FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
General Facts
We cover over 50 industries in our search database. Simply select the industry of interest from the drop down menu.
We include businesses for sale from the USA, Canada, Australia, UK and Europe.
We use a scoring algorithm that has to meet certain criteria of revenue and profitability, in addition to factors that make it transaction-ready. See our listing criteria.
An advisor(business broker) is an individual or firm that assists in the buying and selling of small to medium sized businesses. The role of a business broker is to act as an intermediary between the buyer and seller and will typically: charge a commission based on a percentage of the sale price; perform a valuation of the business prior to listing it for sale; market the business for sale and screen potential buyers; assist in negotiating the sale price and terms of the sale; have a network of buyers and sellers that they work with; have experience in business sales and be familiar with the process; be a valuable resource for both buyers and sellers of businesses. Most are members of an accreditor organization such as the IBBA or a local professional development chapter.
It really depends on what you are looking for in a business, how much capital you have to commit, your tolerance for risk and the amount of time you want to give. Our Industry Insights has a number of pros and cons articles on buying a business.
DealLink was started to track deals across hundreds of sources, so you don't have to. We connect professional business buyers with investor-grade opportunities. Read more about our backgrounds.
Stats
The price of a business for sale in our database varies greatly from about $1 to $300 million.
The median price of a business for sale varies by category. LMM is about $2.7 million, Small Market is about $390,000, and Startup is about $25,000.
Over 5,000 at any one time, but with churn, it would be well over 10,000.
Selling a Business
Our complimentary advisor match service is designed to find the right M&A specialist for your type of business. We work with 70+ advisors with different specialities. We use the information you submit to create the match. It is your decision whether to go forward. There is no obligation to sign a contract with a third-party business broker.
Please contact us at dennis@deallink.io if you are a business broker interested in posting your listings on our search database.
Payment
Only close a transaction with a buyer or seller who you feel is accurately representing themselves and their business and is seeking to make a good deal at a fair price.
This is the most secure way to pay for a business asset. We suggest using our affiliate escrow.com. Read more about escrow fees and contracts.
Buying a Business
At the very least, there needs to be a clear agreement on terms. A contract will stipulate the terms of sale and, typically, the seller will draw up the contract. Here's a business asset purchase and sale template. You will be re-directed to our contract provider, LawDepot.com. As a DealLink subscriber, you will receive a 10% discount on any eligible purchase.
It’s always advisable to consult with an attorney, if there are issues which come up that fall outside of your expertise or comfort zone.
A NDA or Non-Disclosure Agreement is designed to protect confidential information related to the business. Not all sellers will require this be signed by a prospective buyer. However, it is standard practice to sign one, if the seller requires it. Access this NDA form. You will be re-directed to our contract provider, LawDepot.com. As a DealLink subscriber, you will receive a 10% discount on any eligible purchase.
We recommend you use our escrow agent and follow the asset verification process as outlined by them. Initiate an asset verified transaction. You will be re-directed to our contract provider, Escrow.com.
It’s up to the buyer and seller to determine the terms of the sale. Buyers should seek to withhold payment for an asset until there is agreement on price and terms, and the asset has been verified. When using Escrow.com, the buyer pays for the asset at the time of sale but payment is withheld from the seller until the asset has been verified.
Most asset sales are software, apps and other types of intellectual property and will not include physical inventory. If inventory is included in a sale, the listing should indicate it.
Avoiding Scams and Fraud
If an asset seems too good to be true, it probably is. Use good judgement and common sense. Look for warning signs such as a buyer/seller refusing to meet you on a video call, pressuring you to buy, completing a rushed transaction outside of Escrow, or an unclear understanding of the asset.
Phishing is when a company asks for personal information through an email. We will never do that. If you receive an email from Hatchit that seems suspicious, please forward it to us at support@deallink.io so we can look into it.
We don’t recommend using checks, a cash app or PayPal, because of potential problems. The most secure method is to complete a business transaction through our escrow agent.
Yes. We cannot offer any guarantees to a buyer about the assets purchased. It would be up to you as a buyer to inquire about a return policy if it is desired.
Legal
See License and Use sections under Terms of Use.
Misc
These include any item not wholly owned by the seller or created by the seller if original intellectual property. Prohibited items also include the following: adult materials, gambling, any item prohibited by law, or any license or product with any pending litigation against it.
See full prohibited list
DealLink makes a fee from its M&A broker affiliates for seller referrals that get listed and sold through its advisor match service and/or content links. DealLink may also make a referral fee from its affiliates for buyers who close on a business purchase through its content links.
This website contains some affiliate links to DealLink’s broker-partner sites. If you choose to buy or sell a business through a brokerage site we link you to, DealLink may receive a referral fee at no additional cost to you.
Affiliate links require us to share IP addresses of users so that we can be properly credited for referrals to our affiliate participants. However, we do not share any personal information registered with DealLink with third parties. See our privacy policy for a more detailed discussion.
Contact links
Please email us at support@deallink.io and we will aim to get back to you within 48 hours.
They are always welcome. Your thoughts and suggestions make us better. Email us at support@deallink.io.
We love sharing our story. Email us at paul@deallink.io for interview requests.
