Peterborough's manufacturing and healthcare base gives way east to the Kawarthas' cottage-and-tourism motels and restaurants and Northumberland's small-town retail along the Highway 401 corridor — a mix that puts hospitality-property and main-street deals side by side with the occasional dental or medical practice sale. We tell you which structure fits, and what it costs, before any work begins.
Every figure below traces to a named public source — no estimates, no filler.
†Typical patterns across Ontario deals — not a quote or advice; every deal is confirmed on its own facts.
The same sequence underlies almost every owner-run Kawarthas, Peterborough & Northumberland deal — what changes from deal to deal is how long each step takes.
Reaching an agreement
Buyer and seller agree on price and key terms, usually informally, before lawyers draft anything binding. We review before you sign — even a "non-binding" LOI can lock in terms you didn't mean to fix.
usually 1–2 weeks†The APS sets out price, structure (asset or share), conditions, and closing date. We draft or review it and negotiate the protections — reps, warranties, holdbacks — that actually matter for your deal.
1–3 weeks to negotiate†Corporate, PPSA lien, litigation, and licence searches confirm what you're actually buying. We chase the seller's lawyer, the registries, and any regulator whose sign-off your deal needs.
2–4 weeks, in parallel†Getting to closing
Landlord, franchisor, lender, and licensing-body sign-offs are chased in parallel with the paperwork. In this region it's often a lakeside resort's AGCO transfer or a practice's college approval that sets the pace, more than the landlord.
often the critical path†Funds, keys, and signed documents change hands. We coordinate directly with both sides' lawyers and the lender so nothing is left to a last-minute phone call.
1 day, once conditions are met†Registrations, licence transfers still in progress, and any post-closing deliverables — like a holdback release — get tracked to completion, not left for you to chase.
1–2 week tail†This is the first real decision in almost every deal — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how it's taxed.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The business's assets — equipment, inventory, lease, goodwill, name. | The shares of the company itself — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's corporation. | Generally come with the company, known and unknown. |
| Tax angle — seller | Straightforward proceeds treatment in most cases. | May qualify for the lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying small business shares. |
| Tax angle — buyer | A stepped-up cost base on assets bought; an HST s.167 election may apply. | Cost base carries over from the seller — a different position for the buyer. |
| Licences & contracts | Must generally be re-issued or assigned into the buyer's name. | Usually stay in place, since the corporation itself doesn't change. |
| Employees | Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply. | Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change. |
| Typical use in Kawarthas, Peterborough & Northumberland | Most Northumberland main-street retail and Kawarthas restaurant deals — a buyer taking equipment, a lease and a name. | Common in dental and medical practice sales, and in larger cottage-country hospitality-property deals. |
The business's assets — equipment, inventory, lease, goodwill, name.
The shares of the company itself — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's corporation.
Generally come with the company, known and unknown.
Straightforward proceeds treatment in most cases.
May qualify for the lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying small business shares.
A stepped-up cost base on assets bought; an HST s.167 election may apply.
Cost base carries over from the seller — a different position for the buyer.
Must generally be re-issued or assigned into the buyer's name.
Usually stay in place, since the corporation itself doesn't change.
Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply.
Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change.
Most Northumberland main-street retail and Kawarthas restaurant deals — a buyer taking equipment, a lease and a name.
Common in dental and medical practice sales, and in larger cottage-country hospitality-property deals.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
Different lists depending on which side of the deal you're on — both matter for how smoothly closing goes.
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 café or restaurant, a salon, a franchise unit, or a trades business in Kawarthas, Peterborough & Northumberland — usually one buyer, one seller.
Start my file →A company with several owners or employees, bank financing, real estate, or a deal that needs negotiated protections before you sign.
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.
If the resort has a licensed lounge or bar, the AGCO licence generally needs to be transferred or newly applied for, and that process can take several weeks — it's worth starting early. Zoning and any short-term-rental bylaw standing are also worth confirming before you commit, since cottage-country municipalities have been updating those rules. We track both in parallel with the rest of your closing conditions.
Usually, yes — the regulatory college generally requires voting shares of a professional corporation to be held by licensed practitioners, which pushes most practice sales toward a share structure. A new or updated Certificate of Authorization is typically a standard closing condition. We coordinate the college's timeline with the rest of your deal.
Generally yes — a change of operator typically triggers a new food-premises inspection before the business can reopen under the new owner, even if nothing else about the space is changing. It's usually a quick step once scheduled, but it's worth building into your opening-day timeline. We track it alongside the AGCO licence if the restaurant is licensed.
Often, yes — a cottage-country motel or resort's revenue is usually assessed on normalized, full-year earnings rather than a strong summer quarter alone, since buyers and any lender will want to see the off-season picture too. This is a conversation worth having with your accountant early in the process. We flag seasonality as a pricing factor, but it does shape how we time the deal.
Most owner-run retail deals in this region close in about 30 to 60 days from a signed agreement, mainly paced by landlord consent to assign the lease and how quickly inventory is counted and valued. Municipal licensing is usually a quicker step. We give you a realistic estimate once we've reviewed your agreement.
| Resource | Official link |
|---|---|
| Peterborough business licensing | Visit www.peterborough.ca |
| Kawartha Lakes business licensing | Visit www.kawarthalakes.ca |
| Cobourg business licensing | Visit www.cobourg.ca |
| AGCO | Visit www.agco.ca |
| College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario | Visit www.cpso.on.ca |
| WSIB clearance certificates | Visit www.wsib.ca |
Industries we cover
Adjacent regions
Acting for buyers and sellers across Kawarthas, Peterborough & Northumberland: Peterborough · Kawartha Lakes · Cobourg · Selwyn · Port Hope · Trent Hills · Brighton · Hamilton Township · Cavan Monaghan · Douro-Dummer · Alnwick/Haldimand · Dysart et al.
Tell us about your Kawarthas, Peterborough & Northumberland deal — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.