Services For Buyers

A Merger or an Acquisition - It's the fast-track to practice growth, but the road ahead is laden with obstacles.

The answer is.... it depends. There is no 'off the shelf' solution. Each firm has its own characteristics and objectives and some will be compatible with others and some will not.

That's why using an experienced hand in the process pays dividends for you.

Identifying target firms, making the initial approach, analysing differences and similarities and bringing a potential deal to the table is a time consuming affair.

The modern practitioner hardly has time to deal with the day-to-day operations of his or her practice, so how can you keep an eye on the market for opportunities like this?

Our retained M & A service is the solution. (It's the ONLY way we work with buyers)

For a modest retainer, we will work with you to identify the right blend of clients, the right location and, ultimately, the right deal for you.

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To save you some time, please do not...

...Please - if you're visiting for the first time, let's get one thing clear, as we have often been approached by many potential buyers who are excited by a listing and email us saying 'please send me details of this opportunity... etc' - we don't work that way.

We work with buyers who pay us a retainer to go to market to find them something very specific.

Our 'Practices For Sale' listing page on this site is not inteded to be the way we attract buyers, and in fact we have never done a deal by putting a buyer and a seller together that way.

If you are interested in buying a block of fees or a practice, please call us at 905-842-2284 to get a real understanding of how we work for buyers like you, what it costs, and how long it might take, then decide if this might be for you.

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It's not a quick or simple process, which is why we only work on a retained basis on these projects, and a realistic time line would be anywhere between six and twelve months.

The retainer (typically one third of the anticipated fee, based on a percentage of the billings you seek to acquire) is paid to commence the project and the balance is only due and payable upon the closing of a deal.

By working this way, you know the cost in advance and can budget accordingly.

At the integration stage you also have an impartial third party involved to assist in 'ironing out the creases' of any conflict or uncertainty and a sounding board for staff to raise any concerns.

Your identity is also protected right up to the latter stages, so the 'word on the street' does not effect how potential target firms view you, your need or desire to buy or the price.

Our proven process for handling these delicate issues, a comprehensive tailored documentation formula and reporting system covers much of the necessary due diligence work. Topics covered by our service includes:

This comprehensive and highly detailed body of work is then delivered in as a written assessment for discussion.

“Being something of a history buff, it was great that Steve found me a practice to acquire that was steeped in history, it even had the original CA membership certificate of the founder dating back to 1934 on the wall – and it hangs there now as a proud artifact and a great conversation starter!” - Michael Keltz, CA
" When I engaged Steve to go out to the market to find me a small practice to acquire, a colleague advised me that the retainer he charged me might turn out to be one of the wisest investments I made that year. Turns out they were right! Steve’s optimism and enthusiasm never waned, even when it looked like we’d never find the right deal. He persevered and eventually found the partners at Robert W Adams & Co, not a million miles away from my own office, ready to retire. In their late 60’s Ron and Gary had grown up in this firm, from young ‘whipper-snappers’ to mature professionals, and were anxious to see their clients handed on to someone who would look after them as well as they had over the previous 40 years or so. We had several meetings to establish if this was the right fit for both parties and then we sat down and negotiated a deal. Steve’s help in finding this practice for me and then dealing with the negotiations saved me a lot of grief and time, and helped all of us arrive at a deal we were happy with. Sure, there was some give and take on both sides during the negotiations, and that’s where Steve’s advice and assistance paid dividends in areas such as help in putting together a confidentiality agreement, a letter of intent, and even a draft sale/purchase agreement and especially regarding client file retention, which were all key issues for me. Well worth the fees charged! If you’re looking to buy a practice or grow by merger, give yourself an advantage, get Steve McIntyre-Smith and his team at MFA Group on your side. I sure am glad I did." © MFA Group Inc, 2008 - MFA Group Inc wishes to thank Michael Keltz, CA for his willing participation in this case study.

Financing Available

We also have developed some great financing sources from a Schedule 1 Canadian Bank who have a program specifically for CAs buying into a professional practice that is head and shoulders above anything else available on the market.

We can put you in touch with the regional head of this program, effectively helping jump over your regular banker and straight to the actual source, who will then work with your local branch to get you all set up.

These 'priceless' contacts are available to you as a client of our company.

To discuss the costs or to arrange a confidential initial meeting, please call our Steve McIntyre-Smith today, at 905-842-2284.

© 2004-2008, MFA Group Inc.