Buying or selling an existing Massage Addict clinic is a personal-care resale with a regulated-professional layer — the registered massage therapists on staff carry their own individual registration with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, and the clinic's membership dues and direct-billing relationships with insurers are usually as important to the deal as the lease itself.
Massage Addict resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure and should build in the conditions that matter for a regulated-service clinic: franchisor consent, landlord consent, and continuity of the RMT team.
1 week†The franchisor reviews the incoming operator and the proposed terms before consenting to the transfer of that specific clinic.
2–4 weeks†An Arthur Wishart Act disclosure document may still be required even where the deal is framed as a private resale — the exemption is read narrowly by Ontario courts, so this gets confirmed early.
assessed early†Getting to closing
The landlord's consent to assign the clinic lease is typically the practical bottleneck for a resale.
2–4 weeks†Registered massage therapists carry their own individual CMTO registration rather than a clinic-level licence, so retention is a staffing question, not a licensing one — meanwhile, outstanding membership dues and the clinic's direct-billing relationships with insurers are reconciled and transitioned.
2–3 weeks, around closing†After franchisor onboarding and sign-off, funds, keys, and equipment change hands, alongside confirmation that direct-billing accounts are active under the new owner.
1 day, once conditions are met†Own Canadian franchising site (massageaddict.ca/franchising) with investment details and CFA presence; a growing base of Canadian clinics.
Founded and headquartered in Ontario; clinics across the province.
This is the first real decision in a Massage Addict resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The clinic's assets — treatment-room equipment, the lease, the membership base, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to consent. | The shares of the operating company — every clinic it holds, and everything the company owes. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for the specific clinic changing hands. | Required for the change of control itself, across every clinic the corporation operates. |
| The lease | Needs landlord consent to assign — often the pacing item for a clinic-format resale. | Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| RMT staffing | Individual therapists hold their own CMTO registration, which stays with them personally — retention is negotiated as a staffing matter, not transferred as a licence. | Employment generally continues uninterrupted, though individual RMTs can still leave regardless of who holds the shares. |
| Membership dues & insurer direct billing | Outstanding prepaid membership dues are reconciled as a disclosed liability; direct-billing accounts with insurers are re-established under the new owner. | Stays with the corporation; no separate reconciliation needed. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
The clinic's assets — treatment-room equipment, the lease, the membership base, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to consent.
The shares of the operating company — every clinic it holds, and everything the company owes.
Required for the specific clinic changing hands.
Required for the change of control itself, across every clinic the corporation operates.
Needs landlord consent to assign — often the pacing item for a clinic-format resale.
Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
Individual therapists hold their own CMTO registration, which stays with them personally — retention is negotiated as a staffing matter, not transferred as a licence.
Employment generally continues uninterrupted, though individual RMTs can still leave regardless of who holds the shares.
Outstanding prepaid membership dues are reconciled as a disclosed liability; direct-billing accounts with insurers are re-established under the new owner.
Stays with the corporation; no separate reconciliation needed.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single clinic with a straightforward lease, changing hands between one buyer and one seller.
Start my file →A multi-clinic operator selling several locations as one operating company, or a resale where RMT retention and membership-liability reconciliation need careful review before terms are final.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Not automatically — RMTs hold their own individual registration with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario and can choose to stay or move on independently of who owns the clinic. Retention is negotiated as a staffing matter, and it's often central to keeping the client base intact.
Outstanding prepaid membership dues are reconciled as part of the deal and disclosed to the buyer as a liability being assumed, so it's confirmed in diligence rather than discovered after closing.
Generally not automatically — these accounts are typically re-established under the new owner's name, and confirming billing continuity before closing helps avoid a gap in how clients get reimbursed.
Not necessarily. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in the resale can be enough to trigger a full disclosure requirement anyway — we confirm early whether it applies to your deal.
Often, yes. Buying an operating company that holds multiple clinics is more commonly done as a share purchase, so every clinic's franchise agreement and lease stay intact at the same time.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Massage Addict or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Massage Addict resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.