In the world of business brokerage, reputation and trust are key. With so many brokerage firms out there, it can be overwhelming to find the right one that will work best for your needs. That’s why it’s important to read reviews and gather information before making a decision.
Quiet Light Brokerage has established itself as a reputable firm in the industry, specializing in helping entrepreneurs sell their online businesses. In this article, we will explore some of the reviews and feedback from clients who have worked with Quiet Light Brokerage, giving you a better understanding of their services and what you can expect when working with them.
What is Quiet Light Brokerage?
Quietlight Brokerage is a premier platform specializing in the buying and selling of online businesses, including e-commerce, SaaS, content sites, and more.
The team at Quiet Light is experienced in buying, selling, and starting their own online businesses, making them qualified advisors for planning an exit strategy. They pride themselves on providing honest and transparent advice to their clients, with a commitment to always telling the truth, even if it may not be favorable. Their commitment to being a trusted resource for buyers and sellers alike make them a preferred broker amongst online business brokerages.
Quiet Light utilizes data from their extensive deal history to drive their decision-making process and optimize outcomes for their clients. They have developed a refined process that ensures successful business exits.
The three steps to selling a business with Quiet Light include an initial valuation call, a detailed client interview, and the publication of the listing to find the right buyer. They also offer a free valuation and marketplace-readiness assessment for those considering selling their business.
Reputation & Recognition
- What Quietlight Is Known For: Quiet Light is most renowned for its meticulous vetting processes, strong customer service, in-depth industry knowledge, and a track record of facilitating successful high-value transactions.
- Years in the Industry: Founded in 2006, Quietlight is one of the oldest brokerages in the industry.
- Track Record Data: Quietlight has sold more than 600 online businesses for a collective value of $300,000,000.
- Media: The Quiet Light Podcast is a popular resource for sellers looking to make their exit successful. They also offer a range of high-quality videos and previous webinars that cover a range of topics and business models.
- Awards and Recognition: Quiet Light has an active BBB Business Profile where potential sellers and buyers can find more information about Quiet Light Brokerage’s history.
Types of Businesses Offered by Quietlight
Quietlight’s marketplace often features a range of monetizations, including:
- E-commerce
- SaaS (Software as a Service)
- Affiliate and Ad-based Content Businesses
- Amazon FBA
The price range for businesses varies, though Quietlight sets a fairly high threshold for listing sites mainly above six figures (with most listings above $250,000).
The multiples on these businesses are a little harder to extrapolate as they aren’t directly included on the listing pages. However, you can do some calculations based on revenue and list price to see what the rough multiple for the business is.
Quietlight’s Commission Fees & Pricing
For Buyers:
Fees: Generally, buyers don’t pay any direct fees to brokers; the commission is typically borne by the seller.
For Sellers:
Commission: Quietlight does not charge a listing fee for sellers. Like most brokers, Quietlight operates on a commission basis. The exact percentage would depend on the sale price of the business, as detailed below:
Here is a breakdown of the fees charged by Quiet Light Brokerage:
- 10% $0-$1,000,000
- 9% $1,000,000-2,000,000
- 8% $2,000,000-3,000,000
- 7% $3,000,000-4,000,000
- 6% $4,000,000-5,000,000
- 5% $5,000,000-6,000,000
- 4% $6,000,000-7,000,000
- 3% everything above $7,000,000
Considering Quietlight’s highest commission fee is 10% (which is below other brokers in the industry), they set themselves apart as a competitively priced, yet experienced broker option for sellers to consider.
Exclusivity Agreement
It’s worth noting that Quietlight does have an exclusive engagement letter that must be complied with. This means that you can only work with them while they are working on selling your business.
Exclusivity with a broker is fairly standard in the industry. Quielight’s letter of engagement states that you will exclusively list with them for 90 days. However, Quietlight states that if you find their service does not meet your expectations you can cut the contract with them at any time.
Buying a Business through Quietlight
- Buying Process: Quiet Light Brokerage has its own network of qualified buyers who are familiar with the brokers and the quality of listings. When a listing goes live, it may receive requests for information from interested buyers. Additionally, the listing may be sent directly to buyers in the network by the broker representing the deal.
- Quietlight then matches buyers with suitable listings, followed by due diligence and negotiation phases.
- Vetting and Due Diligence Process: Quiet Light conducts thorough vetting on businesses submitted to their brokerage. During the vetting process the financial statements, traffic, and any other relevant business information are verified.
- Quiet Light provides comprehensive documentation for buyers, enabling an effective and transparent due diligence phase.
- Payment Methods: Various payment methods are accepted, including bank transfers, escrow services, and possibly seller financing in some cases.
Selling Your Business with Quietlight
How to Get a Business Valuation
Right on Quiet Light’s homepage, you can click the green “Get Your Free Valuation” button and be directed to their valuation form. By filling in your business name and URL, plus a few contact details, you’ll be taken forward through the valuation process.
Quiet Light offers a “no-obligation” consultation to discuss your valuation and any other questions you might have in more detail.
Selling Process with Quiet Light
Quietlight has an industry-leading, detailed process for selling businesses:
1. Initial Valuation Call: Entrepreneurs have a call with Quiet Light to determine the value of their business and how to maximize its acquisition value. This is based on factors like industry multiples, team, run rate, and inventory.
2. Letter of Engagement: If both parties agree on a path to a successful exit, they will sign a letter of engagement. The engagement is only for 90 days, giving entrepreneurs the flexibility to end the engagement if their expectations are not met.
3. Detailed Client Interview: Quiet Light conducts a thorough interview with the entrepreneur to gather all the necessary information about the business. This includes accurate financial numbers and growth opportunities. The goal is to be prepared for potential buyer questions.
4. Public Listing: Using the gathered information, Quiet Light creates an enticing package that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the business. The listing is then scheduled to go to market, generating multiple qualified offers.
5. Finding the Right Buyer: Quiet Light helps the entrepreneur sort through the offers and find the buyer that aligns with their goals. Factors such as sales price/multiple, cash at closing, and earnout terms are considered. Quiet Light provides all the necessary documents for a smooth closing process.
Overall, 85% of Quiet Light listings sell within 90 days or less, ensuring that entrepreneurs do not have to wait long to successfully close their deal.
FAQs About Quietlight Brokerage
- Is Quietlight Legit? Absolutely. With a track record spanning years and hundreds of successful transactions, they’ve established themselves as industry leaders.
- Does Quietlight offer Post-Sale Support? Yes, Quietlight offers post-sale support to ensure a smooth transition of the business from seller to buyer.
- Who Handles Migration? Most often the migration of the business is handled by the Quiet Light team.
- Accepted Payment Methods for Buying? Bank transfers, escrow services, and other agreed-upon methods.
- Visibility of URL and Information Security? Generalized information about the business is publically available, however, the URL remains hidden and is only available to interested buyers. Nothing that could identify the business is made public.
Pros and Cons of Using Quietlight Brokerage
Pros:
- Low Seller Commission: With the largest commission landing at 10% of the business value for businesses selling under $1M, that makes Quiet Light’s more commission more affordable than other brokers in the industry. Considering Quiet Light has a stellar reputation, plus a cheaper commission than most brokers, that makes them a leading option for online business sellers.
- Detailed Buyer Summaries: Quiet Light has some of the most detailed prospectuses for businesses for sale in the industry. They compile all the in-depth details a buyer would need to know to ensure that listed businesses are as compelling to potential buyers as possible. For buyers, this is fantastic because they can get a detailed snapshot of the business before asking for more details during due diligence.
- Expertise: Years of industry experience ensures that both buyers and sellers are in competent hands. Most brokers with Quiet Light have owned, operated, or exited an online business themselves so they personally understand sellers in a way that most other brokers wouldn’t.
- Vetted Listings: Quality and legitimacy of businesses are assured through rigorous vetting, a process that not every broker offers. This develops a sense of trust in the businesses being listed and overall creates a better deal process.
- Comprehensive Support: From the initial consultation to post-sale, Quietlight offers end-to-end, personalized support for sellers and buyers alike. Since most deals have a designated broker, sellers can be assured they will have a committed broker for their deal.
Cons:
- High threshold (mainly above $250k) to list a business for sale: Those with smaller businesses likely wouldn’t be able to list with Quiet Light. On the buyer side, this also means that “cheap deals” would be difficult to come by with this brokerage.
- Smaller Number of Businesses for Sale: Quiet Light has as vetted, quality pool of listings but this isn’t the place to sift through thousands of businesses for sale. It’s a small pool at any given time, meaning buyers wanting to buy from Quiet Light may need to wait sometime to find their perfect acquisition.
- Limited Information on Buyer Pool: Quiet Light advertises an established buyer base, however, data around the size of their buyer market is limited on their website. Other brokers advertise the exact numbers of their email list or buyer pool but this data remains difficult to get a hold of with Quiet Light.
The Final Review: Is Quietlight a Good Option for You?
Quietlight Brokerage, with its stellar track record and comprehensive services, is an excellent choice for serious online business buyers and sellers. Their dedication to quality, transparency, and support makes them stand out in the crowded marketplace. Whether you’re looking to buy a lucrative online venture or sell a well-established business, Quietlight offers the expertise and resources to ensure a smooth and successful transaction.
Looking for more help with your deal? Acquiring Digital’s team knows the acquisition landscape well and can help both buyers and sellers of online businesses. Schedule an exploratory call if you’d like help developing your buyer criteria or understanding where might be best to sell your business.
