Today, the M&A landscape differs from what it was ten years ago. What if I told you that you live in probably the best era ever to sell an online business?
For years, if you wanted to sell your business, your options were woefully limited. After exhausting your immediate circle of friends, you’d probably hop on the internet to find a brokerage service. Before that, you’d probably head to the bank (many today still do).
But websites are much simpler sells than brick-and-mortar storefronts like restaurants. Instead of selling an entire store with equipment and staff, you’re likely transferring some code and a domain (among other things). Why scan the yellow pages for a brokerage on your block when you can access a whole internet of buyers eager to get in on the deal?
Today, we’re confident that if you run a web-based business, you’ll find no better place than Acquire.com to sell your business quickly, easily, and for the highest price.
Why do we think Acquire.com is the best place to sell? Unlike other online M&A businesses, we give you several options for selling your online business, which we’ve broken down below.
Do It Yourself on Acquire.com
Today, you can sell your business without assistance using the Acquire.com marketplace. That includes legal documents, escrow, and more.
To sell on Acquire.com, simply:
- Create an account
- Fill out your startup data
- Attach metrics
- Verify your identity
After you’ve done these four steps, our team verifies your startup and lists it on our marketplace and social channels within a few days. We expect most deals to close within a few weeks or months of starting an account.
To make sales smoother, we’ve also created tools to help you put your best foot forward when courting buyers and closing your life-changing acquisition, described below.
Guided Acquisition Process (GAP)
Acquisitions can feel overwhelming to do alone. Our Guided Acquisition Process is a virtual assistant helping you complete each step of your sale. It clearly explains what acquisition tasks you’ve completed and what processes remain before your business is finally Acquired.
Connected Metrics
As any experienced M&A veteran will tell you, time kills deals. Buyers love to see metrics and will ask you for as much data as possible before an acquisition, so the quicker they can view this data, the faster you’ll get to negotiating the deal.
Instead of collating charts digitally or printing them out for them to pore over, we’ve made it easy for you to show your buyers complicated analytics. We let you connect from platforms like Google Analytics, Hubspot, and Stripe to let potential buyers see your company’s performance.
Templates for Legal Documents
At each stage of your acquisition, you can use our builders and templates to draft, review, and sign acquisition legal documents like non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), letters of intent (LOIs), and asset purchase agreements (APAs).
Escrow Service
Once your acquisition is complete, you’ll need to release assets like web domains to buyers as you simultaneously receive funds. We partner with Escrow.com, so you don’t need to worry about finding an escrow service outside of your Acquire.com workflow.
Want Some Help With Your Sale? Hire an Advisor on Acquire.com
Despite popular opinion, we didn’t create Acquire.com to replace advisors – our goal is to give sellers like you as many options as possible when selling your business. And you don’t need to go it alone. If you want help, request an advisor from the pool of experienced M&A professionals in our Advisor Directory.
These individuals are well-versed in acquisitions and can give you inside knowledge you won’t find anywhere else. They know exactly which levers to pull to achieve the highest price possible for your startup.
Advisors span a range of different roles and expertise:
- Business brokers/M&A advisors – These are mergers and acquisitions professionals who oversee or manage the entire process. They can help you find buyers and negotiate better deals than you might by yourself.
- Valuations experts – These are experts in your field who can tell you exactly how much your business is worth on the market. You may be surprised which factors alter your price!
- Financial/tax advisors – In most sales, your buyer will look deeply into your business’s financial history. Large asset transfers almost always incur taxes as well. Financial advisors can help you get your books perfectly in order so due diligence goes as fast as possible.
- Attorneys – Attorneys can assist you in negotiating your documents, properly apportioning risk, and making sure you have remedies in place if anything goes wrong post-closing.
To work with an advisor, request one using the “Get expert help” button on our site specifying the help you need (you’ll need a seller account). Our team will match your case with a professional from our carefully curated list.
Advisor Fees on Acquire.com
Some advisors charge an hourly rate, some a percentage on the sale, and others a flat fee. You’ll find estimated fees on the advisor’s Acquire.com profile. Any engagement request the advisor sends you will clearly state the fee.
Note: Generally, the extra deal value you gain from having an advisor pays for itself!
Own a SaaS and Want to Sell to the Highest Bidder? Try Managed by Acquire.com
If you:
- Run a SaaS startup making $1 million and more in revenue
- Don’t want to spend time speaking with buyers
- Want to swing for the fences for your acquisition
Consider signing up for our whiteglove brokerage service, Managed by Aquire.com (MbA).
When you use MbA, our in-house M&A experts will connect you with a handpicked list of promising buyers who we think will pay top dollar for your business.
Here are a handful of MBA’s benefits:
- We track down buyers matching your acquisition criteria so you don’t waste time on dead ends.
- You pay up to 60 percent less (currently five percent of the sale price) than a traditional business broker and nothing at all if you’re unhappy. Most of our competitors charge 15 percent just for listing.
- We search over 120,000 vetted buyers to create your shortlist.
- You choose which buyers you want us to pursue.
We’ve already helped dozens of sellers find life-changing acquisitions through MbA, and we’d be honored to help your SaaS business join our next cohort.
Want to start selling your business on Acquire? Head to our seller page to see how you can get started.
The content on this site is not intended to provide legal, financial or M&A advice. It is for information purposes only, and any links provided are for your convenience. Please seek the services of an M&A professional before any M&A transaction. It is not Acquire’s intention to solicit or interfere with any established relationship you may have with any M&A professional.
