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 plan your next steps with confidence. Succession Ontario provides an online hub that provides centralized free resources and tools for selling and buying a small business in Ontario, with a focus on preparing businesses for smooth ownership transition. The Huron Business Centre provides local, no-fee guidance to help business owners explore their options, prepare for a transition and connect with professional supports and programs that can help along the way.
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.
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 key financial, operational, legal and planning considerations that can affect a successful business transition.
Think About What You Want Next
Vision Sheet
A guided workbook to help you think through your exit timeline, financial needs, personal goals and long-term vision for the future of your business.
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.
- Watch: Establishing Your Selling Price
Learn about common approaches used to establish a selling price. - Download: Valuation Methods
Understand fair market value and common methods used to value a business.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Local Support for Your Next Step
Whether you’re preparing to sell, looking to buy or still figuring out what succession looks like for your business, local support is available to help you move forward.
Get Clear on Your Next Steps
Start with Huron Business Centre
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 supports as you plan for a business transition.
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.
The Huron Business Centre is one of more than 50 Ontario Small Business Advisory Centre’s (OSBAC) across the province. Ontario Small Business Advisory Centre programs and services are delivered locally by the Huron Business Centre and are funded in partnership with the Government of Ontario and the County of Huron.