Frequently asked questions

Start by browsing listings on BizListings.ca by province, industry and price. Contact the seller or broker directly, sign an NDA to review financials, then negotiate a letter of intent and complete due diligence before closing with a lawyer.

Open any listing and use the contact form on the page. You'll need a free BizListings.ca account so sellers know who they're talking to, and some sellers ask you to sign an NDA before financial details are released. Messages go straight to the seller or their broker — we don't sit in the middle of your negotiation.

Every listing is tied to a registered account, and broker profiles carry a verified badge once we've confirmed their business identity and website. We review listings for missing or implausible financials and flag or remove ones that fail. If something looks wrong, use the Report listing link on the page and we'll investigate.

Most small-business acquisitions in Canada take three to nine months from first contact to closing. Due diligence usually runs 30–60 days after a letter of intent, and financing approval can add another 30–45 days. Deals with clean books and a motivated seller move fastest.

No. Many owners sell directly through BizListings.ca and save on commission, but a good business broker can be worth their fee on larger or more complex deals. Our marketplace supports both — list yourself or work with any Canadian broker.

Yes. You can publish a confidential listing that shows the industry, region and financial range without naming your business, and require buyers to sign an NDA before they see the full details. Your name and email are never shown publicly — buyers contact you through the platform.

A typical Canadian small business takes six to twelve months to sell, though well-priced businesses with documented financials often go faster. Listings with clear photos, complete financials and a realistic asking price attract far more qualified enquiries than thin ones.

Yes. Buyer and seller contact details are never exposed to anonymous visitors or search engines, and only signed-in users you choose to reply to can reach you. Documents and financials you attach to a listing stay locked behind your NDA settings until you release them.

Common options include the Canada Small Business Financing Program (CSBFP), BDC acquisition loans, seller financing (VTB), and traditional bank commercial loans. Buyers typically combine 20–40% equity with a mix of these sources.

Lenders generally want 20–40% of the purchase price as buyer equity for an acquisition. A vendor take-back note from the seller can cover part of that gap, and the CSBFP can finance eligible equipment and leasehold improvements up to program limits.

Yes — our funding page matches you with Canadian lenders and acquisition finance specialists based on your deal size and province. It's free, and you're never obligated to proceed with any lender we introduce.

Most small and mid-sized Canadian businesses are valued on a multiple of Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) or EBITDA — typically 1.5×–3× SDE for owner-operated businesses and 3×–6× EBITDA for larger or recurring-revenue businesses. Try our free valuation tool for a quick estimate.

Seller's Discretionary Earnings is the total financial benefit a single owner-operator takes from a business. You start with net profit, then add back owner salary, owner benefits, interest, depreciation, amortization and any one-time or personal expenses. SDE is the standard earnings base for valuing owner-operated Canadian businesses under roughly $5M.

No. Listing, browsing and contacting sellers are all free, and BizListings.ca takes no commission when a business sells. If you choose to work with a broker, lender or advisor found through the site, their own fees are between you and them.

Listing on BizListings.ca is free for both direct sellers and brokers. There are no listing fees and no success commissions taken by the platform — sellers keep their existing relationship with any broker they choose to work with.

No — anyone can browse and search every published listing without signing in. A free account is only required to save listings, contact sellers, post a business for sale, or publish a business-wanted request.

Verified brokers have had their identity, brokerage and website confirmed by our team. They can display the BizListings.ca verified badge on their own site, which links back to their public broker profile so buyers can see their live inventory.

Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec have the deepest deal flow, but active listings exist in every province from Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan on BizListings.ca.