Where To List A Business For Sale? 8 Marketplaces To Try
Check out the best online marketplaces to list your business for sale and find the right buyer. Add your business today!
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When considering where to list a business for sale, it is important to conduct research to select a marketplace that gives you access to qualified buyers and guides you through the sale process.
Selecting an online business marketplace also allows for an efficient ownership transfer. The due diligence process alone can take 60 to 120 days, according to the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA) Market Pulse report, and platforms like Boopos can take a lot of that load.
Here's a list of 9 sites where you can sell your business.
Related: 5 Top Ecommerce Platforms: Which Is The Best In 2024?
9 marketplaces to list a business for sale
1. Boopos
For sellers, Boopos provides guidance throughout the purchase process, from gathering and organizing the data and documentation to connecting with qualified buyers. Boopos ensures that only individuals with financial and operational capacity have access to your deal and also provides embedded funding to eligible buyers.
At Boopos, you can also get a free business valuation to determine your business's worth.
Boopos is a good option for sellers looking to save time in the business selling process and go broker-free.
2. Acquire
Acquire is known as a business marketplace focused on SaaS startups. The platform has an extensive list of buyers (500k+) to offer businesses to and they help business owners throughought the process until the deal is closed. One of the main selling points from Acquire is the posibility to sell your business in 30 days.
3. Flippa
Flippa is an online business marketplace for ecommerce, media, and service businesses. This platform provides financial analysis, traffic sources assessment, sales and marketing analysis, and competitors analysis, among other insights, as part of the due diligence to help sellers with the business transfer. Flippa also helps qualified buyers get financing, although they don't directly provide it.
This marketplace offers different pricing options according to the exposure and broker representation needed.
4. Empire Flippers
Empire Flippers offers sellers a range of services, including valuation tools, short exclusivity periods, and migration assistance with a one-to-three-week average period. Regarding pricing, they have a commission calculator and charge a fee that may increase as the valuation goes up.
This marketplace is a good option for Amazon store owners due to its extensive experience with this type of business. The platform also offers post-sale migration services.
5. BusinessesForSale
BusinessesForSale have been in the online business listing market for almost three decades and offer sellers access to a 1.2 billion buyer's pool, different pricing options, valuation tools, a 24/7 client success team, and a free 20-day trial to advertise your company. Once your listing is live on the site, you can sign into your account and make changes or monitor inquiries.
Suitable for business owners outside of online services or ecommerce. Their commission-free subscription service allows you to spend less if you are willing to sacrifice support and guidance during the process of finding the right buyer.
6. BizBuySell
BizzBuySell offers selling services to franchises and tailored commissions if you're looking to sell multiple businesses at a time. Regarding their pricing, there are different subscription levels depending on listing periods, exposure, and features.
This is a viable option if you're looking to sell a company outside of the online market, such as real estate, restaurants, retail, transportation, or manufacturing.
7. QuietLight
QuietLight prioritizes expertise and puts together teams with entrepreneurs who have built, bought, or sold businesses.
This marketplace offers a valuation tool to help sellers exit for more money and better terms related to their business estimation. Their listing process consists of three main steps: initial valuation, detailed client interviews, and publishing your listing.
An option to consider for first-time sellers who value the expertise a broker can bring to the sale.
8. FE International
Whether SaaS, content, ecommerce, or technology business, FE International offers to categorize your company by either size or industry, making it easier for buyers to find the ideal company to purchase according to their expectations.
FE International performs accounting and valuation onboarding, valuation analysis, strategic negotiations, due diligence, acquisition accounting, complex legal structuring, and post-sale considerations.
Due to the solid support in the sales process, this marketplace is a good option for sellers who want to delegate the burden of due process.
How to choose the right marketplace to sell your business
Define your audience
Platforms differ in the type of buyers and sellers they target. Defining the audience that matches your niche industry will get you closer to finding the right listing marketplace for advertising your business.
For example, some of Boopos' eligibility criteria for selling a business are that it must have been operational for at least 12 months, must have made at least 100K in revenue in the last 12 months, have a profit margin of at least 5% in the last 12 months, and its revenue growth year-on-year cannot exceed 35%.
Businesses that meet these criteria provide buyers with assurance that the acquisition will be profitable and streamline the sales process.
Other business listing platforms may have different criteria or could be focused on a certain type of industry.
Compare fees
Some platforms charge commission fees, while others charge based on the services provided for assessing ownership transitions. Get quotes and compare before deciding.
For example, at Boopos, there are no upfront fees involved, as you only pay upon closing.
Compare listing models
Different marketplaces use various selling strategies, such as brokers, valuation teams and tools, auctions, and flat fees. Ask about their selling processes and compare different approaches to determine the best selling path for your company.
Boopos' deal-closing is broker-free, which can save you money. Working with non-exclusive terms allows your business to be listed on other marketplaces, giving you complete control over the selling process.
Compare experiences
If you're still deciding which is the right choice, look for testimonials. Sites like Trustpilot offer consumers a platform to share their experiences about online services. See what former customers say about Boopos.
Discover why Bopoos is one of the most popular options for new entrepreneurs by reading success stories from satisfied buyers:
- Christi Loucks, CEO of Revenue Accelerator, discusses the transition to ownership and shares valuable lessons on acquiring businesses. Read her story.
- Sylvie Froger built a business from scratch; then, she bought one. Here are her 7 tips to acquire a business.
- Pascal Levy-Garboua, CEO of Noosa Labs, bought his first business in the Summer of 2021 to learn. Then, he became a serial buyer. These are his tips!
You can also listen to The Boopos Buzz, a podcast where we invite top professionals who share their experiences in acquisitions.
Looking to list your business for sale?
To ensure a successful ownership transfer, carefully select where to list your business. Each marketplace provides different features that can be attractive depending on your objectives.
You can start by considering Boopos and evaluating the benefits we offer. Get advice from our experts today!