sales-skills/sales-ecomswap

Ecomswap Platform Help

Helps the user with Ecomswap questions — from deciding whether Ecomswap is the right fit for a profitable ecommerce exit through preparing for the free valuation call, qualifying under the $200K net-profit floor, navigating the curated buyer-matching process, and working through the LOI-to-close workflow.

Step 1 — Gather context

If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge.

Ask the user:

1. What do you need help with?

   • A) Eligibility — does my business qualify for Ecomswap's $200K profit floor?
   • B) Valuation — how does Ecomswap calculate the SDE / profit multiple?
   • C) Process — how does the free valuation call and buyer-sourcing work?
   • D) Comparing Ecomswap to Acquire.com, Flippa, Empire Flippers, FE International, or Quiet Light
   • E) Preparing for LOI / due diligence / escrow
   • F) Asset type fit — Shopify vs Amazon FBA vs SaaS vs Newsletter vs Content
   • G) Something else

2. What's your business profile?

   • A) Pre-$200K net profit (likely below Ecomswap's floor)
   • B) $200K–$500K net profit TTM (Ecomswap sweet spot, lower end)
   • C) $500K–$2M net profit TTM (core range)
   • D) $2M–$5M EBITDA (top of Ecomswap's stated range)
   • E) $5M+ EBITDA (Ecomswap may refer to larger-deal brokers)

3. Where are you in the process?

   • A) Researching — haven't engaged Ecomswap yet
   • B) Requested free valuation, awaiting call
   • C) Signed engagement, pre-listing
   • D) Listed — Ecomswap is sourcing buyers
   • E) In buyer conversations / offer negotiation
   • F) LOI signed, working toward close

If the user's prompt already provides enough context, skip directly to the relevant step. Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions.

Step 2 — Route or answer directly

If the request maps to another skill, route with an explicit command:

| User's problem | Route to | |---|---| | Choosing which marketplace/broker to use | /sales-side-project-valuation {user's question} | | Valuation strategy, deal structuring, earnouts vs cash | /sales-side-project-valuation {user's question} | | Self-serve SaaS acquisition marketplace | /sales-acquire {user's question} | | Open auction marketplace (Flippa) | /sales-flippa {user's question} | | Verified-revenue indie SaaS marketplace | /sales-trustmrr {user's question} |

Otherwise, answer from platform knowledge below.

Step 3 — Ecomswap platform reference

Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — eligibility and asset types, SDE-based valuation methodology, free valuation workflow, curated buyer network, deal stages (valuation → approval → buyer sourcing → close), timeline, and comparison against other brokers.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section — don't dump the whole reference.

Step 4 — Actionable guidance

Provide guidance based on the user's stage:

• Pre-engagement: Verify the business clears $200K net profit TTM and has 1.5+ years of operating history. If below the floor, redirect to /sales-side-project-valuation for a marketplace fit. If above, the free confidential valuation is low-risk to request.
• Post-valuation / pre-listing: Ecomswap works on an advisory model — expect a success-fee engagement (terms negotiated privately; fees are not publicly disclosed). Get the engagement letter in writing and compare fee structure against Empire Flippers (tiered 2.5%–15%) and FE International (10–15% commission).
• Active listing: Ecomswap sources buyers privately rather than publishing an open listing. Expect 30-day advertised buyer-sourcing window. If no offers by day 45, push for a pricing review.
• LOI/close: Ecomswap handles legal docs, escrow, and asset transfer. Don't sign the LOI before your own accountant reviews tax implications of SDE-based valuation and asset vs share structure.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in references/learnings.md, append it there.

Gotchas

Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about fees and process details that Ecomswap does not publicly disclose.

• Fees are not publicly disclosed. No pricing page, no FAQ disclosure, no public fee tier. Ecomswap positions itself as "in the middle" between Empire Flippers (15%/8%/2.5% tiered) and FE International (10–15% commission) in their own blog — implying a commission-based success fee, likely with a retainer component. Always get the engagement letter in writing before committing.
• $200K net-profit floor is enforced, not aspirational. Businesses below this threshold are unlikely to be accepted. Under $200K net profit → Acquire.com, Flippa, or Microns are better fits.
• SDE, not EBITDA, is the valuation base. SDE = net profit + owner's salary + discretionary addbacks. This matters because "3x multiple on SDE" ≠ "3x multiple on EBITDA" — SDE is a larger number for founder-operated businesses. Don't confuse these.
• Private curated listings, not a public marketplace. Buyers are sourced from Ecomswap's network — there's no public listing page to browse, no open auctions, no tire-kicker traffic. This is a feature for sellers worried about customer/competitor discovery, but means you don't get the "broad market signal" of a Flippa listing.
• Shopify-centric asset mix. Primary asset types: Shopify stores, Amazon FBA, DTC ecom. Secondary: SaaS, newsletters, content sites, monetized YouTube. WooCommerce and BigCommerce are not explicitly named — ask before engaging if that's your stack.
• Advertised 93% close rate and <2 month time-to-exit are marketing figures, not independently verified. They refer to deals that reach LOI, not listings. Listing-to-LOI conversion is a separate (undisclosed) number.
• No public API, no developer surface, no GitHub. This is a human-operated advisory, not a self-serve platform. Everything flows through the M&A team.
• No affiliate/referral program exists. Unlike Acquire.com's 25% closing-fee referral, Ecomswap has no public partner program.
• Thin third-party review footprint. No Trustpilot page, no Reddit discussion, limited outside validation beyond Quora/Glassdoor. Ask for references from closed deals before signing an engagement.
• Self-improving: If you discover something not covered here, append it to references/learnings.md with today's date.

Related skills

• /sales-side-project-valuation — Side project and ecommerce valuation strategy — pricing, revenue multiples, deal structuring, and comparing Ecomswap against Acquire.com, Flippa, Empire Flippers, FE International, Quiet Light, Motion Invest
• /sales-acquire — Acquire.com platform help (self-serve curated SaaS marketplace, 500K+ verified buyers, $25-$100/mo listing + 6-8% closing)
• /sales-flippa — Flippa platform help (open marketplace for SaaS + content + ecom + domains, tiered listing packages $29-$699, 3-10% success fees)
• /sales-trustmrr — TrustMRR platform help (verified-revenue marketplace with live payment-provider API verification, APA-only lump-sum deals)
• /sales-sideprojectors — SideProjectors platform help (free showcase, no commission, pre-revenue and abandoned projects)
• /sales-do — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do

Examples

Example 1: Decide between Ecomswap and Empire Flippers

User says: "I have a Shopify store doing $400K/yr net profit. Should I use Ecomswap or Empire Flippers?" Skill does:

1. Confirms the business clears both platforms' floors (Ecomswap $200K net profit; Empire Flippers $2K/mo net profit ~$24K/yr)
2. Notes Ecomswap: boutique advisory, curated private listings, fees undisclosed (implied 8-12% range), SDE-based profit-multiple methodology, Shopify specialty
3. Notes Empire Flippers: productized vetting, fixed asking-price format, tiered 15%/8%/2.5% success fee, broader asset types
4. Recommends Ecomswap if the seller wants hand-holding + private discretion + SDE-based valuation; Empire Flippers if the seller wants transparent fees, faster listing process, and a productized experience
5. Suggests requesting free valuations from both — costs nothing and reveals each broker's pricing approach

Example 2: Qualifying under the $200K profit floor

User says: "My Shopify store does $1.2M revenue but only $140K net profit. Will Ecomswap take me?" Skill does:

1. Notes $140K net profit is below Ecomswap's $200K TTM net-profit floor
2. Explains SDE could push this above the floor: if the owner pays themselves $80K salary → SDE ≈ $220K (above floor)
3. Suggests running the SDE calculation before ruling out Ecomswap — the floor is on profit/SDE, not net profit alone
4. If SDE is still <$200K: redirects to Acquire.com (SaaS focus), Flippa (open marketplace), or Empire Flippers ($24K/yr floor) via /sales-side-project-valuation

Example 3: Understanding the buyer-sourcing process

User says: "How does Ecomswap actually find buyers for my store?" Skill does:

1. Explains Ecomswap's buyer network: 50K+ pre-qualified investors, $2B+ aggregate capital, proof-of-funds required to join
2. Clarifies listings are private/curated — buyers are matched, not public-listed
3. Advertised workflow: free valuation → engagement → team actively presents the business to shortlisted buyers → NDAs → LOI → DD → close
4. Advertised 30-day window to competitive offers; <2 months typical from LOI to close
5. Notes the trade-off: no broad-market signal (vs Flippa), but no customer/competitor discovery risk and no tire-kicker inquiries

Troubleshooting

Free valuation is scheduled but I'm worried about sharing financials

Symptom: Ecomswap is asking for P&L + Stripe/Shopify screenshots before the valuation call Cause: The valuation requires TTM financial data to compute SDE and a profit multiple Solution: Ask for a mutual NDA before sharing any financials — this is standard for boutique brokerages. Share high-level P&L (top-line, COGS, opex, owner's salary) without granular customer/transaction data for the first call. Granular data room access comes after the engagement letter is signed, not before.

Ecomswap's proposed valuation is lower than I expected

Symptom: The free valuation came back at 2.5x SDE when you expected 4x+ Cause: Ecomswap grounds valuations in realized comparable deals from their network — not published multiples. SDE multiples for Shopify/ecom are typically 2.5-3.5x, lower than SaaS multiples (3-5x). Solution: Ask Ecomswap for 3-5 recent comparable closed deals (same asset type, similar size) — reputable brokers provide this. If the multiple still seems low, get a second opinion from Empire Flippers or Quiet Light (also free initial valuations). Don't anchor on headline public-SaaS multiples — ecommerce trades at a discount to SaaS.

No offers after 30 days on Ecomswap's buyer-sourcing window

Symptom: Ecomswap's advertised 30-day window passed, zero qualified offers Cause: Asking price above realized comparables, weak buyer-pitch materials, or seasonal buyer demand dip Solution: Ask for a formal pricing review with the M&A team. Request the list of buyers contacted and their feedback — a good broker shares buyer objections anonymously. If the engagement is exclusive, push to cross-list on Acquire.com or Flippa at day 60-90 (check engagement-letter exclusivity terms — boutique brokers typically require 6-12 month exclusivity).