What we buy

Good businesses, bought once.

We look at a small number of companies each year, and buy very few.

What follows is a description, not a checklist. Fit matters more than boxes. A business doesn’t need to match every criterion to belong at Common House.

Characteristics

What the numbers tend to look like.

Revenue: Typically $1M–$5M, though fit matters more than an exact range.
Profitability: Consistently profitable, with earnings that have held up over time. We are not looking for turnarounds.
Customers: Repeat, recurring, or contracted relationships — some reason customers reliably come back.
Operations: A capable team and a business that does not depend on the owner being involved in every decision.
Capital: Reasonable ongoing capital requirements and healthy cash generation.
Geography: Canada first, with an interest in other regions.
Ownership: We are generally looking to acquire a controlling or full ownership position.

Themes of interest

Where we tend to look.

An indication of temperament rather than a mandate. The common thread is durable demand: work that would still need doing in a dull decade.

Health, safety and compliance
Healthcare and care services
Services for older adults and families
Testing, inspection and certification
Repair, maintenance and field service
Environmental and infrastructure services
Essential business services with long-standing clients
Specialty manufacturing and distribution

When we may fit

Retirement and succession

You’re ready to step back and want a responsible long-term owner for what you’ve built.

A gradual handover

You want to stay involved for a period of time and transfer knowledge deliberately rather than disappear on closing day.

No obvious next generation

The business deserves to continue, even if family or management aren’t positioned to take ownership.

A shareholder transition

One owner wants to step away while another wants to remain involved. We can consider structures that preserve continuity.

A quiet process

You’d rather have a small number of serious conversations than run a broad auction.

When we probably won’t

Startups and pre-profit companies

We buy proven businesses, not projections of what one might become.

Turnarounds and distress

We’re better suited to good businesses that can become better than businesses requiring rescue.

Businesses that are entirely the owner

If the customer relationships, expertise and day-to-day operation cannot transfer, neither can much of the business.

Highly cyclical or trend-driven demand

We prefer needs that persist to markets that depend on predicting what will be fashionable next.

Rapid-consolidation roll-ups

Our model depends on patience, not acquiring at a pace that makes integration the strategy.

Maximum-price auctions

If price is the only consideration, another buyer will often be the better fit.

If it feels close, it’s worth a conversation.

Owners often disqualify themselves before speaking to us. If your business feels broadly aligned with what we’ve described, we’d rather hear from you than have you rule yourself out.

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