Across Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon, ownership changes hands every week — trucking and warehousing fleets working the Pearson corridor, franchise restaurants and quick-service units along Hurontario and Dixie, and independently owned convenience stores and gas stations among the most common deals we see. 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 Peel Region 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 Peel this is often where fleet, franchise and plaza-lease deals slip — a carrier's MTO paperwork, a franchisor's sign-off, or a big-box landlord's review can each run several weeks on their own.
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 Peel Region | Most owner-run deals — restaurants, retail, trades and convenience stores. | Common in fleet and trucking deals, to preserve the CVOR carrier profile. |
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 owner-run deals — restaurants, retail, trades and convenience stores.
Common in fleet and trucking deals, to preserve the CVOR carrier profile.
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 Peel Region — 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.
Each anchor municipality has its own deal-brief page — same process, local numbers.
Mississauga combines Canada's largest airport-adjacent logistics and trucking cluster around Pearson with a deep corporate head-office and professional-services base along the Hurontario corridor.
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.
A carrier's CVOR safety rating and driving history are built up over years and generally attach to the corporation, not to the trucks themselves. Buying the shares instead of just the assets is one common way to keep that safety record intact rather than starting fresh with the MTO. It isn't automatic, though — we look at your specific fleet and financing before recommending a structure.
It varies by brand, but a franchisor's consent, right-of-first-refusal review and any new franchise agreement can generally take several weeks once your file is complete. Peel's dense concentration of quick-service units means we handle this step often, and we start the franchisor conversation as early as your deal allows.
Generally no — OLG lottery agreements and tobacco or vape retail authorizations typically need to be re-applied for under the new owner's name rather than simply carrying over. The same is usually true of a fuel-system's TSSA standing where a store also sells gas. We flag these early so they don't become a surprise at closing.
As early as the deal allows. Plaza landlords in Peel can take several weeks to review and consent to a lease assignment, and it's often the slowest single step in an otherwise straightforward closing. We open that conversation as soon as your deal is firm enough to share.
There's no single standard, but a modest closing holdback against undisclosed liabilities or adjustment errors is common on owner-run deals. Larger or fleet-heavy deals more often add escrow or earn-out terms instead. We negotiate the size and release terms to fit your specific deal.
| Resource | Official link |
|---|---|
| Mississauga business licensing | Visit www.mississauga.ca |
| Brampton business licensing | Visit www.brampton.ca |
| Caledon business licensing | Visit www.caledon.ca |
| Peel Public Health (food premises) | Visit www.peelregion.ca |
| Ministry of Transportation (CVOR) Carrier safety & CVOR | Visit www.ontario.ca |
| AGCO | Visit www.agco.ca |
| WSIB clearance certificates | Visit www.wsib.ca |
Industries we cover
Adjacent regions
Acting for buyers and sellers across Peel Region: Mississauga · Brampton · Caledon.
Tell us about your Peel Region deal — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.