Succession Ontario

What’s Your Next?

Whether you’re preparing to transition out of your business or exploring the opportunity to purchase one, starting early can help you move forward with confidence. Access practical tools, local guidance and connections to the professionals and programs that can support your next step.

Supporting Successful Business Transitions in Huron County

Business transitions are important to the future of Huron County’s economy. Helping established businesses continue under new ownership protects local jobs, services and the knowledge business owners have built over many years.

Succession Ontario is a provincial initiative that provides practical tools and resources for business owners and prospective buyers. In Huron County, the Huron Business Centre provides local, no-fee guidance to help entrepreneurs explore their options, prepare for a transition and connect with other professional supports.

See the Whole Journey

Transition Roadmap

Get a step-by-step visual overview of the succession and exit process so you can see what may need to happen before, during, and after a transition.

Know What Needs Attention

Succession Planning Checklist

Work through the financials, operations, employees, legal requirements, marketing, advisory team, sale preparation, and handover considerations that can affect a transition.

Think About What You Want Next

Vision Sheet

A guided workbook to help you think through your exit timeline, financial needs and long-term vision.

What Could Your Business Be Worth

Get a clear picture of your business’s current market value using Succession Ontario’s free Business Valuation Calculator. The tool uses financial metrics and industry benchmarks to help business owners gain perspective on market worth.

Try the Free Valuation Calculator!

Not ready for the calculator? Learn how businesses are valued first.

Build a Business Buyers Want

Preparing a business for succession can also make it a stronger business today. Succession Ontario provides tools to help owners document how the business operates, review human resources information, and identify issues that could affect value or make a future transition more difficult.

Operational Documentation Checklist | See the operational information buyers may expect to review.

HR Documentation Checklist | Review the employee and HR documentation that can affect continuity and risk.

Company Health Checklist | Assess your company’s readiness and identify factors that could affect valuation.

Finding a Buyer

The right buyer could be closer than you think. Depending on your goals, your business could be purchased by a family member, an employee, someone already working in the industry or a third-party buyer looking for the right opportunity.

Thinking about potential buyers early can help you prepare for a smoother transition and make more informed decisions about what comes next.

Explore Finding a Buyer

Looking to Buy a Business?

Find an opportunity and explore financing

Prospective buyers can use BizLink to discover businesses for sale and connect with owners who are preparing for succession.

Community Futures Huron also offers business financing that may support the purchase of an existing business and other costs associated with taking over and growing a business.

Explore Businesses for Sale | Explore businesses currently listed for sale through BizLink. New opportunities are added as the platform grows, and some available businesses may remain confidential. Connect with Community Futures Huron to learn about additional opportunities.

Explore Business Financing | Succession loans support family members, staff, or new entrepreneurs taking over existing operations.

Prefer to watch?

Succession planning can feel like a lot to take in. Succession Ontario’s free video series breaks key parts of the process into approachable topics you can explore at your own pace.

Business Ownership Transitions

Start with the fundamentals of selling a business and the different decisions involved in planning an exit.

Establishing Your Selling Price

Explore the common ways a selling price can be established and what goes into determining business value.

Finding a Buyer

Learn about the different people or organizations that could become a successor, including family members, employees and third-party buyers.

How to Build Value

Learn what buyers may look for when evaluating a business and where owners can focus before bringing their business to market.

Local Support for Your Next Step

Whether you’re preparing to sell, looking to buy or still figuring out what succession could look like, local support is available to help you move forward.

Start with Huron Business Centre | Get clear on your next steps

Huron Business Centre offers complimentary one-on-one business advisory support for Huron County business owners and aspiring business owners.

We can help you think through your goals, identify questions to consider, explore available resources and connect you with the right local or provincial supports as you plan for a business transition.

Connect with a Huron Business Centre Advisor.

Ready to connect with buyers or sellers?

Explore BizLink through Community Futures Huron

BizLink supports business succession by helping connect business owners who are preparing to sell with people interested in purchasing an existing business.

Through BizLink, you can explore businesses for sale, access buyer-seller matching support and connect with a coach who can help guide the transition sales process.

Explore BizLink.