Building Canada’s ETA Ecosystem With Village Wellth

Experience & Motivation

Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) is still a relatively young concept in Canada, but one with enormous potential. Too often, talented professionals who dream of business ownership are at a loss when it comes to actually know how to buy a business. At Village Wellth, our mission is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools, community, and resources they need to successfully transition into business ownership. That’s why we partnered with Venture for Canada’s ETA Academy helping to bridge that gap by giving participants the skills and confidence to pursue acquisition as a career path.

Our two workshops, Building Proprietary Pipeline and Broker Savvy, were  designed to address critical early steps in finding a compatible company to purchase: developing a consistent deal flow strategy and building productive relationships with brokers. Both topics are at the heart of Village Wellth’s vision—to demystify acquisitions and make the pathway to ownership more accessible.

Teaching With the Village Wellth Platform

A unique element of these sessions is the integration of the Village Wellth platform. Rather than simply discussing theories of search and deal management, we gave participants access to tools they’ll use in an active search to streamline their activity. This hands-on approach allowed them to experience the process, in a safe and controlled environment.

Specifically, in the Building Proprietary Pipeline workshop, we demonstrated real tools to show how searchers can track outreach to owners, stay organized across multiple conversations, and avoid the overwhelm that often comes with tracking. Participants learned how to build a proactive approach to off-market search.

Similarly, in the Broker Savvy session, we showed how the platform creates structure in managing broker relationships. Instead of struggling to remember who sent what or which deals have been reviewed, participants see how our system helps them maintain professionalism and consistency—qualities that brokers deeply value.

This hands-on learning adds a dimension that traditional workshops don’t always provide. Participants weren’t just hearing about concepts; they were practicing them using the very tools that can support them throughout their acquisition journey.

Key Insights Shared

Every workshop has its “aha” moments, and for these sessions, a few stood out.

For Building Proprietary Pipeline, the core message was this: proprietary deal flow doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel—it means showing up consistently. The entrepreneurs who win are often not the ones with the flashiest outreach campaigns, but the ones who build systems and stick with them over time.

For Broker Savvy, the key was understanding what truly differentiates buyers. Brokers see countless buyers come and go and the ones who stand out are those who communicate clearly about what they’re looking for while also showing up with strong personal branding. It’s not just your search criteria that matters—it’s how you present yourself as a capable operator. The broker’s job is to bring qualified and capable buyers to their clients, and every interaction you have should demonstrate that professionalism.

Both of these lessons underscore a broader truth about ETA: success comes from discipline, persistence, and strong relationship management.

Looking Ahead

Delivering these workshops reinforced for me just how much appetite there is in Canada for education and community around ETA. From my experience with the initial ETA Academy cohort participants were eager, engaged, and motivated by the potential ETA could hold for them. It’s been inspiring—and it highlights the importance of continuing to build infrastructure for the ecosystem.

Looking ahead, Village Wellth sees itself playing a central role in that growth. Through our platform, we’ll continue to provide searchers and ecosystem partners with a structured approach to ETA. Together with VFC’s ETA Academy, we’ll help raise awareness and equip future owners with the skills and confidence they need. 

Through advocacy and expanding partnerships within the ETA ecosystem, we’re proud to be part of building a Canadian business acquisition environment. The future of ETA in Canada depends on collaboration—between educators, platforms, brokers, lenders, and most importantly, the buyers themselves. Village Wellth is excited to keep contributing to a future where ETA is a mainstream pathway to business ownership.

Buy Your First Business with ETA Bootcamp

Canada’s first intensive program giving you the step-by-step knowledge, playbooks, and network you need to start searching for—and buying—your first business.

When
October 29 – December 13, 2025 (5 weeks)

Where
Hybrid: Virtual, with two in-person sessions in Calgary, AB

Who
Mid-career professionals with 2+ years of work experience

In just 5 weeks, ETA Bootcamp accelerates your path to business ownership. From building your deal pipeline to structuring financing, you’ll gain practical tools, expert guidance, and a peer network to support your journey.

What sets ETA Bootcamp apart? It brings you direct access to acquisition professionals—investors, lawyers, bankers, and operators—who share not only their strategies, but also their unfiltered lessons from deals gone right (and wrong). No theory, no fluff—just the frameworks and connections you actually need.

Registration closes October 24, 2025. Spots are limited, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

👉 [View the full course schedule and apply today]