Selling Your Canadian Business: A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximizing Value and Securing Your Legacy

In this episode, we explore the key valuation trends shaping the Canadian private business landscape in 2025. Whether you’re preparing to sell, seeking investors, or simply assessing your company’s worth, understanding how market conditions, profit margins, and deal structures are evolving can give you a strategic edge. You’ll learn what factors are driving recovery in valuation multiples and why timing and performance matter more ...

Canada’s lower-middle-market M&A scene is more active than ever, with a transaction closing nearly every day across the country. This podcast explores how that pace of activity, driven by companies earning $10 million to $50 million in revenue, reflects a healthy, resilient market. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of what’s fueling this growth, from steady deal flow and strong valuations to global investor interest, an...

Exiting a technology business is one of the most pivotal moments in an entrepreneur’s journey. This podcast explores how Canadian tech founders can navigate the complexities of selling, merging, or transitioning their companies while preserving value and vision. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, listeners will gain a clear understanding of exit options — from strategic and financial buyers to IPOs and management...

This episode explores why every Canadian business owner preparing for a sale needs to adopt a 36-month rolling forecast to maximize business value. Listeners will learn how forward-looking financials play a crucial role in shaping buyer confidence and driving premium valuations. By understanding how projected EBITDA and forward multiples influence modern dealmaking, owners can better position their companies for successful exits.

We...

Canada’s business world is in the midst of a massive transformation as Baby Boomers pass the entrepreneurial torch to Generation X and Millennials. This podcast explores the dynamics behind this historic handover, revealing how tens of thousands of companies and billions in wealth are shifting hands. Listeners will discover the real impact this transition is having on local economies, industries, and innovation across the country.

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When selling a Canadian business valued between $10M and $50M, building the right target list of potential buyers can define the success of the entire process. This podcast breaks down how investment bankers and M&A advisors craft these strategic lists for lower-middle-market business owners. You’ll learn how professionals identify qualified buyers, align outreach with your goals, and ensure confidentiality while maximizing com...

Selling a business is one of the most important transitions an entrepreneur can experience. This podcast explores how Canadian business owners can navigate the sell-side process with confidence, clarity and strategy. Listeners will gain a deep understanding of what it takes to prepare their company for sale, maximize value and preserve their legacy through every stage — from preparation and valuation to negotiation and closing.

Each...

Selling a $10–$50 million business is often a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to realize the full value of years of hard work. This podcast explores how Canadian lower-middle market business owners can leverage expert M&A guidance to turn unsolicited approaches from stakeholders, like competitors, suppliers, or management teams, into competitive auctions that drive maximum value. You’ll learn how the right strategy can transform...

Navigating the Sell-Side M&A Process: Key Risks and Delays After an Executed LOI for Canadian Business Owners

Closing a business sale does not end with signing the Letter of Intent. It is often where the real challenges begin. In this episode, we explore what happens after the LOI is executed and why this stage can be the most unpredictable part of the M&A journey. For Canadian business owners, the time between signing the L...

Selling a business is one of the most significant decisions an owner can make, and when a pre-emptive offer appears early in a broad auction process, it can feel like both an opportunity and a test of strategy. In this episode, we break down what a pre-emptive offer really means, how it can affect your auction process, and what Canadian business owners should consider before saying yes.

We explain how broad auctions work, why pre-em...

In this episode, we delve into the high-stakes world of mergers and acquisitions, where timing and strategy can determine millions. Picture this: you are ready to sell your company when a buyer suddenly offers $22 million with only 72 hours to respond. It looks tempting, but could this early bid derail your entire auction?

We break down the difference between a bully offer and a pre-emptive offer, how to spot the signs, and what eac...

The U.S. government's suspension of its de minimis exemption on Aug. 29, 2025, is altering trade dynamics across North America and presenting strategic advantages for Canadian companies in the $5 million to $50 million annual revenue segment.

Under Executive Order 14324, imports valued under $800 no longer receive duty-free entry or expedited customs processing. While this adds costs to low-value shipments from Canada, it enhan...

Canadian entrepreneurs with startups pulling in $5 million to $50 million in annual revenue face a familiar crossroads: grind out organic expansion or snap up a rival for quicker wins?

The choice matters more than ever in a market where speed trumps patience. Companies pursuing acquisitions boast short-term revenue growth rates 8.3 percentage points higher than those sticking to internal efforts. For mid-sized firms like yours, buyi...

Marketed Sale vs Direct Acquisition: How Canadian Businesses Can Maximize Value 

When Canadian business owners decide to sell, a pivotal decision involves choosing between a broadly marketed sale and a direct acquisition. The chosen approach can significantly impact the final valuation, experts say. 

You're listening to The Shaughnessy Group Podcast—insights on buying, selling, and growing Canadian businesses in the lower-middle mark...

As a Canadian business owner with a company generating between $5 million and $50 million in annual revenue, deciding to sell your privately held enterprise is a big step. In this mid-market segment, share sales are common. They let buyers acquire the entire entity — including assets, liabilities and tax attributes — while often giving you favorable tax treatment, such as access to the lifetime capital gains exemption.

But the share...

More Than Just The Bottom Line: Why Professional Service Firms Acquire Rivals

In the competitive landscape of professional services – from law firms and accounting practices to consulting agencies and architectural studios – the decision to acquire a rival isn't just about snatching up market share. While the core business principles of reducing competition and boosting the bottom line certainly apply, these strategic moves are...

For Canadian business owners of privately owned companies with $10 to $50 million in annual revenue, selling your lower-middle market business is a high-stakes opportunity. Often, an unsolicited approach from a stakeholder—such as a rival, supplier, customer, or management team member—triggers the sale process. By integrating Porter’s Five Forces analysis, a skilled M&A advisor can leverage competitive dynamics to create an auc...

As a Canadian business owner preparing to sell your $10 to $50 million revenue company through a broadly marketed M&A process led by an M&A advisor, you’re likely navigating a complex but exciting transition. One critical concept that will arise during negotiations, particularly in the Letter of Intent (LOI) from a buyer, is working capital—and specifically, the requirement to leave a certain amount of working capital in th...

As a Canadian business owner running a lower middle market company—typically generating $5–$100 million in annual revenue or $2–$20 million in EBITDA—you may be wondering about the pool of capital available from private equity (PE) firms and strategic acquirers looking to buy businesses like yours in 2025. The good news? There’s a substantial amount of money out there, and your business could be an attractive target. Here’s a break...