Ask HN: How do you sell a small bootstrapped SaaS? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do you sell a small bootstrapped SaaS?

2 pointshpsilab2 comments

I'm the solo founder of hpsilab.com, a financial analytics and API platform for quantitative research and AI agents.

I'm considering selling 100% of the product/company and have started contacting potential strategic buyers.

For founders who have sold a small software business:

* How did you find the buyer? * Did you contact founders/CEOs directly? * When did you mention acquisition? * Did you use a broker? * What mistakes should I avoid?

I'd especially appreciate advice from anyone who has sold a business for under $1M.

Thanks!

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I think if you don’t have a strong personal network or a high-value client who could potentially acquire the business, the best approach is to work with a broker. They already have relationships with the right set of people you’d want to partner with or sell to, and I think it’s completely reasonable to pay them a small percentage of the sale.

Especially if you’re selling a business for under $1M, I’d consider this route. You could also look for companies that are actively trying to expand into new markets or diversify their product portfolio, as there could be a natural fit.

In your case, though, the context is a little different. In our case, the acquiring company was preparing to go public and wanted to diversify its product portfolio, so they acquired us. It was pretty straightforward.

Ultimately, it depends a lot on the context and the kind of buyer you’re looking for.

if you have a profitable business, and don't have previous experience selling, there are three options:

1. aggregators and small PE (sureswift, tinycapital, mudbrick group, sass.group, fullstack capital) that buy smaller SaaS and then consolidate support/operations etc

2. brokers who will help you sell the business, kind of like a realestate broker (quiet light, FE international)

3. maketplaces (sideprojectors, microaquire, flippa)

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