GLZR Group

Region 02 / 04

Buyers and sellers inCanada

In brief

GLZR Group is a deal sourcing partner and business acquisition intermediary for buyers and owners in Canada, from British Columbia to Atlantic Canada. We learn what a buyer wants to acquire, speak with owners considering a sale, gather initial information and introduce the parties where there is a potential fit. Succession is a common reason an owner takes the call. Some opportunities are off-market. Where the buyer agreement permits it, we also introduce qualifying brokered or banked opportunities. Fees depend on the engagement and are agreed in writing before any work begins.

What we do in Canada

Source, qualify, connect.

Sourcing and qualification are conversations with buyers and with sellers, including owners planning a succession. GLZR does not buy the businesses it introduces.

IFor sellers

Qualifyinitial

We discuss the business, the reason for considering a sale and the timeline. We gather initial information on revenue, earnings, customers, management and owner involvement, and we discuss valuation expectations and transition preferences. That is initial qualification. We do not verify financial statements or complete due diligence. Whether a fee applies depends on how we work together, and it's agreed with you up front. A first conversation costs nothing. Legal, tax and accounting costs of a sale are separate. Succession is a common reason for the conversation.

What is my business worth?

IIFor buyers

Sourcewe find

We discuss industries, locations, size and acquisition criteria, then capital availability, decision-making and readiness. We agree what counts as a qualifying introduction, and we set confidentiality and fee terms. An introduction may be off-market, or brokered or banked where the buyer agreement permits it.

Price an acquisition

IIIFor both

Connectwe introduce

Where there is a potential fit, we introduce the parties. Buyers, sellers and their advisors handle underwriting, formal valuation, due diligence, financing, documents and closing. It depends on who we're working with and what you want to achieve. We work with buyers and, in some cases, represent owners preparing to sell, and every engagement is agreed in writing before any work begins. Buyers can start with a free 30-day proof of concept, so they see results before they pay. The quickest way to find out what fits is a free 15-minute call. Whether a fee applies depends on how we work together, and it's agreed with you up front. A first conversation costs nothing.

Valuation multiples 2026

Run the numbers

Price it before the first call.

Educational calculators built on 2026 market multiples and the SBA rules in force from 1 October 2026. They are not a formal valuation, a financing approval or underwriting by GLZR.

BuyersAcquisition calculator Price a target on 2026 multiples and test SBA 7(a) financing, coverage and returns.OwnersWhat is my business worth? Build your SDE, see the market range and what a financed buyer can actually pay.DataValuation multiples 2026 Multiples by deal size, deal financing and country-adjusted figures. CSV and JSON.

Definition

What is an off‑market business?

An off-market business is a company whose owner would consider selling but has not listed it with a broker or on a marketplace. Buyers reach it through a direct approach or a trusted introduction, so there is no public listing, no auction, and far fewer people see the numbers.

Off-market does not mean informal. The same diligence, advisers and legal documents apply. What changes is who is in the room, and when.

Off-market sourcing is one part of the work. Where a buyer agreement permits it, GLZR can also introduce a qualifying opportunity that is already with a broker or a bank. Not every introduction is exclusive, unlisted or new to the buyer.

For owners

  • No public listing for employees, customers or competitors to find.
  • You set the pace, including deciding not to sell.
  • Fewer parties see your figures than in a broadly marketed sale.

For buyers

  • A first conversation with the owner, not a broker’s teaser.
  • Less competition than a broadly marketed auction.
  • Companies that match a stated mandate, not a list of everything for sale.

By the numbers

Canada, in figures.

1.10M

Employer businesses in Canada as of December 2024.

Source: ISED, Key Small Business Statistics 2025

98.2%

Of those employer businesses are small, with 1 to 99 employees.

Source: ISED, Key Small Business Statistics 2025

76%

Of Canadian business owners plan to exit their business within the next decade.

Source: CFIB, Succession Tsunami, 2023

$2T+

In business assets that could change hands over that decade, by CFIB's own ballpark estimate.

Source: CFIB, Succession Tsunami, 2023

Figures are from the public sources linked under each one, checked 23 September 2026. They describe the market, not GLZR Group’s own activity.

Coverage

Coast to coast, region by region.

Ten provinces and three territories, grouped the way Canadians usually talk about them. Our search covers all of them.

  • Canada's Pacific province, from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island and the Interior.

  • Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

  • Canada's most populous province, including the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa and the manufacturing corridor of southwestern Ontario.

  • Canada's largest province by area. French is the official language of Quebec, and Quebec's language law can affect the language of documents in a sale there.

  • New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

  • Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Dot map of Canada by region
CanadaNatural Earth

In this market

Established businesses, nine sectors.

Common owner-operated sectors in this market. Buyers name their own criteria. A sector on this list is not a statement that GLZR has a buyer for a business.

  • ManufacturingFabrication, machining, packaging and specialty production.
  • Home servicesHVAC, plumbing, electrical and other residential trades.
  • Construction and contractingGeneral and specialty contractors.
  • Logistics and transportationTrucking, distribution, warehousing and last-mile delivery.
  • Commercial and B2B servicesCleaning, facilities, staffing and other business services.
  • Managed IT servicesManaged service providers and IT support firms.
  • Niche B2B softwareVertical software built for a specific industry.
  • Food and beverageProducers, co-packers and distributors.
  • Main Street businessesEstablished local consumer businesses.

Process

How an off-market sale usually unfolds.

Six stages a sale often passes through. Timelines vary, and a conversation with GLZR is not a closing date. GLZR handles sourcing, initial qualification and the introduction. Later stages belong to the parties and their advisors.

  1. A private first conversation

    GLZR speaks with the owner and, separately, with buyers whose criteria may fit. The owner decides what to share and when. An introduction is not a listing, and it is not a commitment to sell.

  2. Fit

    Buyers and their advisors look at how steady the earnings are, how concentrated the customers are, and how much still depends on the owner. GLZR's earlier conversation is initial qualification only. It is not underwriting.

  3. Confidentiality before detail

    Detailed financials, customer names and contracts are typically shared only after a confidentiality agreement is signed, and only with a buyer who fits.

  4. Letter of intent

    A serious buyer sets out price, structure, timing and conditions in a letter of intent.

    In Canada, as in the U.S., the letter of intent is usually non-binding on price but binding on confidentiality and exclusivity.

  5. Due diligence

    The buyer checks what it has been told: financial statements, tax filings, contracts, employees, licenses and legal exposure. A quality-of-earnings review by an outside accounting firm is common.

  6. Agreement, closing and transition

    Lawyers turn the letter of intent into a purchase agreement and the deal closes. The owner usually stays on for an agreed transition so customers and staff carry over.

    Canadian owners often prefer a share sale and buyers often prefer an asset purchase; the capital gains exemption described below is one reason why.

Local rules

What to know in Canada.

Foreign buyers file under the Investment Canada Act

When a non-Canadian acquires control of a Canadian business, it must file at least a notification, no later than 30 days after closing. A net-benefit review before closing applies only above the monetary thresholds.

For 2026 those thresholds are C$1.452 billion in enterprise value for private WTO investors and C$2.179 billion for trade-agreement investors, so most owner-operated companies need only a notification, although a national-security review can apply at any size.

Source: ISED, What is the Investment Canada Act · ISED, thresholds

The lifetime capital gains exemption was raised to $1.25 million

For dispositions on or after June 25, 2024, the lifetime capital gains exemption applies to up to $1.25 million of eligible capital gains, for example on the sale of qualified small business corporation shares. Parliament enacted the change in March 2026.

The proposed increase in the capital gains inclusion rate was cancelled in March 2025. Whether a sale qualifies depends on how it is structured, which is one reason owners often prefer a share sale.

Source: Parliament of Canada, Bill C-15 · Prime Minister's Office

Selling to employees is a real alternative

Canada exempts the first $10 million of capital gains on a qualifying sale of a business to an employee ownership trust or a worker co-operative. Legislation that received Royal Assent in June 2026 made that exemption permanent.

For some owners, a sale to their own team belongs on the list of options next to a third-party buyer.

Source: Department of Finance Canada

Trade with the U.S. is under annual review

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement entered into force on July 1, 2020. At its first joint review on July 1, 2026 the United States did not agree to renew it in its current form; it remains in force, and the parties now review it every year.

For a Canadian business that sells into the U.S., a buyer will want to understand how much of its revenue crosses the border.

Source: USTR, USMCA · USTR, joint review statement

General information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Thresholds and rules change; confirm them with a qualified adviser in the relevant jurisdiction. Sources checked 23 September 2026. GLZR handles sourcing, initial qualification and introductions. It does not provide a formal valuation, financing approval or underwriting.

Questions

Questions owners and buyers ask.

How much is a small business worth in Canada?

Buyers price it on a multiple of earnings. The most detailed public reading is IBBA's national survey: in Q2 2026, 2.0x to 3.1x seller's discretionary earnings for businesses valued under $2 million and 4.0x to 5.8x EBITDA from $2 million to $50 million. Canada carries a country risk premium of 0.00% (Damodaran, January 2026), so GLZR Group's calculators apply the same multiples, in Canadian dollars.

What is my business worth? Run the calculator in CAD

How do I sell my business in Canada without listing it?

You can speak with buyers directly, or through an intermediary. GLZR speaks with Canadian owners who are considering a sale, gathers initial information, and introduces buyers whose criteria appear to fit. That can stay off-market, or include a brokered or banked opportunity where the buyer agreement permits it. An introduction is not a promise that the business will sell.

Does GLZR Group buy Canadian businesses directly?

No. GLZR does not supply acquisition capital and does not purchase the businesses it introduces. Speaking with both sides does not mean GLZR formally represents both. Fees depend on the engagement and are agreed in writing before any work begins.

Share sale or asset sale: which do Canadian owners prefer?

Owners usually prefer a share sale, because selling the shares of a qualifying Canadian-controlled private corporation can let them use the lifetime capital gains exemption. Buyers often prefer an asset purchase, which lets them pick the liabilities they assume and claim depreciation on a higher cost base. Price and structure are negotiated together.

What do buyers and sellers in Canada discuss with GLZR Group?

Buyers describe the industries, locations, size and criteria they want. Sellers describe the business, why they are considering a sale, and the timeline. GLZR does not buy businesses in a fixed list of sectors.

I'm a buyer. How do I get Canadian deal flow from GLZR Group?

Email contact@glzrgroup.com with your industries, locations, size, the provinces you want, and your acquisition criteria. We introduce opportunities that appear to fit. An introduction is not due diligence, and it is not a statement that the opportunity is exclusive.

Price a Canadian target with the acquisition calculator

Start here

A private conversation, first.

OwnersI’m considering selling my business. Tell us about the company, why you are considering a sale, and your timeline. A conversation is not a commitment to sell. BuyersI’m looking to buy a business. Tell us your industries, locations, size and criteria. We introduce opportunities that appear to fit.
contact@glzrgroup.comBook a 15-minute call