Field notes for owners
Insights
Straight answers to the questions owners ask before they sell — valuation, process, tax, and timing — plus a running read on Canadian manufacturing succession. We do the reading; you get the signal.
A new issue is published here about once a month — no inbox required. Bookmark this page.
Start here
The three questions most owners start with
Who buys businesses like mine?
The four kinds of buyers, how each makes money, and where a permanent-capital owner fits.
Read →How do I sell my manufacturing business?
Your exit options compared, the process end to end, and what to prepare before you start.
Read →What is my business worth?
How manufacturing businesses are valued, what drives the multiple, and how to read an offer.
Read →Writing
Newsletter · Issue 01
Issue 01 — Who's buying, who's handing over
Five recent signals — who's buying, who's handing over, and what the numbers say about timing your exit.
Jun 6, 2026Perspective
The quiet succession wave coming to Ontario manufacturing
A generation of Ontario manufacturing owners is reaching retirement at once. Why the timing of your exit matters more than most owners expect.
May 12, 2026Guides
Plain-English answers to the practical questions — valuation, process, tax, and timing.
When is the right time to sell your business?
The right time is rarely the day you feel like leaving. How personal, business and market timing combine to set your best window.
Tax when you sell your business in Canada: an overview
Share sale vs asset sale, and the capital gains exemption — the tax questions every Canadian seller should raise with their accountant early.
How to sell your business confidentially
If the wrong people learn you are selling, it can do real damage. Practical steps to keep a sale discreet until the right moment.
Broker or direct sale: which is right for you?
Selling through a broker and selling directly each have real trade-offs. How to decide which path fits your situation.
How manufacturing businesses are valued: the main methods
Earnings multiples, discounted cash flow, asset-based — the three ways buyers value a business, and which one usually wins.
What actually drives the multiple on your business
Two businesses with identical profit can sell for very different prices. What moves the multiplier up — and down.
SDE vs EBITDA: which one applies to your business?
Both measure profit, but buyers use them for different sizes of business. Which one applies to yours — and why it changes the number.