Your deal advisor may be paid if they send you to us. This page says when, what you are told and what to ask them. No amount appears here, because each written agreement sets its own.
How it works
Your advisor tells you
About us, and any fee they may be paid. You decide whether to go ahead.
They send your name
With your OK, or you come in through their link.
We run the check
You get a result and a next step.
We intro a buyer
Only if one fits. You decide.
A deal closes
Only then can your advisor be paid.
Your advisor stays in charge of the sale. We only talk about the records.
You can also start without an intro. The free data check comes first. If you want to talk, send Matt a note.
Is your advisor paid?
They may be. If your deal advisor introduced you and a deal closes, we may pay them a referral fee. An introduction alone earns nothing.
The amount is agreed in writing with your advisor before any intro, and the fee comes from Vaultfish, out of our own referral fee.
What you are told in writing
Your advisor tells you in writing before they refer you. It reads something like this.
"I may earn a referral fee from Vaultfish if a deal closes. You can say no."
We give your advisor a one-page disclosure form to hand you. It names who pays whom, and when, and it tells you that you may say no.
Questions to ask your advisor about who pays them
- "Will anyone pay you if I go ahead, and how much?" Ask for the answer in writing. It should match the disclosure form.
- "Does your firm allow outside fees?" An advisor registered with a broker-dealer may have limits on outside income, and should clear any fee with their compliance team first.
- "Do broker rules in our state reach a data license?" Rules differ by state. Whether they reach a data license, as opposed to a sale of the company, is a question for your lawyer.
- "What is the fee for?" Any fee from us is for a data-licensing result, never for the sale of the company itself. If a deal turns into an asset sale, we stop and ask counsel.
What stays out of the deal
- No fee for an intro alone.
- No files in the intro. Your advisor sends your name and a reason, with your OK. Vaultfish never receives your records.
- No pressure on you. You can stop at any step.
How we make money
micro1 may pay us a referral fee if a company we introduce goes ahead with it. How we are paid
You pay nothing extra for the free data check or for an introduction. The optional managed readiness review is paid by you, scoped and quoted in writing before you pay.
What we keep track of
We keep a log of each referral: who sent you, the date, and the disclosure sent.
How to start
Your advisor can send us your name through our referral form, with your OK first. Or start on your own with the free data check, and send Matt a note if you want to talk first.
