Baton vs Selling Your Business Yourself: Cost, Process, and Which to Choose
Chat Joglekar
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7 min read
Selling your business yourself means finding, screening, and negotiating with buyers without a broker or advisor, and it is the right choice when you already have a qualified buyer: a family member, an employee, a competitor, or someone who approached you. For most Main Street and lower-middle-market owners without a buyer, Baton is the better fit: no retainer, a 6% success fee paid only when the business sells, and an advisor who runs the sale through close.
This comparison is for owners of businesses worth roughly $500K to $10M deciding whether to sell alone or with help. Selling it yourself costs less in fees, and we show the numbers. The trade-off is time, price, and deal risk.
How selling your business yourself works
Listing: BizBuySell, the largest business-for-sale site, charges $74.95 to $199.95 a month as of October 2026, with no commission (see our BizBuySell review).
Legal and accounting: you typically hire an attorney for the purchase agreement and a CPA for taxes and diligence. Fees vary with complexity. One law firm puts legal fees for a small to mid-sized sale at $3,500 to $25,000 or more.
Valuation: you set the price. For an SBA 7(a) loan, the lender must get an independent valuation from an accredited appraiser when the business purchase price is above $350,000, or at any price when buyer and seller have a close relationship, such as family. It is prepared for the lender, not you, and any price above it must be covered by buyer equity (SBA SOP 50 10 8.1, effective October 1, 2026).
Confidentiality: BizBuySell warns that word of a sale reaching employees, customers, or competitors can weaken the business and its value, and recommends blind listings and confidentiality agreements.
Buyer screening: you check financing yourself. An outside buyer using an SBA loan must put in at least 10% equity, so ask early for proof of funds and lender pre-approval.
Time: BizBuySell says six to twelve months as a general rule, with a median of about 200 days on the market, and some businesses take a year or longer.
Baton vs Selling Your Business Yourself
Baton | Selling it yourself | |
|---|---|---|
Upfront cost | None | Listing fees, such as $74.95 to $199.95 a month on BizBuySell |
Success fee | 6% of the total purchase price at close. 3% if a buyer you were already talking to submits an LOI within 60 days. | None |
Legal and accounting | Third-party services are paid by the owner | Paid by you. Legal fees often $3,500 to $25,000 or more. |
Who runs the sale | A dedicated advisor, through close | You, while running the business |
Valuation | Free, data-driven valuation | You set the price. SBA lenders order an independent valuation above $350,000. |
Buyers and financing | 30,000 vetted buyers, major listing sites, strategic outreach, SBA and bank pre-qualification | Whoever answers your listing. You verify financing. |
Confidentiality | Free anonymous off-market listing | Public listing, unless you already have a buyer |
Contract term | Three-month exclusive, then month to month | None |
Typical time | Offers in about 6 weeks. About 6 months to close. | Six to twelve months, per BizBuySell |
Pricing and features checked October 2026. Baton figures are from baton.com/pricing. Do-it-yourself costs come from BizBuySell, the SBA, and a published law firm fee range, listed under Sources.
Where the difference shows up
On fees, selling it yourself wins. On a $1.5 million sale, Baton’s 6% fee is $90,000. A year on BizBuySell costs about $900 to $2,400, and legal fees run $3,500 to $25,000 or more, so a DIY sale typically costs $4,400 to $27,400 before your CPA’s bill. Legal and accounting costs mostly apply either way, since third-party services are paid by the owner on Baton too. So doing it yourself keeps roughly $88,000 to $89,000 more.
If you already have a buyer, the gap narrows. Baton’s pricing page offers a contract clause: if a buyer you were already speaking with submits an LOI within 60 days, the fee drops to 3%, or $45,000 on $1.5 million. If that buyer is qualified, financed, and agrees on price, you may not need help at all.
The fee math leaves out time, price, and risk. You answer inquiries, screen buyers, and manage diligence for six months or more while running the business. With one buyer, you have no competing offer to negotiate against. And if an SBA lender’s valuation comes in below your price, the buyer must bring more cash or you renegotiate late in the deal.
Which should you use?
Choose selling it yourself if you already have a qualified buyer you agree with on price, such as a family member, employee, competitor, or someone who approached you. It also fits if a percentage fee would take a large share of a small sale, you have time and deal experience, or your business is outside the U.S., where Baton does not yet operate.
Choose Baton if you have no buyer yet, want several offers, need privacy, or want someone to screen buyers, pre-qualify financing, and run diligence. You pay nothing unless the business sells, and you can test buyer interest privately for free.
Start with a number
Know what your business is worth before you name a price. Get a free Baton valuation.
FAQ
Can I sell my business without a broker? Yes. Many owners sell directly to family, an employee, a competitor, or someone who approached them. You will still want an attorney for the purchase agreement, and if the buyer uses an SBA loan, the lender will require an independent valuation when the price is above $350,000.
How much does it cost to sell a business yourself? There is no commission. As of October 2026, a BizBuySell listing costs $74.95 to $199.95 a month, and legal fees often run $3,500 to $25,000 or more, plus accounting fees that vary.
How long does it take to sell a business yourself? BizBuySell says six to twelve months as a general rule, and some businesses take a year or longer. On Baton, sellers get offers in about 6 weeks, and deals average about 6 months to close.
Do I need a broker if I already have a buyer? Often not, if the buyer is qualified, financed, and agrees on price. If you want help anyway, Baton can add a contract clause that cuts its fee from 6% to 3% if that buyer submits an LOI within 60 days.
What are the alternatives to selling a business yourself? A traditional business broker, a listing marketplace, or Baton, which pairs a marketplace with a dedicated advisor for a 6% success fee. See Baton vs Sunbelt and the best websites to sell a small business.
More comparisons
See every option side by side on Compare Baton, or read another comparison:
Sources
Baton pricing, checked October 2026
SBA SOP 50 10 8.1, effective October 1, 2026
How Long Will It Take To Sell Your Business?, BizBuySell
Selling Your Business Confidentially, BizBuySell
How much does a business sale lawyer cost?, Lawyer For Business