Acuity was formed to help regular people with the difficulties of buying or selling a business in Alberta and British Columbia.
Sellers have it the worst, usually. A very small percentage of owners ever get their full asking amount, and a surprising amount never manage to sell at all.
Buyers have their own challenges, too. It’s hard for them to get a full picture of the true health of the prospect business. They’re often forced to rely on unverified data and subjective valuations.
Acuity fits in the middle between the two parties, helping both to walk away happier and wealthier from the deal.
“Acuity was a huge asset during the purchase process. Ken excelled at keeping all parties on task, and his communication skills definitely helped the process go smoothly. He took time to ensure that everyone understood each step. I would highly recommend him.”
Stephanie Kozina, Owner of Ella Bella Maternity Boutique
How does Acuity help?
We have our own proprietary approach to the buy/sell process, which centres around several decades of experience and three key values:
- Best Practices – Businesses have been changing hands since the rise of the first entrepreneurs. Those transactions have left a wealth of data for the attentive student. We take that opportunity seriously. If we aren’t learning or applying those lessons, we’re robbing our clients from their full potential.Whether it’s completing an initial valuation or facilitating a pre-sale improvement strategy, Acuity always operates from documented policies that ensure everything is done in the most beneficial way possible.
- Fairness – They say the best deals are the ones where all parties leave slightly unhappy. It means both sides gave something to get something. Historically, those are the deals that still look great to everyone five years down the road. But achieving that fairness takes more than just good intentions or a desire for cooperation. It often requires having an independent party who can (gently) point out the gaps and opportunities that the parties couldn’t see for themselves.
- Privacy – One of the most common culprits behind a failed business sale is a breach of privacy. Someone involved, innocently or intentionally, said or did something that removed the necessary secrecy from the process.
This often leads to unexpected employee turnover, damaged business relationships, and other challenges that can severely impact the ultimate sale price (or the success of the sale altogether). Acuity faithfully adheres to its own privacy policies to protect this from happening. It’s simply too important to gamble with.
Wondering what it is like to work with Acuity? Find out here.
Who runs Acuity?
We’re more of a network than a business — and we prefer it that way. We’re a group of specialized professionals who happen to share one common interest: the success of small and mid-sized businesses.
Ken Wither
The team is overseen by founder Ken Wither. Originally a chartered accountant, Ken veered into the business world to work under Canadian billionaire Jim Pattison. It was an experience that permanently re-defined his ideas about intentional excellence.
Ken is a lover of continual education. Over his long career, he’s achieved the highest level of professional accreditation as a chartered accountant, a business broker, a commercial realtor, a conference speaker, and a business coach.
Ken’s accreditations are with the International Business Brokers Association, the Canadian Commercial Council of Realtors, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and the Certified Coaches Federation.
“Ken has helped me solve complex problems. He always told me the truth, even when I didn’t want to hear it. His education has helped me time and again over the years.”
Western Investor
Ken was recently featured in the January 2020 edition of Western Investor. Click here to read his article.
Brooklyn Shill
Focused on quality and service, Brooklyn heads up the Acuity Business Group customer service team including the coordination of listing information, inquiries and website resources available for buyers and sellers. With a sales and marketing background, she works closely with the Acuity team to ensure that business listings attract the right kind of buyers for your business. Her past experience includes the management of a large sales and customer service team located in various North American cities.
