How can you prepare your construction business for sale and make it less dependent on you?

You built your construction company from nothing, and you still do the quotes, hold the key client relationships, and make most of the calls. Now you’re picturing life after the business, and a strong backlog feels like proof that it’s ready to sell. But a business that leans on its owner can be harder to leave, even after the sale closes, because buyers may tie part of the payment and your time to what happens next.

In this conversation, Frankie Loreto and Sarah Netley of Baker Tilly talk with Mike McIsaac, CEO and National Managing Director of Baker Tilly Canada Capital Corporation, about what makes a construction business attractive to buyers and how preparation can shape both its value and the owner’s ability to step away. Frankie and Sarah connect everyday habits like delegating decisions, tracking backlog, and reporting monthly to exit flexibility, and they offer a simple readiness test: picture stepping away for a month and notice how that feels.

Mike joins Frankie and Sarah to discuss and break down several key points:

• How can business owners build a leadership team that supports a smoother business sale?
• Why should owners transfer decision-making and customer relationships before selling their business?
• What do buyers look for when evaluating backlog quality, profitability, and cash flow?
• What is the Maui effect, and how can mentally checking out before a sale hurt business value?
• How can accurate monthly work-in-progress and job-costing reports build buyer confidence?

Thinking about selling your construction business? Start by asking yourself how well it would operate without you for a month. Listen to the full conversation to learn what buyers look for and how you can prepare your business for a future sale.

Resources:

• Pipedrive — CRM/sales pipeline software
• Salesforce — mentioned as a comparison point to Pipedrive
• Excel — mentioned as a basic/entry-level tool

Connect with Frankie Loreto and Sarah Netley: 

• Courtice.BakerTilly.ca
• LinkedIn: Baker Tilly Canada
• LinkedIn: Frankie Loreto
• LinkedIn: Sarah Netley
• Call: (905) 579-5659

Connect with Mike McIsaac:

• LinkedIn: Mike McIsaac

About our Guest: 

Mike is an entrepreneur at heart. He has built, acquired and sold many private and successful businesses. He is a passionate leader with more than 25 years of experience working with private and public businesses as a trusted advisor and valued business partner.

Mike focuses his activities on five key industry sectors: heavy construction and infrastructure, manufacturing and distribution, food & beverage, technology and consulting. He is a specialist in advising on corporate structure, valuation, taxation, business transactions and negotiating deals. His ultimate goal is to ensure his clients maintain the wealth they built within their business. He brings his wisdom, ethics, integrity and ability to make tough decisions to all his business negotiations, resulting in win-win results and transactions that get across the finish line.

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