IT and managed-service providers, e-commerce brands, software and SaaS companies, digital and media agencies, publishers and e-learning businesses make up Ontario's technology-and-digital resale family. This family carries markedly less sector-specific licensing than the rest of the program, which means the legal work concentrates almost entirely on intellectual property, contract assignability and data handling rather than any regulator's approval.
IP ownership gets confirmed before anything else — Because the product is usually code, content or a brand rather than a physical asset, diligence typically starts by confirming that all the underlying work, code, creative, curriculum, contractor deliverables, was actually assigned to the company rather than left with a freelancer or former employee. Gaps here are common enough that they're worth checking early, not assumed away.
Client and vendor contracts are rarely automatic transfers — Client MSAs, retainer agreements and vendor or platform partner agreements frequently include change-of-control or consent-to-assign clauses, so confirming which contracts actually survive a sale, and which need separate consent, is typically a core piece of diligence across this family.
Platform accounts are contractually restricted, not owned outright — Marketplace accounts, ad-platform accounts and hosting or CMS access are usually held under a third-party platform's own terms, which restrict transfer rather than allowing it automatically. This is worth diligencing specifically rather than assuming these accounts simply move with the sale.
Structure tends to track size and complexity — Smaller businesses in this family are more often sold as a clean asset or IP purchase, while larger ones with meaningful recurring revenue and more complex customer contracts more often move to a share-sale structure. Data handling under Ontario's privacy rules applies either way, wherever personal data is involved.
Browse the specific technology and digital business types below for the IP and contract details particular to each.
Recurring-revenue service businesses; $150K–$5M; often SHARE sales to preserve client MSAs and access the seller's lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying shares.
Fast-growing segment; $50K–$5M; almost always asset sales (brand/IP, domain, supplier and 3PL agreements, marketplace accounts) with light real-estate/employee complexity — well suited to flat-fee, faster closings.
Ontario-based software and SaaS companies; typically $200K–$10M+, priced on ARR; almost always asset (IP) sales at the small end, share sales as revenue and customer-contract complexity grow.
Digital marketing, web-development and media-buying agencies; typically $150K–$3M; almost always asset sales given the absence of sector-specific licensing, priced on retained client billings.
What transfers is IP/subscriber-and-advertiser lists plus platform accounts — very different diligence from a software/SaaS sale despite sharing a parent; typically $75K–$2M, spanning niche B2B publications and digital-content properties.
IP (course content/curriculum), platform lock-in and student-refund liability are the specific diligence points; typically $75K–$2M, distinct from both software/SaaS and bricks-and-mortar tutoring.
†Typical patterns across Canadian deals — not a quote or advice; every deal is confirmed on its own facts.
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 solo-founder digital agency or small e-commerce brand selling primarily its IP, domain and supplier relationships.
Start my file →A growing SaaS or MSP business with recurring-revenue customer contracts, several vendor partner agreements, and a share-sale structure to work through.
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.
No. Smaller businesses more often sell as a clean asset or IP purchase, while larger ones with more established recurring revenue and customer-contract complexity more often move to a share-sale structure. There isn't a single default across the family; it typically tracks the size and complexity of the business.
Because the core value is usually code, content or creative work product rather than a physical asset, confirming that everything was properly assigned to the company, rather than left with a contractor or former employee, is typically one of the first diligence steps. It's a common enough gap that it's worth checking specifically rather than assuming.
Generally not automatically. Client agreements often carry change-of-control or consent clauses, and marketplace, ad-platform or hosting accounts are typically governed by that platform's own terms restricting transfer, both are usually diligenced specifically rather than assumed to move with the sale.
Generally very little, compared to most other families in the program. The legal work here concentrates on IP ownership, contract assignability and data-handling compliance rather than a regulator's approval. An e-learning business offering formal vocational credentials is one of the few exceptions worth checking.
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