Deal of the Week
One current Canadian listing. We test the disclosed numbers, identify what is missing and build a diligence and improvement thesis. Listing claims are not verified.
The $1.16M Trailer Business: Which Jobs Actually Make Money?
A 3.00× asking multiple is interesting. The buying decision rests on job margins, usable inventory and the know-how behind each quote.
Pressure-test the listing → Edition 003 · September 15, 2026The $5.25M Staffing Deal: Who Funds Friday’s Payroll?
Profit does not make Friday payroll. Cash does - especially when the growth story outruns collections.
Pressure-test the listing → Edition 002 · September 8, 2026The $2.9M Coding Platform: Why Do Subscribers Renew?
Three retention numbers may describe different cohorts. Reconcile them before paying for durable earnings.
Pressure-test the listing → Edition 001 · September 1, 2026The $500K Bookkeeping Practice: Who Does the Owner’s Job?
SDE is not passive income when the seller is doing a job you must replace.
Pressure-test the listing →The rest of the working library
Insights explain the decision. These resources help you work through it.
AI, automation and operating systems
Start with a business problem, quantify it, then choose the smallest responsible intervention.
How to Find High-ROI AI Automation Opportunities in a Small Business
A scoring model for finding repetitive, costly and reversible workflows that are actually worth improving.
Read the guide → Pricing · 5 minWhat Does an AI Consultant Cost in Canada?
Planning ranges, engagement structures and a break-even calculation that separates a useful project from an expensive demo.
Read the guide → Capacity · 5 minSeven Business Processes Worth Automating Before Hiring Another Employee
Seven bounded workflows to examine before adding permanent payroll - and the situations where hiring is still the right answer.
Read the guide → Readiness · 5 minA Practical AI Readiness Checklist for Small Businesses
A 25-point readiness test covering process, data, ownership, security, privacy and measurement.
Use the checklist → Systems · 4 minCRM vs Spreadsheet: When a Small Business Should Upgrade
A decision rule based on handoffs, follow-up risk and the cost of a missed relationship - not the number of contacts.
Read the guide →Buying and improving a business
Use disciplined normalization and diligence before closing; earn the right to automate after listening.
How to Normalize SDE When Buying a Canadian Small Business
A line-by-line recast with defensible, disputed and rejected add-backs, plus debt-service sensitivity.
Work through the example → Due diligence · 5 minSmall-Business Acquisition Due Diligence: A Practical Checklist
A Canadian buyer's evidence list across financial, commercial, legal, people, technology and transition risk.
Open the checklist → Post-close · 5 minWhat to Automate During the First 100 Days After an Acquisition
A listen-map-test sequence that protects trust while producing one measurable operational win.
Build the 100-day plan → Affordability · 4 minHow Much Business Can You Afford in Canada?
Work backward from investable equity, reserves, operator economics and sustainable debt capacity.
Calculate the ceiling → Earnings · 3 minSDE vs EBITDA for Canadian Business Buyers
Understand what each measure includes and why a replacement operator changes the apparent return.
Compare the measures → Deal screen · 3 minHow to Analyze a Business Listing in 10 Minutes
A fast method for deciding whether a listing deserves a confidential-information request.
Run the screen → Debt capacity · 4 minDSCR for Canadian Small-Business Buyers
Compare owner-operator and replacement-manager coverage before treating debt capacity as settled.
Test coverage →