Launch of the third edition of RDV Relève Inc.™: prompting business transferors to take action

MONTRÉAL, April 11, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ are once again joining forces to launch the third edition of RDV Relève Inc.™, beginning today and running until the end of May.

This year, we are mobilizing to get business transferors to take action to develop their transfer plan. Starting today, a diagnosis tool is available to help them understand this crucial challenge for the province's economic future. This new tool, developed with the expertise of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, is part of a broader awareness-raising campaign being conducted for the first time among transferors in the province and supported by private and public partners, such as Emploi-Québec de l'Île-de-Montréal.

"During the first edition of RDV Relève, our study revealed that 30% of owners who plan to retire in the next 10 years intend to close their business without trying to sell it," said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. "This situation often arises because of a lack of awareness of the tools that exist to ensure the continuity of their business and support services available to take them through the essential steps of a successful transfer. Using the diagnosis tool, transferors can determine which aspects they are best prepared for and which they need advice on."

"Succession is impossible without transferors initiating a transfer," said Gaétan Morin, President and CEO of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. "We have to make entrepreneurs who are approaching retirement aware so that they can start planning sooner rather than later for this important stage in their lives. The tendency is clear: transferors are often not prepared for leaving their business."

"If our society wants to be more competitive and prosperous, we need to ensure the continuity of businesses," said the national leader in business transfers, Éric Dufour. "This is why Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton has developed an integrated, innovative approach based on the entrepreneurial mindset, which exploits every personal and management challenge to ensure successful planning. This approach allows entrepreneurs to transfer their business efficiently, covering all the important points of that transfer. Our firm will continue to make business transfers a priority, because we care about the success of wealth creators."

"The issue of business succession, including maintaining and transferring knowledge and skills, is important for the Gouvernement du Québec," said Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity, and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region François Blais. "Small and medium-sized businesses drive the Québec economy and ensure the job market remains dynamic. Entrepreneurs can seek support from Emploi-Québec in their efforts to ensure a smooth transition in terms of human resource management."

RDV Relève Inc. is a joint initiative of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, produced in partnership with Emploi-Québec de l'Île-de-Montréal and presented by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, with the cooperation of the Centre de transfert d'entreprise du Québec and the PME MTL network. It includes local activities in different regions of Québec, including a webcast about business transfers on May 3, and will end with an event on May 13 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

For more information about RDV Relève Inc.^TM and to try the diagnosis tool, visit succeedyoursuccession.ca.

To consult the study Transferring Businesses to the Succession: A Major Issue for the Québec Economy and the Sustainability of SMEs conducted by the Board of Trade, sponsored by the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, with the cooperation of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, click here.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has over 7,000 mem
ers. Its mission is to be the voice of Montréal's business community and to promote the city's prosperity. It is involved in key areas of economic development, advocating a philosophy of action based on engagement, credibility, proactivity, collaboration and innovation. The Board of Trade also offers a range of specialized services to individuals and to business of all sizes to support them in their growth at home and abroad.

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About the Fonds de solidarité FTQ

The Fonds de solidarité FTQ helps drive our economy. With net assets of $11.2 billion as of November 30, 2015, the Fonds is a development capital fund that channels the savings of Quebecers into investments in all sectors of the economy to help create and maintain jobs and further Québec's development. The Fonds is a partner, either directly or through its network members, in more than 2,550 companies. With more than 600,000 shareholder-savers, the Fonds helps create, maintain and protect more than 176,000 jobs. For more information, visit www.fondsftq.com.

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SOURCE Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal

Sources: Guillaume Bérubé, Advisor, Media Relations, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Phone: [phone], extension 4042, [email protected]; Patrick McQuilken, Senior Advisor, Media Relations and Communications, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Tel.: [phone], Cell: 514 703-5587, [email protected]