List on a marketplace or talk to a buyer?

An acquisition marketplace puts your business in front of many buyers. A direct buyer gives you one serious conversation. Both are useful; they do different jobs.

Email a short overview How the process works

Contents5.1Should I list my business on a marketplace?1 / 4

§ 5.1

Should I list my business on a marketplace?If reach matters most.

Fig. 5.1Short answer

List on a marketplace when you want many buyers to see the business and you have time to screen them. Talk to a direct buyer when you want a private process and already know which kind of owner you want.

Marketplaces bring reach; you bring the screening.
Listings can make a sale public before you are ready.
You can do both, one after the other.

§ 5.2

Marketplace and direct buyer compared.Typical patterns.

Fig. 5.2aThe marketplace path, next to the others

Fig. 5.2bMarketplace and direct buyer

	Marketplace	Playbook Media
Who you talk to	Many buyers, of mixed experience.	The founder of Playbook Media.
Privacy	A listing is visible, even when the name is hidden.	One private conversation.
Your work	Answer questions, screen buyers and compare offers.	One overview, one conversation, then a records review if there is a fit.
Price discovery	More, if several buyers compete.	Less. You compare us with your other options.

§ 5.3

When each path fits.An honest list.

List on a marketplace when

You want the widest possible range of buyers.
You are comfortable screening buyers yourself.
The business is smaller than most direct buyers look for.

Talk to us when

You want privacy and one counterparty.
You care about what happens to the product after the sale.
The business fits our search profile.

§ 5.4

Questions founders ask.Short answers.

Does Playbook Media buy from marketplaces?

We may find businesses there, but a listing is only a starting point. We review every business the same way.

Is a “verified revenue” badge enough?

No. It can confirm revenue, but not costs, retention, ownership or the work the business needs. A buyer still has to check those.

Can I list after talking to you?

Yes. A first email does not commit you to anything.

1Patterns vary between firms. This page describes common practice in general terms. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. ↩
2Playbook Media has not completed an acquisition yet. Weigh that when you compare us with buyers who have. ↩

End of comparison

Next comparisonM&A advisorsWhen to hire an M&A advisor to run a sale process, and when a direct conversation with a buyer is enough.