These are the questions owners ask most often before they start exit readiness work. If yours isn't here, call, text or email; the first 30-minute consultation is free. For prices in detail, see the pricing page, and for what each service includes, the services overview.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does BusinessExit.ca do?
We prepare owner-led Canadian businesses for a sale, a family handover or a management or employee buyout. That means assessing readiness, cleaning up and documenting the numbers, reducing owner dependence, choosing an exit route, and building the data room. We are a business consulting service in the Sedighi.ca and SAZ.ca group.
Are you a broker, valuator, lawyer or accountant?
No. We are not licensed as any of those. We don't find buyers, value businesses, or give legal, tax or securities advice. We work alongside the professionals who do.
Can you tell me what my business is worth?
No. A formal opinion of value comes from a Chartered Business Valuator, and ultimately the market decides. We help prepare the numbers and documents a valuator and buyer will rely on.
How much does it cost?
Hourly consulting is $175 to $350, projects $3,500 to $25,000, and retainers $2,500 to $12,000 a month, in Canadian dollars plus GST/HST based on the seller's province (GST and QST in Quebec). The first 30-minute consultation is free.
Is there a long-term contract?
No lock-in. Projects are scoped with milestones and retainers continue only while they are useful. Specific terms are confirmed in writing in your proposal.
How long does exit readiness take?
About three years is ideal, because buyers weigh full fiscal years and handovers need time to prove themselves. Useful preparation can still be done in a few months if a buyer is already interested.
We worked with a consultant before and nothing changed. Why would this be different?
Fair question. Our work ends in a written, scored gap list with owners and dates, and we re-score the business every six months so progress is visible. If the scores don't move, you'll see it and can stop.
Will my staff or customers find out?
Not from us. Readiness work can be done quietly, and you decide who is told and when. Most owners bring in a small circle of key managers once the handover work requires it.
Can you promise a sale, a price or a buyer?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Outcomes depend on buyers, markets and the terms you negotiate with your advisers. We improve readiness; we don't promise results.
Who owns the documents and plans you produce?
You do. The assessment, schedules, procedures and data room belong to your business, and you can share them with anyone you choose.
How do you report progress?
Through the readiness score and a short written update at agreed intervals, typically monthly on a retainer. Each update lists what moved, what didn't, and what's next.
Do you work outside BC?
Yes. We work with owners in every province and territory, in person or by video call as well as by phone, text and email. Provincial differences that affect a sale are covered on our regional pages.
What if I decide not to sell?
The work still pays off. A business with clean records, a capable second layer of management and less dependence on its owner is easier to finance, easier to step back from and more valuable to keep.
The short version
BusinessExit.ca prepares owner-led businesses for an exit. We assess how the business would look to a buyer, then help fix the gaps, working beside your accountant, lawyer and any valuator or broker you hire. We don't sell businesses, value them, or give legal or tax advice, and we never promise a price or a buyer.
Questions about the work
Where do most owners start? With the exit readiness assessment, a scored view of six areas: financial record, earnings quality, owner dependence, corporate housekeeping, people, and route.
What's the most common gap? Owner dependence, closely followed by numbers that make sense for tax but are hard for a buyer to read. The first takes the longest to fix; the second is usually the cheapest.
Can you work with my existing accountant and lawyer? Yes, and we prefer it. They know your history. We organize the material and write down the questions that need their judgment.
Questions about timing
I'm five years out. Is that too early? No. Five years gives you room to fix things gradually and avoid a rushed final year. The three-year runway guide sets out the stages; with five years, you simply start Stage 1 earlier and spend longer proving results.
A buyer called me last week. Is it too late? No, but priorities change. Focus on the data room, a clean explanation of your numbers, and understanding the terms. Our data room checklist is a good place to begin today.
Questions about money
Why pay for preparation when a broker will do it? A broker's main job is to market the business and run the process. Readiness work happens before that, and changes the business itself: its records, its management and its numbers. The two complement each other.
Is the cost worth it? That depends on your business, and we will tell you honestly in the free consultation if we don't think it is. The normalized earnings guide shows how documentation alone can change what a buyer is willing to accept.
Questions about your advisers
Do I need a Chartered Business Valuator? Not always. Some owners rely on market feedback from a broker; others, especially in family or management transfers where fairness matters, want an independent opinion. The CBV Institute keeps a public directory if you decide you need one.
What should my lawyer handle? Anything that creates or changes legal rights: the shareholder agreement, the letter of intent, the purchase agreement, employment and non-competition terms, and closing. If you don't have a lawyer with transaction experience, your provincial law society can help you find one.
What should my accountant handle? The financial statements, tax filings, tax planning for the sale, and a view on whether a share or asset sale suits you. We prepare the supporting files so their time goes further.
Questions about different provinces
Do the rules change by province? The readiness method doesn't, but some sale paperwork does. Ontario's WSIB, for example, asks for a purchase certificate request before the sale date in an asset deal, and BC advises buyers to obtain a PST clearance certificate. Each regional page covers the points to raise with your advisers where you operate.
Questions about confidentiality
We treat everything you share as confidential. When we help build a data room, we recommend staged access, sharing sensitive information only after a confidentiality agreement and only as a buyer becomes serious, and we flag privacy rules on customer information for your lawyer to confirm.
Still have questions?
Call, text or email. Our hours are Mon–Fri 9–6 Pacific. We usually reply within one business day. You can also read about Ali Sedighi and the group behind BusinessExit.ca.