In business, timing is everything. Independent owner-operators of successful mid-market companies know it all too well: There's a time to buy and a time to sell, a time to explore new markets and a time to close ranks and hold your ground.

And what if you're considering the sale of your business? That, too, is a matter of pinpoint timing.

Thousands of entrepreneurs across the country are coming to an inevitable conclusion: The right time may be now, particularly for those business leaders who represent the enormous Canadian demographic now winding its way toward retirement.

"Various market forces have converged to make this the ideal time to sell a company, particularly for Alberta residents," explains Kurian M. Tharakan, an Edmonton-based director of Corporate Finance Advisory for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers team includes, back row from left, Brad Gilewich, Kurian Tharakan and Greg Kauffman, and front row, from left, Leonard Boon, Don MacLean and Robert Strilchuk.

PwC's Corporate Finance Advisory team specializes in providing clients with services relating to mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, as well as capital raises.

"If you're contemplating your succession plan or are thinking of seeking a third party to purchase your business, now may be the best time, for several reasons," Tharakan adds.

According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), 71 per cent of those businesses surveyed plan to transfer ownership or exit their companies within the next five to 10 years. That suggests a very crowded market of sellers in the very near future.

Imagine roughly 300,000 Canadian businesses hanging out a "For Sale" sign at the same time. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce estimates the numbers may be closer to 500,000.

If such forecasts are accurate, more than $1 trillion would be needed from Canadian capital markets to finance the mass transition, presuming enough buyers could be found for all the companies for sale.

This could be the making of a considerable challenge for many - the majority, in this case - who have the bulk of their net worth tied up in their business.

According to the CFIB, only a third of these operators have firm succession plans in place.

"Based on our experience, a significant number of potential buyers exist in today's market," explains Tharakan. "But as time passes and as retiring owners place their companies on the market in increasing volumes, the number of potential purchasers will probably stay about the same."

The Result: Increasing supply could meet stable or diminishing demand in a credit market that's under pressure with resulting lower average valuations for the companies.

In other words, the best valuation received for your company may be right now.

A number of external factors make the present an optimal time for Albertans to put a succession plan into action:

* Record energy prices and a thriving provincial economy;

* Attractive interest rates;

* One of the most advantageous provincial tax regimes in the country So, unless you're convinced your business is riding an enormous growth curve that won't peak for another five or 10 years, there may be no better time than the present to act.

When faced with the prospects of selling their business, the most frequent question owners ask the PwC team is: "How much is my business worth?" A close second is: "Is my business saleable?/Can I find a buyer?" Based on a Pricing Analysis/ Valuation that will be conducted on your behalf, the PwC team will help you decide on the price and structure of an eventual deal.

For example, will you sell shares or assets? Are you selling the entire company or just a portion? It's all a matter of combining a fair price with terms and structure that are most suitable to the vendor.

"We bring a complete resource group to the table, each member working on behalf of the client," says Tharakan. "Our clients enjoy the benefit of a broad range of sale, valuation, and tax services. It's a synchronized, all-inclusive process."

Nor is the team content to identify a single potential purchaser. On the contrary, PwC seeks to put your company into a competitive process, confidentially soliciting multiple offers from qualified parties.

To find out more about how PricewaterhouseCoopers can assist you with selling your company, valuation, tax planning or just to receive the series of articles detailing strategies for "Selling Your Business for the Highest & Best Price", contact Kurian Tharakan in Edmonton at 780.441.6739 or e-mail kurian.m.tharakan@ca.pwc.com.