Buy a business
Buying an established business gets you customers, staff and cash flow from day one, which is why so many people in BC choose it over starting from scratch. It also means paying for someone else's past, and the seller knows far more about that past than you do. We sit on your side of the table and structure an offer you can finance.
What you leave with
You own a business you understand, bought at a price the numbers support, with a transition plan and financing in place.
Who it is for
- First-time buyers in BC, including newcomers to Canada, who want an operating business
- Owners who want to grow by acquiring a competitor or a supplier
- Managers and professionals leaving employment to run their own company
What we deliver
- Written acquisition criteria: industry, size, location, owner involvement and price range
- Screening of listed and off-market opportunities against those criteria
- An independent valuation of the target with our own normalisation
- An offer strategy and a letter of intent that protects you while you investigate
- Due diligence coordination with your CPA and lawyer, and a transition plan
How it runs
01Criteria
A Business Acquisition consultation sets out what you can afford, run and should avoid.
02Search and screen
We review opportunities, request financials under NDA and discard the ones whose numbers fail.
03Offer
We value the target, agree an offer and structure and negotiate a letter of intent with clear conditions.
04Diligence and close
We coordinate verification with your professionals, renegotiate if needed and support you through closing.
Engagement and fees
Start with a 60-minute Business Acquisition consultation at $399, by video, phone or in person in Vancouver. Buy-side work is scoped from there, and a valuation of a specific target is $3,500 flat. Every engagement is scoped after a call and confirmed in writing. See consultations and fees.
Decide what you are buying before you look
The most expensive mistake buyers make is falling for a business before deciding what they want. A listing with a great storefront and a charismatic owner can hide thin margins, an expiring lease or customers who leave with the founder. We start with criteria: the industry you can credibly run, the earnings you need to pay yourself and service debt, the hours you will work and the location that fits your life. With that written down, screening becomes fast and unemotional.
Reading a seller's numbers
Sellers present adjusted earnings with add-backs that flatter the result. Some add-backs are legitimate, like a one-time legal bill or the owner's personal vehicle. Others are not, like a family member's salary for work that someone will still need to do. We rebuild the earnings from the statements, check them against bank deposits and tax filings where possible and compare the result to what comparable BC businesses have sold for. The gap between the asking price and our range becomes your negotiating position.
Structure protects you more than price
A lower price helps, but the terms often matter more. A vendor take-back keeps the seller financially interested in your success. A holdback protects you if representations prove untrue. A working capital peg stops the seller from draining inventory and receivables before closing. A transition period with defined hours keeps customers and staff steady. A non-compete keeps the seller from opening up down the street. We negotiate these with you and your lawyer, so the agreement reflects the deal you think you are getting.
Industries where we run this most
Questions about this service
Should I buy shares or assets?
It depends on liabilities, tax and licences, and your lawyer and CPA must weigh in. Buyers often prefer assets to leave liabilities behind, while sellers often prefer shares for tax reasons.
How much cash do I need to buy a business?
It depends on the price, the lender and whether the seller will carry part of it. Buyers typically combine their own equity with bank financing and a vendor take-back. We explain what lenders in BC look for first.
Can I buy a business as a newcomer to Canada?
Many newcomers do, and we work with them regularly. Anything connected to immigration status must be handled by a regulated immigration consultant or lawyer, and we work alongside them. Our role is the business itself.
What if the seller refuses to share financials?
Then walk away or insist. A serious seller shares financial statements once you have signed an NDA and shown you are a credible buyer. Refusal at that stage usually means the numbers will not support the price.
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.