Business broker in Montreal
Selling a business you have built, or buying one you will have to run, is a decision most owners make once or twice in a lifetime. Lorne Cassoff spent 21 years as a business broker before building and selling Ben & Florentine. He knows the transaction from the broker's side, the buyer's side and the seller's side.
Brokerage services
Sell your business
Valuation, preparation, confidential marketing, buyer qualification, negotiation and closing. Success fee, paid at closing.
Buy a business
Search, valuation, due diligence, financing and deal structure, so you know what you are buying before you commit.
Franchise resale
Buying or selling an existing franchise: franchisor approval, transfer conditions and the agreement the buyer inherits.
Businesses for sale
Current opportunities, presented in confidence, and the buyer list for upcoming ones.
How a sale is run
Valuation
Normalized earnings, the owner's real role and what buyers pay in the sector, giving a price that can be defended.
Preparation
Financial statements, lease, suppliers and staff organized before the first buyer looks, with weak points dealt with or disclosed.
Confidential marketing
A summary without the business name, released in full only to qualified buyers under a confidentiality agreement.
Negotiation
Price, terms, vendor financing, conditions and the transition period, agreed in a written offer.
Due diligence and closing
Coordinated with your accountant and lawyer through to signature and handover.
Why an operator's view matters
Many brokers have sold businesses. Fewer have also run a multi-unit operation and sold their own company to a publicly traded buyer. Lorne reads a business the way a buyer will: the real margins after paying a manager, how much depends on the owner, the lease, the suppliers and the staff. That is how he prices a business, prepares it and defends the price in negotiation.
Fees
Seller mandates are primarily on a success-fee basis: you pay when the sale closes. Buyer mandates and advisory-only work, such as due diligence on a specific business, are quoted after the free first consultation.
Questions owners ask
What is my business worth?
It depends on its earnings, its stability, how much it depends on you and what buyers in your sector are paying. A valuation looks at all four and explains the number, so you can decide whether to sell now or prepare first.
How long does it take to sell a business?
It depends on the sector, the size of the business and how well it is prepared. A business with clean financial statements, a solid lease and a manager in place usually sells faster and for more. The first step is a frank assessment of where yours stands.
Do you also work with buyers?
Yes. Lorne helps buyers search for a business, test the asking price, carry out due diligence and structure a deal they can finance.
Talk it through before you commit
The first consultation is free and carries no obligation. Most clients start with a phone call: describe your business and what you are considering, whether expanding, selling or buying, and Lorne will tell you plainly what it would take.