sales-ecomswap

What this skill does

# 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: pr