{"id":62442,"date":"2026-03-11T15:31:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T05:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/?p=62442"},"modified":"2026-05-27T20:22:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:22:56","slug":"buying-or-selling-an-online-business-webinar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/buying-or-selling-an-online-business-webinar\/","title":{"rendered":"Buying or Selling an Online Business: A Legal and Financial Expert Webinar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Whether you\u2019re looking to exit a SaaS venture or acquire a burgeoning e-commerce brand, the path from &#8220;For Sale&#8221; to &#8220;Sold&#8221; is rarely a straight line. It\u2019s paved with complex valuations and legal hurdles that can catch even seasoned entrepreneurs off guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our recent webinar, I sat down with <strong>Matthew DeRusha<\/strong>, Practice Leader at LegalVision, to pull back the curtain on the M&amp;A process for online businesses. From decoding multiples to navigating cross-border legalities, here are the key takeaways we shared to help you master the deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Ask the Legal &amp; Financial Experts: Buying or Selling an Australian Online Business | LegalVision\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u4e0V1TkXpE?feature=oembed\"  allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Value an Online Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The most common question I get from founders is: <em>What is my website actually worth?<\/em> While we at Flippa look at 16 years of market data and historical comparables, the final number is always a mix of tangible data and intangible risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Tangible: Data-Driven Multiples<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We typically value online businesses on a multiple of their <strong>SDE (Seller\u2019s Discretionary Earnings)<\/strong> or <strong>EBITDA<\/strong> over the trailing 12 months (TTM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>SaaS:<\/strong> These currently command the highest multiples, typically ranging from <strong>3x to 5x<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>E-commerce:<\/strong> These usually sit between <strong>2x and 3x<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Content\/Blogs:<\/strong> While historically high, these are seeing some pressure (and lower multiples) due to the impact of AI and shifting Google algorithms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Intangible: Assessing the Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The &#8220;Risk&#8221; factor is what determines where you land on that range. When I&#8217;m looking at a business, I&#8217;m asking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Customer Concentration:<\/strong> If 80% of your revenue comes from one client, that\u2019s high risk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brand Goodwill:<\/strong> Do you have a loyal following and a trademarked brand? That lowers the risk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Operational Depth:<\/strong> Can the business run without you? If so, the value goes up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Legal Paperwork: From LOI to Completion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Matthew made a great point during our talk: a sale isn&#8217;t just one document; it\u2019s a staged process designed to balance risk between the buyer and seller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Heads of Agreement (HoA) \/ Letter of Intent (LOI):<\/strong> This is the &#8220;commercial handshake.&#8221; It\u2019s usually non-binding but locks in the price, timeline, and an <strong>exclusivity<\/strong> period so the seller doesn&#8217;t flirt with other buyers while the due diligence happens.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Business Sale Agreement (BSA):<\/strong> This is the binding contract. It covers exactly which assets are transferring, intellectual property (IP) assignments, and non-compete clauses.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n[et_pb_section global_module=\"62675\"][\/et_pb_section]\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Art of the Deal: Earnouts and Financing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In today\u2019s market, I\u2019m seeing fewer &#8220;all-cash&#8221; deals, especially for high-valuation businesses. Creative financing is often the bridge that gets a deal across the finish line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is an Earnout?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>An earnout is a performance-based payment. The buyer pays a portion upfront, and the rest is contingent on the business hitting specific targets over the next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>For Buyers:<\/strong> It reduces the risk of a post-sale performance dip.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>For Sellers:<\/strong> It\u2019s a way to achieve a higher total exit price if you truly believe in your growth trajectory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vendor Finance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since traditional banks in the APAC region can be slow to finance digital assets, many of the deals I broker involve <strong>Vendor Finance<\/strong>. This is where the seller essentially acts as the bank, allowing the buyer to pay off a portion of the purchase price over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preparing for an Exit (The 12-24 Month Runway)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re planning to sell in the next two years, I tell my clients the work starts <strong>now<\/strong>. A &#8220;clean&#8221; business sells faster and for a much higher premium. Here is what I recommend focusing on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clean Up Your Financials:<\/strong> Remove personal expenses like your car or home office from your P&amp;Ls to show your true profitability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Document Your Operations:<\/strong> Build your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). If the business is 100% reliant on you, you don&#8217;t have an asset &#8211; you have a job.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Get Your Legals in Order:<\/strong> Register your trademarks and ensure all contractor agreements clearly state that the company owns the IP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prepare for Verification:<\/strong> Have &#8220;view-only&#8221; access ready for platforms like Shopify, Stripe, or Google Analytics so buyers can verify your data instantly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Selling an online business is a &#8220;risk-balancing exercise.&#8221; The more you can de-risk the transition for the buyer, through clear documentation, stable earnings, and a willingness to offer performance-based terms, the more successful your exit will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ready to see what your business is worth?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/flippa.com\/online-business-valuation\">Get a free valuation on Flippa today<\/a> or<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.com.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> consult with LegalVision<\/a> to ensure your contracts are exit-ready.<\/p>\n\n\n[et_pb_section global_module=&#8221;44763&#8243;][\/et_pb_section]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you\u2019re looking to exit a SaaS venture or acquire a burgeoning e-commerce brand, the path from &#8220;For Sale&#8221; to &#8220;Sold&#8221; is rarely a straight line. It\u2019s paved with complex valuations and legal hurdles that can catch even seasoned entrepreneurs off guard. In our recent webinar, I sat down with Matthew DeRusha, Practice Leader at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":241,"featured_media":62444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[506,19,365],"tags":[],"dipi_cpt_category":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62442"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/241"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62442"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63140,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62442\/revisions\/63140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62442"},{"taxonomy":"dipi_cpt_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flippa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dipi_cpt_category?post=62442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}