Selling an online business is one of the more complicated financial decisions a founder will make. The process involves valuation, buyer vetting, negotiation, due diligence, and transfer all of which require experience that most entrepreneurs simply don't have.
Quiet Light, founded in 2006 by Mark Daoust in Mooresville, North Carolina, was built specifically for this gap. Daoust started the company after struggling to sell an online business himself, frustrated by brokers who made big promises but couldn't execute.
Nearly two decades later, Quiet Light has brokered over 600 deals totaling more than $300 million in combined transaction value, and it remains one of the most recognized mid-market brokerages in the online business space.
Key Takeaways
- Quiet Light specializes in online businesses ecommerce, SaaS, Amazon FBA, and content sites with deal sizes typically ranging from $100,000 to $5 million.
- Every broker at the firm has personally bought, built, or sold an online business, which shapes how they advise clients.
- Commission fees start at 10% for deals under $1 million and decrease on a sliding scale as the sale price increases.
What Quiet Light Does
Quiet Light operates as a brokerage and M&A advisory firm exclusively focused on internet-based businesses. It does not list physical retail stores, brick-and-mortar service businesses, or traditional franchises.
The firm works with sellers of ecommerce stores, Amazon FBA brands, SaaS platforms, content websites, lead generation businesses, and similar digital assets.
This narrow focus is by design. The brokers at Quiet Light aren't generalists who also happen to sell online businesses they come from the industry.
Several advisors at the firm have built their own ecommerce brands, sold SaaS companies, or spent years as acquisition buyers before joining Quiet Light as advisors.
That background matters when a seller needs someone who understands the difference between Seller Discretionary Earnings and EBITDA, or knows how Amazon FBA inventory affects valuation multiples.
2006 Year founded
600+Businesses sold
$300M+Combined transaction value
47%Sell above asking price
The Selling Process
Quiet Light's process for sellers breaks down into three main stages. Each is designed to prepare both the business and the owner for a transaction that holds up under scrutiny.
- Initial valuation call.A Quiet Light advisor reviews the business to establish a value range based on current market multiples for the niche, run rate, team structure, and inventory. This call is free and carries no obligation to list.
- Client interview.If both parties agree to move forward, they sign a 90-day letter of engagement. The advisor then conducts a detailed interview covering financials, operations, P&L statements, marketing, and growth opportunities. The goal is to surface every question a serious buyer would eventually ask.
- Listing and sale.Quiet Light prepares a detailed memorandum and lists the business to its network of vetted buyers. The broker actively reaches out to buyers who match the deal profile rather than waiting passively for inquiries.
The 90-day engagement window is worth noting. It's shorter than what many brokerages require, and Quiet Light allows sellers to exit the agreement early if expectations aren't being met.
For sellers who are cautious about locking in with a broker, that flexibility reduces the risk of being stuck in an unproductive relationship.
Fee Structure
Quiet Light charges a success fee at closing. There are no upfront listing fees, which means the brokerage's incentives are aligned with actually getting the deal done. The fee schedule runs on a sliding scale:
| Sale Price Range | Commission Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $1 million | 10% |
| $1M – $2M | 9% |
| $2M – $3M | 8% |
| $3M – $4M | 7% |
| $4M – $5M | 6% |
| $5M – $6M | 5% |
| $6M – $7M | 4% |
| $7M+ | 3% |
The 10% rate at the lower end of the range is on the higher side compared to some platforms that use flat fees or auction-style listings.
The trade-off is that Quiet Light provides a dedicated advisor who actively works the deal rather than a self-service listing where the seller manages buyer conversations independently.
For sellers who don't have the time or experience to handle due diligence requests, buyer negotiations, and NDA management on their own, that difference is meaningful.
Quiet Light also claims that 47% of its listings sell above the asking price, which, if accurate, can more than offset the commission rate.
The Buying Side
Buyers go through a vetting process before getting full access to listings. Quiet Light qualifies buyers by income level and acquisition capacity to filter out window shoppers and protect seller information.
Public listings on the site show revenue, income, sale multiple, and asking price, but the identity of the business remains confidential until a buyer signs an NDA.
Once an NDA is in place, buyers receive the full business memorandum including traffic data, financial statements, and operational details. Quiet Light brokers also actively match buyers to listings rather than relying entirely on buyers to search and find deals themselves.
This matters for buyers who are looking for specific types of businesses — a good advisor relationship can surface deals before they hit the public listing page.
Business Types Listed
Quiet Light lists businesses across several categories of internet-based assets. The most common deal types include:
- Ecommerce stores (Shopify, WooCommerce, multi-channel)
- Amazon FBA brands
- SaaS and cloud-based software businesses
- Content sites, blogs, and online publications
- Lead generation businesses
- Online course platforms and digital product businesses
Listing prices on the platform typically run from $100,000 to $5 million, though the firm has brokered deals into the eight-figure range.
Most of the active listings sit in the six- and seven-figure range, which is the sweet spot for independent operators and small search fund buyers.
Resources and Education
Quiet Light produces a significant amount of content aimed at both buyers and sellers. The Quiet Light Podcast ran for over 350 episodes and covers topics like valuation, due diligence, Amazon FBA strategy, SaaS metrics, and exit planning.
The show pulled in advisors, past clients, and acquisition entrepreneurs as guests, and it's become a reference point for anyone researching how to buy or sell an online business.
Beyond the podcast, the firm publishes video content, guides, and webinars on its website.
The free valuation tool on the homepage lets sellers enter basic business details to get an initial value range, which makes it easy to start the process without committing to a sales conversation right away.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Advisors have real operator experience, not just sales backgrounds
- No upfront listing fees — commission only at closing
- Sliding-scale fees that decrease at higher deal sizes
- Active buyer outreach, not a passive listing marketplace
- 90-day engagement with flexibility to exit early
- Free valuation tool with no obligation
- Strong track record: 600+ deals, $300M+ in transactions
Cons
- 10% fee at the lower deal range is on the higher end
- Due diligence quality can vary depending on the assigned advisor
- Minimum viable deal size tends to exclude very small businesses
- Exclusive engagement limits the ability to list elsewhere for 90 days
- Some past clients have reported slow listing timelines
Who Quiet Light Is Best For
Quiet Light is a good fit for founders who have built a legitimate online business generating consistent revenue and are ready for a structured exit process.
The firm works well for sellers who want a knowledgeable advisor rather than a DIY listing platform, and who are comfortable paying a success fee in exchange for active representation.
Buyers looking for vetted, mid-market digital assets in the $100K to $5M range will find a curated selection here.
The brokerage doesn't serve casual browsers well its process is built around serious buyers who have defined acquisition criteria and the financial capacity to close.
For very small businesses under $50,000 in asking price, or for sellers who want to avoid exclusivity entirely, platforms like Flippa or Empire Flippers may be a better fit.
Quiet Light's model is oriented toward deals where a dedicated advisor relationship adds enough value to justify the fee structure.
Conclusion
Quiet Light has spent nearly 20 years focusing on one specific market — the buying and selling of online businesses — and its processes reflect that accumulated experience.
The advisor model, sliding commission scale, and active buyer outreach make it a credible option for founders who want a professional, hands-on exit rather than a self-service listing experience.