Public-Sector Data Firm Sold for Up to $450K, LOI in 36 Days
Rachel Horner
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2 min read
About the Business
Industry: Professional Services – Data & Planning Consulting for Public-Sector Clients
Location: Remote (Midwest-based, clients nationwide)
Size: $200K–$250K in annual revenue, $150K–$200K in cash flow, a single owner and about 5 long-tenured contractors
Sale price: Up to $450,000 ($240,000 cash at closing, $50,000 in guaranteed payments and up to $160,000 tied to revenue)
Listing to signed LOI: 36 days
Signed LOI to close: 57 days
The Challenge: Slowing Down Without Leaving Clients Behind
After more than 20 years, the owner wanted to slow down. His clients had been loyal, and his priority was a buyer who would keep the firm going for them.
36 Days to a Signed LOI: How Baton Moved Fast
What happened at every stage
Valuation: Baton's team took the firm from connected financials to a live listing in 17 days, with the data room ready and a strategic-buyer list built.
Buyer Outreach: 57 buyers viewed the listing and 10 opened the data room. The eventual buyer, a repeat Baton marketplace buyer, requested an introduction eight days after launch.
Offer Selection and Negotiation Support: The buyer's first LOI put half the price into a contingent payout. The Baton advisor asked him to improve the cash at closing before she took an earnout to the owner, and the revised LOI came back with more cash plus a guaranteed payment, raising the guaranteed total to $290,000.
Diligence and Closing Support: The buyer worked through a 74-item confirmatory diligence request with no financing contingency. The deal closed 57 days after the LOI.
The Results
The buyer is an individual with 10+ years leading forecasting and analytics teams at large companies, and he runs the firm full-time. Through Baton's process, the business:
Sold for up to $450,000, all cash with no outside financing
Closed with $240,000 in cash at closing and $50,000 in guaranteed payments
Went from listing to signed LOI in 36 days
What's next for the owner?
The owner is guiding the buyer through a part-time transition that runs into early 2027, with his hours tapering as the buyer takes over client work.
Advice and Lessons for Future Sellers
Connect your financials early. Having the books ready let Baton launch the listing 17 days later.
Push for guaranteed money before accepting an earnout. Asking for more cash at closing raised the guaranteed total to $290,000.
Plan the handoff up front. A defined, tapering transition gave the buyer a clear path to running the firm himself.