Many owners tell us that they think of their business as “niche.” Another way they often put it is: “I want to sell my business, but I’m afraid buyers won’t really get what we do.” When you work with a traditional broker, they often don’t — or aren’t able to — take the time to learn about your business and position it in a way that helps buyers understand what makes you shine. Owners come to Baton because they know we take the time, and we’ve sold lots of “niche” businesses as a result.

This is a legitimate concern. Just like selling a house is significantly easier to navigate with a broker on your side, using a broker to sell your business is a smart move. That being said, traditional brokers typically collect between 10%-20% of your sale. Baton collects just 6% and takes the time to strategize your listing price to maximize your take-home. Read more about our pricing and how we help you get paid for your life’s work.

Owners told us that they care who they hand the baton off to, and we heard them. We’ve built several steps into our sales process that help us understand what kind of buyer you’re looking for. This informs our outreach efforts. We also provide opportunities to meet with potential buyers to see how the fit feels before going any further. And since your time is valuable, your Baton Acquisition Advisor prescreens every buyer to make sure you’re only meeting people who are qualified and ready to buy.

These were the exact words someone wrote to us when they signed up. Yikes! But they’re in good company. Many owners have listed on small business listing sites like BizBuySell only to find that they encounter bots, spin their wheels with unresponsive leads, and don’t get the personal attention they deserve. Valuable months have been lost this way, and as a result, we’ve inherited many stalled or failed BizBuySell listings and turned the ship around for sellers. After optimizing the listings, running more detailed and diligent outreach, and following the deal closely, we’ve been able to get deals closed more efficiently. Selling a business doesn’t have to be painful.

It makes good sense to come up with an asking price that’s based on real data and not just a ballpark figure. This will give buyers confidence in the deal from the beginning and prevent issues with the deal later on — after you’ve invested time and money into the process. At Baton, we provide a complimentary valuation that’s based on first-party financial data. Baton buyers are less likely to push back because they’re aware of the extra work we’ve done “under the hood” to justify that price.