SELLING, WITH CLARITY
For collection operators, recycling processors and material-handling businesses, explain which activities create margin and which dependencies a buyer must resolve. Identify the actual materials and locations served; different waste streams are not interchangeable.
Start a confidential conversationWHAT A BUYER NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND
Present service fees, processing charges and material resale separately. Explain disposal costs, contamination, rejected loads and commodity-price exposure where relevant. Reconcile volumes to invoices. Higher resale prices can change one period’s earnings without demonstrating a lasting improvement in the collection operation.
Organise contracted accounts, ad hoc work, renewals and pricing mechanisms. Review route density, vehicle time, fuel and collection frequency. Identify concentration across related customer sites. Discuss consent and tender terms with counsel; historical routes and public contracts are not automatically transferable.
Prepare a register of premises, leases, relevant permits and the activities each covers. Include expiry dates, inspection correspondence and known issues for specialist review. Ask environmental and legal advisers to assess liabilities and transaction implications instead of assuming approvals follow the assets.
Show fleet condition, maintenance and replacement spending alongside management coverage. Identify disposal outlets, processing partners and verified alternatives. Bring inventory, deposits and outstanding services into closing discussions, with clear responsibility for existing records and unresolved matters. Equipment value alone does not establish business value.
PREPARING FOR A SALE
Use this as a preparation checklist. An initial inquiry only needs your contact details and a brief introduction; keep sensitive records for a later, agreed review.
Explore business valuationFROM PREPARATION TO HANDOVER
Our business-value focus is approximately CAD5–50 million, not an annual revenue threshold. The preparation questions are editorial guidance; they do not establish a valuation, buyer interest or transferable approval.
Begin with a non-sensitive introduction. Keep customer identities, employee information and detailed financial records for a later, agreed review.
A LITTLE MORE CLARITY
Do not assume so. The entity, facility, activity and transaction need specialist review, including required notices, consents or approvals.
Show actual volumes, realised prices and related costs over time. Separate market movements from operational changes and label any scenario as an assumption, not guaranteed future earnings.
BEFORE THE NEXT CHAPTER
Practical reading for owners thinking about what comes next.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS HERE
Start with a confidential conversation about selling your business. A few details are all we need to begin.
A confidential first conversation
Space to explore your options
No commitment to list your business