Sell your business
Selling the company you built is usually a once-in-a-lifetime transaction, and the buyer has often done it before. We run the sale from valuation to the transfer of keys, so you keep running the business while we find, qualify and negotiate with buyers. Nothing with your name on it is shared until a serious buyer has signed an NDA.
What you leave with
You close a sale to a qualified buyer at a price and structure you understand, with staff, customers and reputation intact.
Who it is for
- Founders in BC ready to retire or move on to the next thing
- Partners who want to sell together and split the proceeds cleanly
- Owners who have received an unsolicited offer and want a second opinion
What we deliver
- A BizSell.ca valuation so the asking price rests on normalised earnings
- A confidential information memorandum written for buyers
- A blind teaser and outreach to 200+ qualified buyers and strategic buyers
- Buyer screening, NDAs and proof of funds before anyone sees your name
- Negotiation of price and structure, then diligence management through closing
How it runs
01Consultation
We meet, sign an NDA and talk through your goals, timing and what you need from the sale.
02Value and package
We complete the valuation and build the information memorandum, teaser and data room.
03Buyers and offers
Qualified buyers review the package, visit and submit offers. We negotiate to a signed letter of intent.
04Diligence and close
We manage the buyer's due diligence, keep the deal on schedule and close with your lawyer and CPA.
Engagement and fees
Main Street deals under $2M: $5,000 retainer plus 10% of transaction value, $25,000 minimum. Lower mid-market deals of $2M to $10M: $10,000 to $15,000 retainer plus a modified Lehman fee (8% of the first $1M, 6% of the next $1M, 4% of the next $3M, 2% above), $50,000 minimum. Every engagement is scoped after a call and confirmed in writing. See consultations and fees.
What actually sells a business in BC
Buyers pay for earnings they believe will continue without you. That means clean financials, customers who are not all personal friends of the owner, a team that can run the week on its own and documented processes. Price matters, but structure often matters more, because most Main Street deals in this province combine bank financing, a vendor take-back and a transition period. A business prepared on these points attracts several buyers and sells near its valuation. One that is not attracts bargain hunters.
Confidentiality is the whole game
If your staff hear you are selling, your best people start looking. If your customers hear, competitors call them. If your suppliers hear, credit terms tighten. So nothing with your name on it leaves our office until a buyer has signed an NDA, told us who they are and shown they can fund the purchase. Early marketing uses a blind profile that describes the business without identifying it. Your team learns about the sale when you decide, usually once the deal is certain.
What goes wrong, and how we prevent it
The common failures are predictable. Owners price on need rather than earnings, so the listing goes stale. Financials carry unexplained add-backs, so the buyer's accountant discounts everything. The owner is the business, so buyers fear the customers leave with them. A letter of intent is signed too early with vague terms, so the deal unravels in diligence. We address each before going to market: normalised earnings, a documented operation, a planned transition role and a letter of intent specific enough to hold.
Industries where we run this most
Questions about this service
How long does it take to sell a business in BC?
It depends on size, industry, price and how prepared the company is. Preparation and valuation come first, then marketing, offers, diligence and closing. Owners who start a year ahead have the most choice.
Do I have to tell my staff?
Not until you choose to. Most owners inform key staff once the letter of intent is signed and diligence is advanced, and the wider team at or just before closing.
What is the minimum size you work with?
Our Main Street engagement has a $25,000 minimum fee, which suits businesses selling for several hundred thousand dollars and up. Below that, a valuation and an exit-planning session are usually the better buy.
What if I already have a buyer?
Then you need a valuation, help negotiating the terms and someone to manage diligence, not a marketing campaign. We scope that as a smaller engagement, often starting with the $3,500 valuation.
Start with a confidential conversation.
Tell Ali where the business is and what you want to happen next. You leave with a straight read on value, timing and the two or three moves that matter, whether or not we work together.