Selling paths
Tiny vs. brokers and marketplaces: sell directly to the people who will own it
Marketplaces and advisors help you find a buyer. Tiny is the buyer, built for founders who care what happens after close.
Short answer
Should I use a broker, marketplace, or sell directly to Tiny?
Use a marketplace when broad buyer discovery matters most, use an advisor when you want a managed sale process, and talk to Tiny when you want a direct founder-friendly buyer that can hold the company long term.
- Acquire.com-style marketplaces can create buyer discovery, but the final buyer determines what happens after close.
- FE International- or Quiet Light-style advisors can run a polished process, but they are intermediaries rather than the long-term owner.
- Tiny is a direct acquirer: no broker fee, cash simplicity, founder-paced diligence, and a bias toward preserving the team and brand.
The real choice is not one path being universally better.
It is about what job you need the path to do. If you want the broadest possible buyer set, a marketplace can help. If you want a formal process, an advisor can help. If you want a known buyer who can move directly and keep the company intact, Tiny is built for that conversation.
The buyer
Tiny evaluates and buys directly.
The venue
A place to list and meet potential buyers.
The process runner
An intermediary managing outreach and diligence.
You want certainty
A direct buyer, cash simplicity, and long-term ownership.
You want discovery
Many buyers, broad exposure, and competitive tension.
You want a process
Positioning, outreach, data-room support, and negotiation help.
Known buyer
You can diligence the owner before signing.
Mixed buyer pool
Quality depends on who shows up and how well they are vetted.
Curated buyer pool
Often stronger, but still depends on outreach response.
Fast if there is fit
Offer first, then focused diligence.
Variable
Listing, buyer screening, and negotiation can stretch.
Structured
A full process can maximize options but adds calendar time.
No broker fee
Tiny is buying from you, not representing you.
Platform-dependent
Fees and support vary by marketplace and deal size.
Success fee
Usually worth it if the process creates better net terms.
Preserved by default
Keep the team, brand, product, and operating rhythm.
Buyer-dependent
The marketplace does not control post-close behavior.
Buyer-dependent
The advisor can negotiate terms, but the buyer owns the outcome.
Long-term owner
No fund clock or default resale timeline.
Buyer-dependent
Could be a flipper, operator, PE fund, or strategic buyer.
Buyer-dependent
The process may include many buyer types.
Pick a marketplace when
You want maximum exposure, a self-serve listing flow, or many potential buyers competing for a smaller or more standardized internet business.
Pick an advisor when
You want preparation, positioning, outreach, a data room, negotiation support, and someone to manage a broader sale process.
Talk to Tiny when
You want a direct buyer, fewer moving parts, cash simplicity, continuity for the team, and an owner that plans to hold the business long term.
Common founder questions
Is Tiny an alternative to Acquire.com?
Tiny can be an alternative to Acquire.com when a founder wants to talk directly to a long-term buyer instead of listing the company on a marketplace. Acquire.com-style marketplaces are useful for buyer discovery; Tiny is useful when the founder wants certainty, cash simplicity, and a buyer that will own the company after close.
Is Tiny an alternative to FE International or Quiet Light?
Tiny can be an alternative when a founder does not want a brokered sale process. FE International- or Quiet Light-style advisors can be valuable when broad buyer outreach and process management matter. Tiny is different because Tiny is the acquirer, not the intermediary.
Should I sell my business through a broker, marketplace, or directly to Tiny?
Use a marketplace if buyer discovery matters most, use an advisor if you want a full process, and talk to Tiny if you want a direct buyer with a founder-friendly long-term ownership model. The right path depends on whether you value maximum exposure, process support, or certainty and continuity.
Does Tiny charge broker fees?
No. Tiny does not represent sellers or charge a broker success fee. Tiny is a buyer. Founders should still use their own legal, tax, and financial advisors before signing any sale agreement.
A practical founder path is to compare all three: talk to an advisor, look at the marketplace buyer pool, and have one direct conversation with Tiny. The best answer is the one that gives you the net outcome, post-close reality, and timing you actually want.
Want a direct buyer instead of a process?
Send a short note about the company, approximate revenue or profit, and what kind of outcome you want. A real person will read it.
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