Program Archives

Transitioning a family business can be a complicated process, with many issues to address and dynamics to overcome. It can be a minefield of unforeseen obstacles and challenges. In fact, for the first time in history, there could be up to four (4) different generations in the workplace at the same time! In this session, the speaker will help bring order to chaos by providing tools and perspectives to successfully navigate your family business transition. Is an intergenerational transition right for your business or would a management buyout or a sale to a third party be a better route? The speaker will help owners uncover the best options in light of individual circumstances. Examples of real life situations will be highlighted to illustrate what business owners and their families have done to effectively prepare for the biggest transition of their lives.

This session runs at the same time as Session A2.

Join Samuel Duboc in a “fireside” chat with John Francis formerly with Trader Media as he looks back in the rear view mirror on the sale of his Auto Trader publication. Yellow Pages Group acquired 65 specialized publications, including Auto Trader from Mr. Francis for $436M, 10 times earnings at the time.

When you sell or transition your business you may face a significant tax bill – in fact, if you’re not careful, you could find yourself with less than half of the purchase price in your pocket. But, if you ultimately want to sell and today is not the optimal time, there are also strategies to recapitalize in order to take some chips off the table in a tax-preferred manner. The recapitalization strategy is an opportunity to bring the concepts of cashflow financing, business valuation, and due diligence together, along with tax minimization and corporate structure planning. Fortunately, there are a number of opportunities to reduce or even eliminate tax, with the right preparation and enough time to implement. The moral of the story? Structure your company well in advance of a potential sale or recapitalization, and consider all of your business options to reap the benefits; or fail to plan ahead of time and pay the price. The presenters will discuss real-world examples of proper versus improper planning related to the transition of your business so that you can avoid pitfalls.

This session runs at the same time as Session B2.

If you talk to owners who have sold some or all of their businesses, you may be surprised to learn that many didn’t sell to the highest bidder. In every business transition, there are a number of key terms in addition to purchase price that are at stake. What impact will the eventual sale have on your staff, suppliers, community and legacy? What role can you expect to play after the transaction? What transaction bonuses are at stake? This session will explore what needs to be negotiated and how to gain leverage in the negotiation process to ensure the ideal fit and terms for the eventual sale of your business.

This session runs at the same time as Session B1.

Many business owners dream of cashing out, retiring and running off into the sunset, others wish to ensure that their financial legacy continues into future generations. How might insurance play a role in the preservation of capital? What challenges are to be expected after a big pay-out? What unique investment vehicles are ideal parking opportunities for the proceeds generated by the sale of some or all of your business?

Hear from a panel of business owners who have sold their businesses for millions and now have the opportunity to reflect on the deal in the rear view mirror. What would they change if they were to do it all again, if anything? Would they negotiate differently, would they identify different strategic consultants or would they second guess their decision to sell? Panelists will help build and broaden your frame of reference by sharing their own war stories and tales from the trenches.

The process of selling or transitioning a business is complicated and uncertain. This session provides a bird’s-eye view of the transition process so that you can build your own roadmap and understand exactly what you should be doing now in order to get your business ready. The speaker will address the market outlook for transitioning, if you’re looking to do so in the next 3-5 years. This overview of the process of selling a business will help you start preparations, mitigate risk, improve upside and ultimately secure the reward you deserve when the time is right.

Many business owners are disappointed when they don’t receive the valuations they expect, or worse, they can’t find any buyers at all. With an aging population and droves of business owners looking for an exit, your eventual buyer could be in the driver’s seat.  As a business owner, it’s imperative that you focus on the specific areas of your business that drive value,  even if you have no immediate intention of selling.  This session will outline a number of value drivers that require immediate attention in order to maximize the saleability and value of your business.

You’re contemplating ways to turn years of hard work into cash, but what are your options? Should you look to your senior management team as potential investors, assuming they are interested and able to invest in your business? Should you look outside your firm for strategic buyers? Could Private Equity, Search Funds or other entities provide liquidity opportunities? This session will help you learn what distinguishes different classes of buyers, depending on your size of business, and what other options you have to generate capital. The panel will address the pros and cons of various options that could allow you to take some chips off the table.

• Strategic buyers
• Private equity
• Buying out partners
• Management buyouts
• Other recapitalization options

When you sell or transition your business you may face a significant tax bill – in fact, if you’re not careful, you could find yourself with less than half of the purchase price in your pocket. Fortunately, there are a number of opportunities to reduce or even eliminate tax, with the right preparation and enough time to implement. The presenters will discuss real-world examples so that you can avoid pitfalls. In addition, this session will address alternative strategies to recapitalize in order to take some chips off the table in a tax-preferred manner, if you don’t plan on selling in the near-term.

This session runs at the same time as Session A2.

It is fundamental to understand that when selling your business, the process itself will have a major impact on the price you receive.  Furthermore, the terms dictated by the seller in a transaction will significantly impact the price.  What terms can be negotiated and are in the best interests of the buyers and sellers?  The panel will discuss potential terms and elaborate on best practices with respect to the process of your transaction.  Through an interactive discussion you’ll learn:

•   Why companies should be sold, not bought
•   How to decide on the breadth and nature of a sale process
•   Why timing and deal tension matters, and how to create it
•   Common terms that can be negotiated
•   Which terms have an impact on price, and which do not
•   The roles an advisor can play through the sale process, and when and how to manage them

This session runs at the same time as Session A1.

Join conference chairman Barry Wood in a “fireside” chat with Stephen Gunn as he discusses Sleep Country Canada’s unique transition story.

The successful sale of a business involves many moving parts, making it the largest and possibly most complicated transaction of your life. You can’t do this alone, you will need a team of professionals to help you successfully sell your company. The right team will get you the best price, terms and most importantly, ensure that the transaction closes.

After attending this session, you will understand what the ideal exit team looks like and how to select the best advisors for your business. You’ll also learn what your exit team will cost and how they’ll be paid

This session runs at the same time as Session B2.

When is the right time to start thinking about your post transition plan and what does it look like?  What impact will the transaction have on your family, your emotions and on your lifestyle? Hear a panel of experts review a case study of a real transaction and discuss the internal and external steps required.  This discussion will include how to handle the transition from wealth creator to wealth manager, and the role of the family trust advisory.

This session runs at the same time as Session B1.

Many deals collapse at the structuring or due diligence stage. Buyers and Sellers often have differing needs and objectives.  And while the idea of providing unfettered access to your confidential business information may sound scary, it is standard operating procedure once a letter of intent is signed. This panel discussion will highlight key areas of tension and risk for sellers. You’ll learn ways to maintain control of the sale process without impeding success.

You will hear first-hand stories (the good, bad and ugly) that outline what owners and advisors have experienced during the transition journey.  Buyers and their advisors will be on the lookout for red flags and trouble spots. This is your opportunity to learn about common “deal breakers” so that you and your advisors can prepare for them to ensure you maintain momentum during your transaction.

Some key areas to focus on include:

• Structuring your business for sale on your terms while maintaining its attraction for prospective purchasers
• Disagreements over calculation of purchase price and timing for payment of purchase price, whether there’s a holdback or not
• Dealing with issues that come up during due diligence (e.g. fixing historic issues)
• Understanding how to have your employees and customers on side and when to advise key staff on the pending changes
• Sharing risk in the deal (including limitations on claims that can be brought by purchaser), and
• Working capital issues/adjustments – how owners can avoid getting hammered on this subject

Hear from a panel of business owners who have gone through a transition and sold their businesses for millions and now have the opportunity to reflect on the deal in the rear view mirror. What would they change if they were to do it all again, if anything? Would they negotiate differently, would they identify different strategic consultants or would they second guess their decision to sell? Panelists will help build and broaden your frame of reference by sharing their own war stories and tales from the trenches.

Introduction by Robert Duffy, Vice President, Growth & Transition Capital Ontario and Atlantic, BDC Capital

What trends will impact the biggest transaction of your life? How does the current economic trend impact business owners that are thinking of transitioning in the coming years? How will financial markets, interest rates and/or the Canadian dollar impact deal terms and multiples? This macro view of the economy and the M&A environment will put things into perspective so that you can plan for a successful transition.

Why should exit-readiness be a part of your business plan?  Why prepare your company for sale, even if you have no plans to sell?

The answer is simple: A sellable company usually operates better, in addition to being more valuable – so even if you don’t sell, exit-readiness will make your business stronger.

There are a number of preparatory steps you should be taking as a business owner to ensure you are “exit ready,” after-all, the process of selling or transitioning a business is complicated and uncertain.   

Sometimes exits can happen sooner than expected and sometimes they need to be accelerated based on what is happening in the market. You may be presented with an inbound opportunity to sell some or all of your business, or unexpected personal and/or external factors could force your hand. This session will help you assess both your personal and corporate exit readiness; including areas of transition that provide the most opportunity and risk.

You’re contemplating ways to turn years of hard work into cash, but what are your options? Should you look to your senior management team as potential investors, assuming they are interested and able to invest in your business? Should you look outside your firm for strategic buyers? Could Private Equity, Family Offices or other entities provide liquidity opportunities? In this session a panel of experts will help you learn what distinguishes different classes of buyers, depending on your size of business, and what other options you have to generate capital. The panel will discuss various liquidity options including:

• Strategic buyers
• Private equity
• Management buyouts
• Other recapitalization options

There are many reasons to look outside the ranks of your firm or family to find a potential suitor for your business.  Depending on the size and type of business you operate and your own personal circumstances – marketing your company to strategic, financial or other buyers, including private equity, might be your most lucrative exit strategy.  

That said, the values and terms discussed in any potential offer for your business will vary significantly depending on the type of potential third-party buyers approached; and even moreso, by how potential buyers are approached.

The panel will elaborate on best practices that will help you optimize and strategize a 3rd party transition – with the goal of ultimately finding and securing a buyer at a fair price. Through an interactive discussion you’ll learn:

• Which types of third party buyers are potential suitors
• Why companies should be sold, not bought
• How to decide on the breadth and nature of a sale process
• Why timing and deal tension matters, and how to create it
• Why terms are just as important as dollars

For many business owners, a management buyout is the best transition option available.  While a transition within the senior ranks of your business may be the best option, there are risks and potential missteps to avoid.  The panel will identify opportunities that could impact your successful MBO, as well as diverse ways to finance the transaction. They will cover:

• Management Buyout (MBO) and Leveraged Management Buyout (LMBO)
• What buyers will need to ensure that the venture is profitable
• The impact and strategies to increase cash flow
• Different types of financing
• Opportunities and risks

Transitioning a business can be a complicated process – especially when family is involved.  What impact will bringing in the younger generation have on family dynamics, emotions and lifestyle? The discussion will help bring order to chaos by providing tools and perspectives so you can successfully navigate your family business transition. Examples of real life situations will be highlighted to illustrate what other business owners and their families have done to effectively prepare for the biggest transaction of their lives.

Join Jeff Noble in “Fireside Chat” with Robert Bedard, Founder of BMP Metals, as they discuss the intergenerational transition of BMP.

Join Bruce Harbinson in a discussion with Pierre Morrissette, Founder and Executive Chairman, Pelmorex Corp (Formerly Pelmorex Media  Inc.), owner of The Weather Network.

Pelmorex, TWN’s parent company is the dominant weather player in Spain, which is the company’s fastest growing market. In a recent Ipsos Reid survey of the most influential brands in Canada, The Weather Network ranked 12th overall and 1st amongst Canadian-owned companies. In partnership with all authorized government agencies, TWN operates Canada’s emergency altering system, Alert Ready, and recently announced that its alerts will now also be sent to mobile phones in designated areas.

This discussion will not only explore how Pelmorex became such a trusted global leader, but Pierre will also share his insights on multi-generational family enterprise transition planning and the value of bringing outside talent into a family business.

Bring your burning transition questions to our exhibit area.  This is your opportunity to meet and obtain advice from Canada’s leading and most reputable experts on the subject of exit-strategy.

When you sell or transition your business you may face a significant tax bill. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself with less than half of the sale price in your pocket. Fortunately, with the right preparation and enough time to implement, there are many opportunities to reduce tax significantly. We will look at how to structure your company well in advance of a potential sale or recapitalization and review new Canadian and US tax changes which could impact all private businesses in Canada.

The sale or transition of a business involves many moving parts. Whether you’re conducting a management buyout or running a process to find a third-party buyer, you’ll inevitably require support from tax and legal experts as well as investment bankers and other M&A professionals to close the deal successfully.

After attending this session, you will understand the benefits of having an exit team, what skill sets to look for and how to select the best advisors for your business transition. This session will also examine advisor fees and compensation.

When is the right time to start thinking about your post transition plan?  Not having a plan is a major cause of remorse among business owners who have exited.  What impact will a transaction have on your family, your emotions, your lifestyle and your legacy? In this session you will hear a panel of experts and owners share the their post transition experiences.  

This discussion will also address transition from wealth creator to wealth manager.

While the idea of providing unfettered access to your confidential business information may sound scary, it is standard operating procedure once a letter of intent is signed. This panel discussion will highlight key areas of tension and risk for sellers. You’ll learn ways to maintain control of the sale process without impeding success.

You will hear first-hand stories that outline what owners and advisors have experienced during the transition journey.  Buyers and their advisors will be on the lookout for red flags and trouble spots, this is your opportunity to learn about common “deal breakers” so that you and your advisors can prepare and maintain momentum during your transaction.

Some key areas to focus on include:

• Preparing the business for sale in a way that buyers expect to see it, including addressing and mitigating historical issues
• Disagreements over calculation of purchase price and timing for payment of purchase price
• Dealing with issues that come up during due diligence (e.g. weakness in contract language, gaps in proprietary code, etc.)
• Understanding how to have your employees and customers on side and when to advise key staff on the pending changes
• Sharing risk in the deal (including limitations on claims that can be brought by the purchaser)
• Working capital issues/adjustments

Hear from a panel of business owners who have gone through a transition and now have the opportunity to reflect on the deal in the rear view mirror. How has the transition affected their personal and professional lives?  What would they change if they were to do it all again, if anything? Would they negotiate differently, work with different strategic advisors or would they second guess their decision to exit? Panelists will help build and broaden your frame of reference by sharing their own war stories and tales from the trenches.

“Meet The Experts”

Bring your burning transition questions to our exhibit area.  This is your opportunity to meet and obtain advice from Canada’s leading and most reputable experts on the subject of exit-strategy.