Construction, distribution and trucking around the 400/407 interchange drive most of Vaughan's business sales, alongside a growing base of franchise and specialty-retail deals. A construction-company sale turns on trade licensing and bonding; a trucking sale turns on CVOR history — we scope which of these your specific deal needs before any work begins, and confirm the cost in writing.
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 Vaughan 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 Vaughan, this is frequently where a trade licence requalification, a CVOR carrier record, 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 Vaughan | Owner-run construction, trades and specialty-retail deals. | Common in multi-truck trucking and logistics sales, 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.
Owner-run construction, trades and specialty-retail deals.
Common in multi-truck trucking and logistics sales, 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 Vaughan — 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.
Markham carries one of the highest concentrations of technology and advanced-manufacturing head offices in the country, with a large base of IT/MSP firms and franchise and restaurant operators serving its diverse business community.
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.
It's a common bridge, but not automatic — some trade licensing bodies allow a transition period where the outgoing qualified person stays engaged while the buyer's own person completes requalification, though this needs to be arranged directly with the licensing authority, not assumed. We build this into the closing plan whenever a buyer isn't yet requalified on day one.
There's no single standard method — WIP and backlog contracts are typically valued based on completion percentage and expected margin, and this is usually one of the most negotiated figures in the deal. We help you agree on a defensible method before you're locked into a price.
It usually comes down to how much you value the seller's existing CVOR safety history — an asset purchase means starting a new safety record with MTO, while a share purchase keeps the corporation's history, and its liabilities, intact. There's no default answer; it depends on how strong the seller's safety record actually is. We help you weigh that trade-off against what you're taking on.
Not automatically — a bonding company generally reviews an ownership change before agreeing to continue a bond, and the terms can change in the process. We flag any bonding relationships early so it's part of the negotiation, not a surprise after closing.
Generally yes, and sometimes more — most franchise agreements give the franchisor a right of first refusal and a consent requirement on any resale, and that review doesn't move faster just because the new owner is experienced. Treat the franchisor's approval as its own workstream, running on its own clock alongside the rest of your closing checklist.
| Resource | Official link |
|---|---|
| City of Vaughan Municipal business licensing | Visit www.vaughan.ca |
| Ontario Ministry of Transportation CVOR & carrier safety | Visit www.ontario.ca |
| TSSA Gas & fuel trade licensing | Visit www.tssa.org |
| WSIB Clearance certificates | Visit www.wsib.ca |
Industries we cover
Nearby
Serving Vaughan's construction, trucking and specialty-retail business community along the 400/407 corridor.
Tell us about your Vaughan deal — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.