Step 8 of 8
Step 8: sell your business for the right price, well represented
To sell your business for the right price you need three things: a business that runs without you, several serious buyers at the same time, and a deal structure that addresses everyone's concerns. Vendor financing, a well-framed earn-out, retained equity or a sale to employees: well represented, you turn these tools into price.
No commitment. No cost. 45 minutes.
Focus regions: Eastern Townships (Estrie) · Montérégie · Centre-du-Québec · Mauricie · Quebec City region (Capitale-Nationale) · Montreal · Laval · Laurentians (Laurentides). 1 regional partner.
9articles to go further
This step is part of service 3: Sell your business. The three services together deliver the best result.
What you'll have at the end
- A defensible value range, backed by data
- Several qualified buyers competing
- A letter of intent with clear terms
- A win-win deal structure, reviewed by your tax advisors and lawyers
How to do it
- Have the value established before talking to a buyer
- Prepare a presentation file from the Transition Document
- Approach several buyers in parallel: competitors, investors, employees
- Negotiate the structure as much as the price
- Have each step reviewed by your tax advisors, lawyers and, for a share sale, a registered dealer
Step 8 articles
Go deeper
Step 8 · Sell at the right price
What is your business worth? Understanding multiples
What is my business worth? The price starts from normalized EBITDA times a number that reflects risk. See what moves that number.
Read the article →Step 8 · Sell at the right price
The costs of selling a business in Quebec, explained
The cost of selling a business: accountant, tax advisor, lawyer, valuator, registered dealer and our fees. Know what to plan for before you sign.
Read the article →Step 8 · Sell at the right price
38,000 businesses to transfer by 2028: what it means for your price
Quebec business transfers: about 38,000 small businesses could change hands by 2028. What it means for your price, and how to stand out.
Read the article →Step 8 · Sell at the right price
Creating competition between buyers
A competitive sale process runs several buyers in parallel: strategic, financial, employees. See how to keep control of the timeline and your leverage.
Read the article →Step 8 · Sell at the right price
The letter of intent: what to negotiate before signing
The letter of intent sets almost everything: price, structure, exclusivity, holdbacks, transition. Here's what to negotiate while you still have leverage.
Read the article →Step 8 · Sell at the right price
Vendor financing: lending to sell for more
Vendor financing helps the buyer get funded and can raise your price. How to protect it: security, ranking, covenants, and the risks to face.
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The earn-out without getting trapped
An earn-out clause ties part of the price to results after the sale. How to make it short, measurable and fair, and the traps to avoid.
Read the article →Step 8 · Sell at the right price
Selling your business to your employees
Selling your business to employees: management buyout, gradual transfer or co-op. How to finance the sale and protect your price.
Read the article →Step 8 · Sell at the right price
Structuring a win-win deal: creative tactics
A win-win deal combines a staged sale, retained equity, vendor financing and competition. Three fictional deal structures, explained.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is vendor financing?
- Part of the price you lend to the buyer, repaid over a few years. It eases financing and can raise the total price, in exchange for a risk that needs to be well framed.
- Is an earn-out a good idea?
- Only if it's short, measurable and the buyer controls what depends on them. Badly drafted, it's the most common source of conflict after a sale.
- Why several buyers at the same time?
- Because a single buyer sets the terms. Competition, even among two or three buyers, changes the price and the structure.
Do it with a pro
You can do it all yourself. With us, it gets done faster, and better.
We and our regional partner implement each step directly in your business, while you keep running it.
No commitment. No cost. 45 minutes.
Focus regions: Eastern Townships (Estrie) · Montérégie · Centre-du-Québec · Mauricie · Quebec City region (Capitale-Nationale) · Montreal · Laval · Laurentians (Laurentides). 1 regional partner.