the checklist

Preparing before going to market reduces ambiguity. A financial, operational and legal checklist for the 12 to 24 months before selling.

Advice 6 min

Expert, CPA or broker: who values your business?

Business valuation expert, CPA or broker: each answers a different question. Here's who to choose based on your objective.

Conseils 8 min

Why prioritize strategic buyers when selling your business?

Strategic buyers can pay more, put more cash on the table at closing, and reduce execution risk. Here's why sellers often target them first.

Advice 7 min

Business valuation multiples by industry

EBITDA multiple ranges by industry for Quebec SMEs, plus what moves your multiple and the valuation pitfalls to avoid.

Advice 8 min

When a Business Sale Derails After a Year (and $50K in Fees)

How to prevent a transaction from collapsing after months of work and tens of thousands of dollars in professional fees.

Advice 8 min

8 factors that drive the value of your business

The value of an SME depends on factors the owner can influence. Which ones, and how to improve them before the sale.

Advice 7 min

Growth Opportunity or Signal to Sell?

An acquisition opportunity can restart growth or reveal that selling is the better next move. Questions to ask before you answer.

Advice 6 min

EBITDA: definition, calculation and adjustments for SMEs

Adjusted EBITDA is the first number a buyer calculates. Definition, formula, common adjustments, and impact on the value of an SME.

Advice 5 min

When to sell your business?

The right time to sell often comes before decline. Here are the signals to watch so you can sell from a position of strength.

Advice 8 min

Business valuation methods: a guide for SMEs

DCF, comparables, asset value: each method lights up a different angle. How to use them together to defend your SME's price.

Industry 6 MIN

Overview of Book Publishing in Quebec

A snapshot of Quebec book publishing: local creativity, consolidation, and new consumption patterns reshaping the sector.

Share Sale vs. Asset Sale: A Seller's Guide

Vendor take-back: a seller's guide

How much does a business broker cost in Quebec?

Preparing the owner's transition: a practical guide

Confidentiality breach: how to respond during a sale

Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption for Quebec SMEs: a complete guide

Letter of intent (LOI): a guide for sellers

How to choose a business broker

MBO: selling your business to employees or managers

NDA: what it really does in a business sale

How Much Is Left After Selling Your Business?

Why Buyer Profitability Determines Whether Your Sale Closes

Selling your business alone or with a broker: an honest comparison

Family business transfer: a guide to getting it right

When should you tell your employees you're selling the business?

Capital Gains and Business Sales in Quebec

Seller's guide to due diligence in a business sale

The three pillars of a successful business sale

Succession or sale: how to choose for your business

Financial Modeling: The Tool Behind the Price

Preparing your business for sale: the checklist

Expert, CPA or broker: who values your business?

Why prioritize strategic buyers when selling your business?

Business valuation multiples by industry

When a Business Sale Derails After a Year (and $50K in Fees)

8 factors that drive the value of your business

Growth Opportunity or Signal to Sell?

EBITDA: definition, calculation and adjustments for SMEs

When to sell your business?

Business valuation methods: a guide for SMEs

Overview of Book Publishing in Quebec

It all starts with a professional valuation of your business