Unlocking liquidity, preserving legacy: Facilitating a thoughtful business sale & transition for one exceptional BC-based business

Focus

I am committed to enabling the owner(s) of one exceptional British Columbia-based business to unlock the liquidity in your business via a full sale of the business at a fair valuation.

I am dedicated to preserving your legacy by developing a robust transition plan together and managing the business with a long-term outlook and people-centered approach.

I am focused on acquiring a business that meets the below criteria:

    • Steady or growing profit and revenue over the last 3+ years

    • Average profit between $500k-1.5 million CAD over the last 3+ years

    • Profit margin (profit / revenue) >15% over the last 3+ years

    • Stable or growing market

    • Stable business cycle (not highly seasonal or cyclical)

    • Stable regulatory environment

    • Diversified customer base

    • High customer retention / low churn

    • Recurring or contractual revenue

Approach

I understand the significance of selling your business and hold myself accountable to be a reliable and trustworthy partner throughout the process.

I will treat any and all information you share with me during this process as confidential. I will not reach out to your employees, customers, or partners without your consent.

Below are the steps and timeline I propose for a thorough and efficient business sale & transition process:

  • This step is likely to take 3-4 weeks and includes:

    • An initial conversation to get to know each other and discuss your business and goals

    • An initial review of your last three years of financial statements, plus any additional key documents or information that would help me to better understand your business

    Assuming we mutually agree to proceed, this step will culminate in a Letter of Intent to work together on a transaction, including the proposed valuation of the business and the deal structure.

  • This step is likely to take 3-4 months and involves an in-depth review of your business’s operations and finances. Throughout this process, I will provide you with clear requests to minimize disruptions to you and your team.

    I will bring in accounting, legal, and other relevant professionals as needed to assist me during this process.

    Throughout this process, we will meet regularly to discuss progress.

    We will also work together on establishing a robust business transition and continuity plan.

    Assuming successful completion of the due diligence process, this stage will culminate in a Purchase & Sale Agreement.

  • After both parties have signed the Purchase & Sale Agreement, we will transfer the purchase funds, celebrate the successful transaction, and begin the transition process immediately.

    We’ll use our mutually established transition plan as a North Star, particularly for the first several months post-acquisition.

    Thereafter, we’ll continue to operate the business to build upon your legacy, with thoughtful stewardship and growth initiatives that respect the business’s employees, customers, and other stakeholders.

What sets me apart

Long-term outlook

Unlike many private equity buyers and traditional search funds, I am not interested in “flipping” businesses. My strategy is to invest for the long term, prioritizing stability and sustainable growth over aggressive cost-cutting in service of short-term profits.

BC and Canada focus

I am proud to call BC and Canada home and am focused exclusively on partnering with a business based here in BC. I understand our economic and governmental landscape, and I’m committed to contributing to BC’s and Canada’s economy and communities for decades to come.

People-centered approach

A successful business transition means earning the trust of employees, customers, and partners. I place great importance on treating people fairly and respectfully and establishing a culture of integrity and professionalism.

About

My name is Will Portman and I’m the owner of Mosquito Creek Capital.

Previously, I spent 10 years working in and leading business operations and engineering teams at Google, Stripe, and three high-growth startups. I have extensive experience across strategy, operations, finance, product development, customer service, legal & compliance, and HR & people management.

Inspired by working with dozens of small businesses throughout my career and by the entrepreneurs in my family, my goal for the rest of my career is to acquire, manage, and build upon the success of a great business here in BC.

I’m based in North Vancouver, BC, where I live with my family. Mosquito Creek Capital is named after Mosquito Creek Park in North Vancouver, where I go on daily walks with my high-energy English field cocker spaniel, Scout.

Contact Us

Interested in working together or learning more? We’d love to hear from you. Please reach out via the form here, or send an email to contact@mosquitocreekcapital.ca.

We commit to keeping all information you share with us confidential and to responding within two business days.