IFor owners
Acquirewe buy
When a Canadian company fits what we look for, we approach the owner ourselves, with no listing.
What is my business worth?Region 02 / 03
Off-market businesses inCanada
In brief
GLZR Group finds established, owner-operated Canadian businesses before they reach a listing, from British Columbia to Atlantic Canada. We acquire select companies ourselves, source opportunities for buyers in Canada and the U.S., and connect owners planning a succession with acquirers who fit.
What we do in Canada
Acquire, source, connect.
Many of Canada's owner-operated companies change hands privately, through a direct approach or an introduction. That is the role we play.
IIFor buyers
Sourcewe find
Buyers in Canada and the U.S. can send us their sector, revenue range, check size and the provinces they want. We bring them owner-operated companies that match, ahead of any broker process.
Price an acquisitionIIIFor both
Connectwe introduce
For an owner planning a succession, the right buyer matters as much as the price. When we are not that buyer, we introduce the owner to one whose criteria the business meets.
Valuation multiples 2026Run the numbers
Price it before the first call.
Free calculators built on 2026 market multiples and the SBA rules in force from 1 October 2026.
BuyersAcquisition calculator Price a target on 2026 multiples and test SBA 7(a) financing, coverage and returns.OwnersWhat is my business worth? Build your SDE, see the market range and what a financed buyer can actually pay.DataValuation multiples 2026 Multiples by deal size, deal financing and country-adjusted figures. CSV and JSON.
Definition
What is an off‑market business?
An off-market business is a company whose owner would consider selling but has not listed it with a broker or on a marketplace. Buyers reach it through a direct approach or a trusted introduction, so there is no public listing, no auction, and far fewer people see the numbers.
Off-market does not mean informal. The same diligence, advisers and legal documents apply. What changes is who is in the room, and when.
For owners
- No public listing for employees, customers or competitors to find.
- You set the pace, including deciding not to sell.
- Fewer parties see your figures than in a broadly marketed sale.
For buyers
- A first conversation with the owner, not a broker’s teaser.
- Less competition than a broadly marketed auction.
- Companies that match a stated mandate, not a list of everything for sale.
By the numbers
Canada, in figures.
1.10M
Employer businesses in Canada as of December 2024.
Source: ISED, Key Small Business Statistics 202598.2%
Of those employer businesses are small, with 1 to 99 employees.
Source: ISED, Key Small Business Statistics 202576%
Of Canadian business owners plan to exit their business within the next decade.
Source: CFIB, Succession Tsunami, 2023$2T+
In business assets that could change hands over that decade, by CFIB's own ballpark estimate.
Source: CFIB, Succession Tsunami, 2023Figures are from the public sources linked under each one, checked 23 September 2026. They describe the market, not GLZR Group’s own activity.
Coverage
Coast to coast, region by region.
Ten provinces and three territories, grouped the way Canadians usually talk about them. Our search covers all of them.
Canada's Pacific province, from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island and the Interior.
Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Canada's most populous province, including the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa and the manufacturing corridor of southwestern Ontario.
Canada's largest province by area. French is the official language of Quebec, and Quebec's language law can affect the language of documents in a sale there.
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Where we look
Established businesses, nine sectors.
Profitable, owner-operated companies, often where the founder is thinking about retirement or succession and wants the business in the right hands.
- ManufacturingFabrication, machining, packaging and specialty production.
- Home servicesHVAC, plumbing, electrical and other residential trades.
- Construction and contractingGeneral and specialty contractors.
- Logistics and transportationTrucking, distribution, warehousing and last-mile delivery.
- Commercial and B2B servicesCleaning, facilities, staffing and other business services.
- Managed IT servicesManaged service providers and IT support firms.
- Niche B2B softwareVertical software built for a specific industry.
- Food and beverageProducers, co-packers and distributors.
- Main Street businessesEstablished local consumer businesses.
Process
How an off-market sale usually unfolds.
Six stages, from a first conversation to a closed deal. Timelines vary with the business and the buyer; the order rarely does.
A private first conversation
An owner and a prospective buyer, or GLZR Group itself, talk before anything is written down. Nothing is listed, and the owner decides what to share and when.
Fit
The business is read the way an acquirer reads it: how steady the earnings are, how concentrated the customers are, and how much still depends on the owner. Those factors shape any price discussion later.
Confidentiality before detail
Detailed financials, customer names and contracts are typically shared only after a confidentiality agreement is signed, and only with a buyer who fits.
Letter of intent
A serious buyer sets out price, structure, timing and conditions in a letter of intent.
In Canada, as in the U.S., the letter of intent is usually non-binding on price but binding on confidentiality and exclusivity.
Due diligence
The buyer checks what it has been told: financial statements, tax filings, contracts, employees, licenses and legal exposure. A quality-of-earnings review by an outside accounting firm is common.
Agreement, closing and transition
Lawyers turn the letter of intent into a purchase agreement and the deal closes. The owner usually stays on for an agreed transition so customers and staff carry over.
Canadian owners often prefer a share sale and buyers often prefer an asset purchase; the capital gains exemption described below is one reason why.
Local rules
What to know in Canada.
Foreign buyers file under the Investment Canada Act
When a non-Canadian acquires control of a Canadian business, it must file at least a notification, no later than 30 days after closing. A net-benefit review before closing applies only above the monetary thresholds.
For 2026 those thresholds are C$1.452 billion in enterprise value for private WTO investors and C$2.179 billion for trade-agreement investors, so most owner-operated companies need only a notification, although a national-security review can apply at any size.
Source: ISED, What is the Investment Canada Act · ISED, thresholds
The lifetime capital gains exemption was raised to $1.25 million
For dispositions on or after June 25, 2024, the lifetime capital gains exemption applies to up to $1.25 million of eligible capital gains, for example on the sale of qualified small business corporation shares. Parliament enacted the change in March 2026.
The proposed increase in the capital gains inclusion rate was cancelled in March 2025. Whether a sale qualifies depends on how it is structured, which is one reason owners often prefer a share sale.
Source: Parliament of Canada, Bill C-15 · Prime Minister's Office
Selling to employees is a real alternative
Canada exempts the first $10 million of capital gains on a qualifying sale of a business to an employee ownership trust or a worker co-operative. Legislation that received Royal Assent in June 2026 made that exemption permanent.
For some owners, a sale to their own team belongs on the list of options next to a third-party buyer.
Source: Department of Finance Canada
Trade with the U.S. is under annual review
The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement entered into force on July 1, 2020. At its first joint review on July 1, 2026 the United States did not agree to renew it in its current form; it remains in force, and the parties now review it every year.
For a Canadian business that sells into the U.S., a buyer will want to understand how much of its revenue crosses the border.
Source: USTR, USMCA · USTR, joint review statement
General information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Thresholds and rules change; confirm them with a qualified adviser in the relevant jurisdiction. Sources checked 23 September 2026.
Questions
Questions owners and buyers ask.
How much is a small business worth in Canada?
Buyers price it on a multiple of earnings. The most detailed public reading is IBBA's national survey: in Q2 2026, 2.0x to 3.1x seller's discretionary earnings for businesses valued under $2 million and 4.0x to 5.8x EBITDA from $2 million to $50 million. Canada carries a country risk premium of 0.00% (Damodaran, January 2026), so GLZR Group's calculators apply the same multiples, in Canadian dollars.
How do I sell my business in Canada without listing it?
Deal directly with buyers who are already looking for a company like yours. GLZR Group approaches Canadian owners privately and, when we are not the buyer ourselves, introduces the business only to acquirers whose criteria it meets, rather than listing it.
Does GLZR Group buy Canadian businesses directly?
Yes. GLZR Group acquires select companies itself. When another acquirer is a better fit, such as a strategic buyer in the same industry or a private equity firm, we source the opportunity for them or connect the owner with them instead.
Share sale or asset sale: which do Canadian owners prefer?
Owners usually prefer a share sale, because selling the shares of a qualifying Canadian-controlled private corporation can let them use the lifetime capital gains exemption. Buyers often prefer an asset purchase, which lets them pick the liabilities they assume and claim depreciation on a higher cost base. Price and structure are negotiated together.
What sectors does GLZR Group look at in Canada?
Established, profitable, owner-operated companies in manufacturing, home services, construction and contracting, logistics, commercial and B2B services, managed IT, niche B2B software, food and beverage, and Main Street businesses.
I'm a buyer. How do I get Canadian deal flow from GLZR Group?
Email contact@glzrgroup.com with your sector focus, revenue or EBITDA range, check size and the provinces you want to buy in. We only send opportunities that fit those criteria.
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