Mississauga's deal flow splits between two very different worlds: a dense trucking and logistics cluster working the roads around Pearson, and a corporate, professional-services and IT base strung along the Hurontario corridor. A single-truck operator sale looks nothing like a franchise restaurant sale, and both look nothing like an MSP sale with a book of client contracts — we tell you which kind of deal you're in, and what it costs, before any work begins.
Part of Peel 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 Mississauga 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 Mississauga, this is typically where a trucking fleet's CVOR history, a franchise agreement, or a major plaza's landlord consent 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 Mississauga | Owner-run restaurant, franchise-unit and retail deals. | Common in trucking and IT/MSP sales, to preserve a CVOR carrier profile or client service 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 restaurant, franchise-unit and retail deals.
Common in trucking and IT/MSP sales, to preserve a CVOR carrier profile or client service 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 Mississauga — 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.
Brampton anchors Ontario's trucking and warehousing corridor along Highways 407/410 with one of the province's densest concentrations of independent trucking companies, plus a fast-growing franchise-restaurant and convenience-store scene.
Generally no, if you buy only the assets — CVOR safety history attaches to the corporation, not the vehicles, so an asset-sale buyer typically starts a fresh safety record with MTO. That's one reason fleet buyers around Pearson often prefer a share purchase instead. We explain the trade-off for your specific fleet before you decide.
It varies, but plaza and power-centre landlords along Hurontario can take several weeks to review and consent to a lease assignment, and it's often the slowest step in the whole closing. We open that conversation with the landlord as early as the deal allows.
It depends on the structure — in a share purchase, the contracting corporation doesn't change, so client agreements generally continue; in an asset purchase, most Master Service Agreements need each client's consent to assign. We review your target's contracts early so you know which structure protects the client base you're buying.
The franchisor's consent is almost always a condition of closing, and many agreements give the franchisor a right of first refusal before you can complete the deal. We build the franchisor approval timeline into your closing date rather than assuming it will be quick.
It depends on the structure — in a share sale, the existing WSIB account generally continues with the corporation; in an asset sale, the buyer typically needs its own account or clearance certificate before closing. Either way, we confirm the seller's clearance status before you close, so you're not inheriting an unpaid balance.
| Resource | Official link |
|---|---|
| City of Mississauga Municipal business licensing | Visit www.mississauga.ca |
| Ontario Ministry of Transportation CVOR & carrier safety | Visit www.ontario.ca |
| AGCO Liquor sales licence transfers | Visit www.agco.ca |
| WSIB Clearance certificates | Visit www.wsib.ca |
| Region of Peel Peel Public Health — food premises | Visit www.peelregion.ca |
Industries we cover
Nearby
Serving Mississauga's logistics, corporate and franchise business community, from the Pearson corridor to Hurontario.
Tell us about your Mississauga deal — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.