For advisors
Options for a business that didn't sell
The listing did not sell. You introduce the seller to a question about the records. You do not sign the license, and you do not take a fee from Vetrix. The seller's company signs. If you might re-list the business, tell the seller first that a data license is exclusive. A failed sale is not a failed company. Marketplace fees stay with the marketplace.
Up to $150K · $0 cost · 3 days
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Signer | You are not the signer. The seller's company is the party on the license. |
| Your fee | There is no referral fee. An introduction does not earn a commission from Vetrix. |
| A later listing | A data license is exclusive. Tell the seller before you re-list the business. |
| Marketplace fees | Marketplace fees belong to the marketplace. They stay on that marketplace's own terms. |
| A quiet listing | A failed sale is not a failed company. Eligibility does not change because a buyer did not appear. |
What brokers are deciding
The listing did not sell. The seller still owns the company, and the seller is asking what else exists. You introduce. You do not become the applicant, and you do not become the signer. There is no referral fee. A failed sale is not a failed company. If you might re-list, tell the seller that a license is exclusive before the listing goes back up. Marketplace fees stay on the marketplace's own terms. Leave them there.
Your role as a broker, and who signs
Confirm who owns the company and whether a listing is still live. The seller submits the enquiry in the company's name. A signed license is exclusive, so a later buyer of the business has to live with it. Say that before you market the company again. You should expect nothing from Vetrix if the seller goes ahead. Your commission, if you have one, is whatever you already agreed with the seller. It is not a fee added by a data license.
The company signs an NDA and the licensing agreement directly with the data partner, not with Vetrix. We tell the company the data partner's name before anyone signs.
What to tell a client
Do you sign for me?
No. The seller's company signs. You introduce the seller, and the seller's officer sends the enquiry.
Will you be paid if I proceed?
No. There is no referral fee, and there is no percentage to quote the seller.
What if I put the business back on the market?
Tell the seller first. A license is exclusive, and a later buyer has to live with that promise.
To weigh marketplace fees against the other ways out, start with compare exit options for a company. If a client's listing on Acquire.com did not sell, read Acquire.com alternatives.
Checklist
| Check |
|---|
| Confirm who owns the company. |
| Say whether a listing is still live. |
| Warn the seller about exclusivity before you re-list. |
| Expect no fee from Vetrix. |
| Have the seller submit the enquiry in the company's name. |
When a different role fits
If you are the founder of the company that did not sell, you decide and, when you are an officer, you sign for the company. Brokers introduce. The seller's question is the failed listing, not the broker's engagement letter.
For the company's side of this, read my business didn't sell.
If that is your job instead, read options for founders shutting down a startup.
If you own operating portfolio companies rather than a listing that did not sell, read monetizing portfolio company data.
For the wider job, read how to sell a failed startup. Other roles are under company data licensing for advisors.
Read how company data licensing works for the steps. For the four license terms, read the company data license agreement, in plain English.
Related
- For advisors
Company data licensing for founders, finance leaders, investors, and advisors.
- Selling a company
How to sell a failed startup, and the options when a company cannot be sold as a whole.
- Founders
What a founder decides, and why the company is the signer.
- Listing didn't sell
What is still possible when a buyer for the business did not appear.
- How it works
The six steps from a short enquiry to payment, and how to stop.
- License terms
The four license terms: what you give, keep, agree, and sign.
Questions about data licensing for business brokers
Does the broker sign the data license?
No. You are not the signer. The seller's company is the party on the license. You introduce. You do not put your firm on the signature block, and you do not submit the enquiry as if you were the company. The seller's officer sends the form. If a listing is still live, tell the seller that a license would be exclusive before you keep marketing the business.
Will Vetrix pay me if the seller goes ahead?
No. There is no referral fee, and no percentage to put on the seller's closing statement. A fee you already earned from the marketplace stays under that marketplace's rules. It is not a commission from Vetrix. If no license is signed, nobody pays Vetrix's fee either. Your commission, if you have one, is the agreement you already have with the seller.
What do I tell a seller before I re-list the business?
Tell them that a data license, if signed, is exclusive. A later buyer has to live with that promise. Say it before you re-list, not after a new buyer appears. The seller's company is the signer, so the warning has to reach the people who can sign. Describe the license as exclusive. Your lawyer and theirs can read the agreement before the listing goes back up.
Does a failed listing mean the company cannot enquire?
No. A failed sale is not a failed company. Eligibility does not change because a buyer did not appear. The company can enquire while it is winding down or while it is still operating. No sale was signed, so the right to license was not transferred by the listing. The seller still has to meet staff at peak, two years of records, daily-use systems, and the right to license.
Sources
- Vetrix Labs. Vetrix Data Licensing.