Before the sale

How to license your data before you sell the business

If you plan to sell in the next year, licensing your records first is usually simpler than doing it after. You still control the systems, the headcount is intact and you decide the terms.

This is a practical order of operations.

AI Data Offers research deskChecked against our methodology Updated October 28, 2026 2 min read 11 sources

In this guide

Pewter

Buyers that license from companies still trading

Buyers on our list look for trading companies with genuine history. The common floor is 20 to 30 staff; some set none, and a few accept businesses that are shrinking or closing.

Sequencing a data deal alongside a sale

1
Inventory your systems
Email, chat, CRM, tickets, drives and years covered. Note what you hold for clients.
2
Get one or two written offers
Expect offers in anywhere from a few days to two weeks. Buyers put your share of the export work at about 1 to 3 hours.
3
Settle exclusivity and scope
Choose terms that will not spook your acquirer.
4
Sign, deliver, get paid
Payment typically lands three to six weeks after signing. Then document it for diligence.

Ownership, exclusivity and disclosure

Three terms follow you into a sale. Ownership: per the buyers, you retain both ownership and the original files. Exclusivity: anything from standard exclusivity to none. Disclosure: at least one law firm expects past data deals to surface in the acquirer's diligence.

Questions to put to any data buyer

Is this a license of a copy, or a sale of the records outright?
Is it exclusive, and for how long? Can I license the same data elsewhere later?
Which systems and date ranges are in scope, and can I leave folders or whole tools out?
Who removes names and personal details, how, and do I approve a sample before anything leaves?
When does payment arrive, and does the clock start at signing or at your acceptance of the delivery?
Do I pay anything, and does anyone in the chain take a cut?
How long do you keep the copy, and what happens to it if you are acquired?

FAQ

Questions, answered

How quickly does a deal move?

Expect an offer in anything from several days to a fortnight. Money tends to arrive three to six weeks after you sign, occasionally longer, and a few buyers wait until they have accepted the delivered data.

Do I keep my records?

Yes. Only an agreed duplicate is licensed, your originals stay with you, and most buyers let you check a sample first.

Is the license exclusive?

That varies. Have the clause in writing well before any acquirer begins diligence.

Is my company big enough?

The usual floor is somewhere from 20 to 30 staff. Some buyers publish none at all. Mode accepts law firms with 6 people and accounting firms with 10, and Pewter goes by your highest-ever headcount. Our match quiz sorts it out in two minutes.

Do I pay anything to license?

Typically no. Direct buyers rarely charge sellers. Middlemen are different: brokers and marketplaces may keep anywhere from 8% to 30%. Have any fee written down before a sample changes hands.

Find the buyers that fit your company

Answer a few questions about your size, tools and history. We show which buyers want a company like yours. Free, no files.

Match my company What is my data worth?

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Sources

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