
M&A Resources
We created the most comprehensive mergers and acquisitions resources library.
How to make the most of our Resources with Founder & Lead Advisor, Scott Duke

Upcoming Webinar

Preparing an Excavation Company for Transition
Join us for an informative session to prepare your business for sale to a strategic buyer. Learn about the business sale process, transaction types, and how to improve your company’s value upon sale – even if you’re years away from selling.
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Podcasts
Tune into Scott’s latest podcast appearances where he shares his entrepreneurial and M&A experience for listeners from around the world.
Navigating Business Transition & Building Sellable Assets with Ron Skelton
In this episode, Scott sits down with Ron Skelton from the How2Exit podcast to share some tips on how to successfully navigate a business sale transition. The How2Exit podcast interviews industry leaders, authors, business owners, M&A experts and other influencers...
Why Become an Entrepreneur with Robert Szmigiel
Scott joins Canada's Podcast host Robert Szmigiel to shine some light on his entrepreneurial journey. Amongst many topics, the two discuss why people become entrepreneurs and how to sell a business for $20 million. Canada’s Podcast was created out of a need to build a...
Avoiding the Owner’s Trap with Chris Goodman
Scott Duke has founded 11 companies during his entrepreneurial journey; from fleece clothing to a hot-dog stand to a property management firm. All of Scott’s experiences taught him the value of building transferability into a business so that one day, when you’re...
Preparing Your Business for Acquisition with Jason Hunt
This podcast goes over how to properly prepare your business for sale. We cover what you need to get in order in terms of selling your business. We’ll also discuss how to go about selling your company, and the changing dynamics you need if selling your business for a...
“10X” Exit Plan Summit with Patrick Ennis
An interview with Scott hosted by a fellow speaker at the 2021 "10X" Exit Planning Summit, Patrick Ennis.

Business Owner’s
Saleability Checklist
A complimentary, one-page road map for you to think about when selling your business. Decades of OpnRoad experience and transactions, all in one clear document to help you get started.



Business Sale Accelerator
As a valued podcast listener, we are offering an exclusive discount for our Business Sale Accelerator course (as offered by our subsidiary and learning arm, Gateway Capital).

Sale Process
Step 1: Set Objectives
Knowing what a perfect exit looks like for you, your shareholders, your family, and other stakeholders is the first and most crucial step toward a successful exit. Owners need to have a clear vision of what makes their exit a success and define how the sale drives purpose for their next stage in life.
Step 2: Valuation
Know precisely what your business is worth in today’s market and where the value comes from in the eyes of a buyer. When your business’s value drivers are identified, only then can they be leveraged during negotiation.
Step 3: Risk Analysis
Determine if your business is salable, and if it will make it through a buyer’s due diligence process.
Step 4: Marketing
Create your Blind Profile (teaser), Financial Overview (normalized financial statements), CIM (Confidential Information Memorandum). Confidentially market business to your network, or leverage our marketing system to put your opportunity in front of 10,000+ active buyers.
Step 5: Negotiation
Navigate the bidding process, LOIs (Letter Of Intent), and negotiation to maximize the sale price.
Step 6: Closing Activities
Navigate legal documents and the transition of all tangible, and intangible assets.

Top 5 Deal Killers
Profitability
If a business’s normalized earnings are under $100K, it creates challenges for a sale because there is not enough free cash flow to pay the new owner’s salary and service the debt from financing the purchase.
Role-Identity Fusion
In many instances, businesses are unsellable because the owner has tied their identity, social well-being, and life’s purpose to the creation and operation of the business.
Subconsciously, they feel as if a part of them is dying when selling their business. This subconscious thought prohibits the owner from signing the sale document, and they walk away from their own successful sale agreement.
Owner Dependence
An owner is deemed dependent usually when being involved in the business for more than ten hours per week. Some owners can quickly resolve this issue by delegating work to a General Manager. Others have difficulty transferring power and are forced to stay for 2-3 years post-sale to train a new manager for the buyer.
Sometimes, the owner’s skill set is not transferable, making the business unsellable.
Customer Concentration
If a single customer represents more than 15% of gross revenue, most buyers will not move forward with the purchase. There are more variables to be considered of course, including industry standards and the quality of the customer.
As investment banker Rob Slee states, “the company is one phone call away from oblivion.”
Supplier or Key Person dependence
Simply put, the business may not be saleable if the business relies on a single supplier or employee that cannot be easily replaced.

OpnRoad M&A Library
We created the most comprehensive list of transactional professionals, business sale service providers, valuation tools, lenders, value advisors, and business sale resources. Everything you need to sell or acquire your business.

Valuation Resources
Tools to help you determine the value of your business.
Valuation Tools

OpnRoad

Capitaliz

Value Opportunity Profile

ValuAdder

BixEx Value Calculator

ValueTrax

CalcXML

Buy and Sell A Business Value Tool

Business Reference Guide

Page Up

Jazoodle

Equidam

Business ValueXpress

Biz Equity
General Market Data

IBIS World

BizBuySell - Data

Small Business Trends

IBBA Market Pulse

Avg. Broker Commission Data

Divestopedia

CAN Financial Performance Data

NAICS CODE
Sale Price Comparison

Business Valuation Resources

BizMiner
Listing Your Business for Sale
Domestic and global business listing services.
Canadian Listing Sites

Business for Sale

Business Sell Canada

Company Listing

IBBA Canada

Zolo

Venture Connect

Imagine Kootenay

Kazooga

Otonomy
Global Listing Sites

Acquizition Biz

Buy And Sell A Business

BizBuySell

BizQuest

BusinessBroker.net

Business Explorer

Business Mart

Business Exchange

Business 2 Sell

Dealstream

Exchange

LoopNet

Local Buz for Sale

GlobalBX

Buyertise

BizQuest

Flippa
$1 Million+ EBITDA Listing Sites

Axial

PitchBook

Search Funder

Village Wellth
Marketing Comapnies

ValueCraftz

Pitch Deck Fire

Pitch Deck Services
Value & Exit Planning Advisors
People to help you maximize the value of your company and plan your future.
Value Consultants

OpnRoad

Go SmallBiz

Value Builder System

Supplement Advisory
Valuation Experts

OpnRoad

Kalex Valuations

Hilco Valuation Service

Swift Valuation

JBV Valuation

Biz Equity

Mr Valuation

Fair Market Valuations

Bafoeval Valuation
Financial Planners

Edward Jones

TD Wealth

Investors Group

Iron Shield

Manulife

Workable Wealth

EP Wealth Advisors

Focus Financial

Mission Wealth

KLS Financial
Exit Consultants

OpnRoad

Mackey Advisors

Group 50

Exit Adviser

Cayenne Consulting LLC

Be The Bees

NAVIX

MAUS

Corporate Value Metrics

Effectuation Optimum

Strategy Leaders

ProStrategix

Value Consulting

CMC Partners

John F Dini

Stone Consulting Group

Exit This Way Consulting

Touchstone Advisors
Paratus Business Resources
Accountants

Mazuma

Enkel

Baker Tilly

BDO
Transition Law Firms

Nixon Wenger

The Smith Law Group

Wright Business Law

GLG LLP
Online Law Firms

Rocket Lawyer

Legal Shield

Ask A Lawyer

Law Depot
Tax Strategists

APO Financial

Bomar Law

Matt Chancey

Big Ideas For Small Business

Baker Law Firm
Business Sale Intermediaries
People that will help you sell your company.
M&A Advisors

OpnRoad

Axial's List

Beacon Advisors

BizEx

Catalyst Brokers

Hatteras Group

Osprey Capital Partners
Apex Exit Advisors
Promerita
M&A Worldwide
Business Brokers

OpnRoad

Axial's List of 895 Broker Companies

Website Closers

Sunbelt Business Brokers

Link Business Brokers

Transworld Business Brokers

Murphy Business Brokers

VR Business Brokers
Investment Bankers
DIY Programs

Business Sale Navigator - FREE

Sell By Owner

Sell Biz

Udemy

Lynda - FREE

David C Barnett
Realtors

Keller Williams

NAI Captial
International Financial Group

Berkshire Hathaway

Re/Max

Exit Realty

Coldwell Banker

Sutherby's International
Associations & Networks
Groups dedicated to business sales & exit planning.
Intermediary Associations

Cali Association of Business Brokers

IBBA Canada

IBBA International

DealBuilder

M&A Club

Alliance of M&A Advisors

M&A Source
Other Associations

NACVA

Canadian Franchise Association

Business Valuation Association

American Society of Appraisers
Association For Corporate Growth
Exit Planning Associations

Exit Planning Institute
Exit Planning Exchange

Exit Planning Solutions
Buyer Networks
Places to find your buyer.
Buyer Websites

Search Funder

The Business Buyer Directory

Global Buyer Directory

E World Trade

Business Buyer Club

Global Buyers Online

Grata
Private Equity

Private Equity Info

Axial's List of 528 PE Compaines

Crunch Base

Snowdon Partners
Buyer Associations

Biz Dev Association

National Biz Dev Association
Capital Sources
Places to find you or your buyer money.
Canadian Banks

Bank Of Montreal (BMO)

Scotia Bank

CIBC

TD

Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)

National Bank of Canada

Desjardins Group

HSBC Bank of Canada

Laurentian Bank of Canada

Canadian Western Bank
Grant & Government

Canadian Grants & Financing

Mentor Works Financing

Canadian Grant Business Center

Canada Startups

Innovate BC

Fundura Grants

SBA Loan and Grants

USA Funding Options

NerdWallet

Bend US Grants
US Lenders

SBA Loans and Grants

NerdWallet

100 Most Active SBA Lenders

Biz2Credit

Bluevine

Mr Valuation

Kabbage

SmartBiz

FundBox

Seek Business Capital

Fundra
Canadian Lenders

ICapital

BDC

Thinking Capital

GreenBox Capital

OnDeck Capital

Merchant Growth

Lendfied

Sharp Shooter Funding

CanaCap

Company Capital
Crowd Sourcing/Other

Kickstarter

Indiegogo

Crowd Supply

Crowdfunder

WeFunder

Fundly

LendingClub

Crowcube

Funding Circle
US Banks

JPMorgan-Chase

U.S Bank

Bank of America

Citibank/Citigroup

Wells Fargo

State Street

Bank of New York Mellon

TD Bank

Capital One

PNC
General Business Sale Resources
Resources to help you sell a business.
YouTube Channels

The Happy Deal Maker

Brent Cenkus

BizBuySell

Dan Martell

SmallBiz Experts

Moran Pober

Freedom Factory

David Barnett

Financially Simple

Nate Lind

Buy & Sell A Business Marketplace
Podcasts

Built To Sell Radio

Sell My Business

The Happy Dealmaker

Sell In 10 Weeks Podcast

M&A Science

Deal Maker Academy

The Business Owners

Quiet Light
Courses

Business Sale Navigator

Business Sale Accelerator
Slack Channels

Inside Biz
Top 10 Articles

How To Sell A Business

How To Sell A Small Business In 7 Steps

7 Steps To Selling A Small Business

5 Mistakes To Avoid When Selling

How To Sell Your Business In 6 Steps

Tips For Selling Your Business

How To Sell Your Business

Digital Exits 7 Steps

CNBC How To Sell A Business

6 Ways To Get The Best Price

How To Buy & Sell A Business Online
Top 10 Books

Built To Sell

The Art Of Selling Your Business

Private Capital Markets

There's Always A Way To Sell Your Business

How To Sell Your Mid-Size Business

Restaurant Dealmaker

Little Book of What Next?

Walk Away Wealthy

Sell Your Business For An Outrageous Price

If They Can Sell Pet Rocks, Why Can't You Sell Your Business?
Transition Events

Business Transition Forum

Business Transition Conference

Small Business Expo

Virtual Sell Your Business Conference

America's Small Business Summit

Divestopedia Webinars

Exit Plan Summit
Blogs

The Happy Dealmaker

BizBuySell

BDC Business Sale Blog

The Entrepreneur Business Sale Blog

Biz Journals How To Sell

Divestopedia

Fit Small Business

Buy and Sell A Business
Facebook Groups

Business Buying Mastermind

Small Business Ownership Network

Buy Sell Alliance

Small Business Owners United

Entrepreneurs

Business Transition Information Network

Business Buyers Club
LinkedIn Groups

The M&A Forum

National Business Dev Ass.

Business Transition Simplified

I Want To Sell My Business

Small Business Forum
