Markham carries one of the country's highest concentrations of technology and advanced-manufacturing head offices, alongside a busy franchise and restaurant scene along Highway 7 and Yonge Street. A tech-company sale and a manufacturing-plant sale share little beyond the paperwork — we scope which consents, contracts and searches your specific deal actually needs before any work begins.
Part of York Region — one regional deal market, page by page.
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 Markham 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 Markham, this is usually where a client MSA, an OEM supply contract, or a franchisor's approval adds the most time.
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 Markham | Owner-run franchise-unit and restaurant deals. | Common in IT/MSP and manufacturing sales, to preserve client contracts or OEM supply agreements. |
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.
Owner-run franchise-unit and restaurant deals.
Common in IT/MSP and manufacturing sales, to preserve client contracts or OEM supply agreements.
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 Markham — 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.
Neighbouring pages in the same regional deal market.
The regional picture — consents, sectors and the full municipal web.
Vaughan's economy runs on distribution, warehousing and construction along the Highway 400/407 interchange, with a fast-growing base of trucking, franchise and specialty-retail businesses.
Richmond Hill's economy is built on professional services, medical and dental practices and a dense franchise and restaurant scene along Yonge Street, serving one of York Region's fastest-growing populations.
Possibly — a share sale can put the seller in a position to claim the lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying small business shares, which generally isn't available on an asset sale. Whether your company actually qualifies depends on details we review deal by deal, not something to assume from the industry alone.
It can — owned property generally brings environmental Phase I (and sometimes Phase II) assessments into diligence, on top of the usual corporate and equipment searches. We scope this early so it doesn't surprise either side mid-deal.
No, generally not — a client Master Service Agreement and an OEM supply agreement are different contracts with their own separate consent or change-of-control terms, so each needs its own review. We treat them as two separate tracks in diligence rather than assuming one covers the other.
Equipment liens registered under the PPSA generally need to be paid out, or the buyer needs to formally assume them, before clear title passes to the buyer. We run the lien searches and coordinate the payout so nothing surfaces after closing.
It can add a layer — an existing collective agreement generally has to be reviewed for its own terms on a change of ownership, separately from the usual corporate and employee due diligence. We flag this early if your target has a unionized workforce, so it's priced and planned for, not discovered late.
| Resource | Official link |
|---|---|
| City of Markham Municipal business licensing | Visit www.markham.ca |
| WSIB Clearance certificates | Visit www.wsib.ca |
| AGCO Liquor sales licence transfers | Visit www.agco.ca |
| Ontario Business Registry Corporate search & registration records | Visit www.ontario.ca |
Industries we cover
Nearby
Serving Markham's technology, manufacturing and franchise business community along Highway 7.
Tell us about your Markham deal — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.