Exiting your business: A guide to information gathering and analysis

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Risk

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Governance, risk and compliance
Effective, risk management—including governance and regulatory compliance—can lead to tangible, long-term business improvements. And be a source of significant competitive advantage.
Internal audit
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Agriculture

Farming is a lifestyle and a legacy. It’s the heartbeat of your family and the backbone of our communities. Success grows from hard work, patience and...

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The Agricultural Clean Technology Program will provide financial assistance to farmers and agri-businesses to help them reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

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The ACT Adoption Stream provides non-repayable funding to help farmers and agri-business with the purchase and installation of clean technologies.

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Cannabis

Whatever your goal, the experts at Grant Thornton are ready to work with you to map out a plan for success. As members of the Global Cannabis Partnership...

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Charities & not-for-profit

Here’s to the change-makers, the believers and the community-builders. Charities and not-for-profit organizations truly stand apart from the crowd. In today’s...

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Real Estate And Construction

In the world of real estate and construction, timing is everything. From acquisition to exit—and every point in between—you need high-quality information and...

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Builders And Developers
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Rental Property Owners And Occupiers
In today’s economic climate, it’s more important than ever to have a strong advisory partner on your side.
Real Estate Service Providers
Your company plays a key role in the success of landlords, investors and owners, but who is doing the same for you?

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Energy and natural resources

It’s not business as usual within the energy and natural resources sectors. Change has become constant and disruptive, in part a result of consolidation and...

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Mining
There’s no business quite like mining. It’s volatile, risky and complex – but the potential pay-off is huge. You’re not afraid of a challenge: the key is finding the right balance between risk and reward. Whether you’re a junior prospector, a senior producer, or somewhere in between, we’ll work with you to explore, discover and extract value at every stage of the mining process.
Oil & gas
The oil and gas industry is facing many complex challenges, beyond the price of oil. These include environmental issues, access to markets, growing competition from alternative energy sources and international markets, and a rapidly changing regulatory landscape, to name but a few.

Financial Services

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Manufacturing & distribution

Canadian manufacturers seeking to grow their businesses must address common issues, including limited access to finance, high raw material costs, inflexible...

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Private equity

To acquire high-quality assets in today’s unprecedented competitive global market, private equity firms and their portfolio companies must be increasingly...

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Professional services

Professional services firms face a dual challenge: anticipating and managing change not only for your clients, but also for your business. In today’s...

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Public companies

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Private business

Your hard work has taken your business where it is today. Having a clear vision, a strong team and a solid plan are all key to your continued success....

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Public sector

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Power & Utilities

At Grant Thornton, we have the real-world experience and knowledge that can help you in considering all of your strategic alternatives. Whether it be managing...

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Alongside the decision to start a business, the decision to exit is among the most consequential that ownership and management will ever make. Making a good decision requires a clear assessment of your goals, the current business environment, and your business’ market appeal. For those tasked with governance and oversight, gathering and analyzing critical information is necessary to fulfill their obligations to the business and shareholders.

This guide, the first in a series on exiting your business, provides a set of questions that will help business leaders gather the information necessary to embark on the exit process, including:

Current business strategy
Market/industry conditions
Tax planning
Operations
Financial information

Control and risk management
Assets
Culture/human capital
Legal and regulatory
Identifying potential buyers

Having a more thorough understanding of these critical areas of your business early in the process will help you to prepare for the journey ahead. It can also help determine which areas should be improved to enhance the structure of a potential deal and make the company and its assets more attractive to buyers and investors.

If you’re currently considering an exit, but want to better understand the process, we can help—contact your local advisor or reach out to us here.

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Exiting your business

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