The assessment answers one question: if a serious buyer started due diligence on your business next month, what would they find, and what would it cost you? We review the business across six areas, score each one, and give you a written, ranked list of what to fix, in what order, and roughly how long each fix takes to show up in the record.
What the assessment covers
We score six areas on a simple 1-to-5 scale, where 5 means a buyer's accountant or lawyer would have nothing material to question.
- Financial record. Do the statements, corporate tax returns, sales tax filings and bank deposits reconcile? Are personal and business expenses separated? Is there a clear explanation for every large, one-time item?
- Earnings quality. How much of the profit is recurring, how concentrated are customers, and how steady is the margin across seasons and years?
- Owner dependence. Which relationships, approvals and skills sit only with you?
- Corporate and legal housekeeping. Is the minute book current? Are shareholder agreements, leases, key contracts and employment terms written, signed and transferable?
- People. Is there a second layer of management, and are key staff likely to stay through a change of ownership?
- Route and timing. Have you chosen who the buyer is likely to be, and does your timeline fit that route?
Who it's for
The assessment suits owners of private, owner-led companies in Canada, usually with a handful to a few dozen staff, who expect to exit within one to five years.
It is also useful in two less obvious situations. The first is the owner who just got an unsolicited approach and needs to know, quickly, whether the business can survive diligence. The second is the owner with no plan to sell who wants to step back to three days a week; the gaps are almost identical.
What's included
- A document request list tailored to your business type and province.
- Interviews with you and, where useful, two or three key staff.
- A review of three years of financial statements and tax filings, read alongside your accountant's notes where available.
- A scored report covering the six areas, with evidence for each score.
- A ranked fix list: action, owner, rough effort, and how long before the improvement is visible to a buyer.
- A working session to walk through the findings and agree on next steps.
We do not audit your books or review legal documents for enforceability. Where we see a question that needs a professional answer, we write it down for your accountant or lawyer.
Timeline
| Week | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kick-off call, document request, interview scheduling |
| 2–3 | Document review and interviews |
| 4 | Draft scores and fix list |
| 5 | Working session and final report |
Owners with organized records often finish in three weeks. Owners whose minute book has not been touched since incorporation should expect five.
How results are measured
The assessment sets a baseline. The point is to re-score the same six areas later and see them move.
A practical target: no area below 3 at least 12 months before you plan to go to market, and financial record and housekeeping at 4 or 5. We usually suggest a re-score every six months during the readiness period, so that progress is visible and you can tell your adviser where the business stands with evidence rather than hope.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assessing only the numbers. Clean financials do not rescue a business whose biggest customer is your brother-in-law on a handshake deal.
- Hiding weak spots from the reviewer. Anything we don't see, the buyer will. Better to hear it from us first.
- Treating the report as a verdict. A low score two years out is good news; it means you found the problem while there is time to fix it.
- Starting the sale process first. Once a buyer is in diligence, every gap becomes a negotiation point. Fix first, then sell.
What usually comes next
Most owners follow the assessment with one focused piece of work. Messy books lead to valuation readiness; a business that depends on its owner leads to the owner-independence plan. For the bigger picture of timing, read the three-year exit runway guide.
Assessments are scoped as a project; the ranges are on the pricing page. To get started, call, text or email.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the assessment take?
Most assessments take three to five weeks from the first document request to the written report. The pace depends mostly on how quickly the records can be gathered, not on the review itself.
Will the assessment tell me what my business is worth?
No. It tells you how ready the business is to be valued and sold, and what would make a buyer discount it. A value conclusion comes from a Chartered Business Valuator or the market, not from us.
Who sees the report?
You do, and anyone you choose to share it with. Many owners pass it to their accountant and lawyer so the whole team works from the same list.
Can my managers be involved?
Yes, and it often helps. Interviews with two or three key people show quickly which parts of the business depend on the owner and which already run on their own.