WETYR is an operator-buyer that acquires a business directly to run it. A private equity firm is an investment vehicle that buys businesses with a mix of debt and investor capital, aims to grow and resell them in three to seven years, and returns the gains to its investors.
Verdict: Sell to private equity if you have strong EBITDA, want the highest headline number, and are comfortable with a long, heavily-scrutinized process that may re-trade at diligence. Choose WETYR if you want a confidential, faster close with an operator who keeps running the business, and you value certainty and simplicity over squeezing a platform premium.
Side by side
| Factor | WETYR (operator-buyer) | Private equity firm |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | An operator that buys to run | A fund that buys to grow and resell |
| Headline price | Fair, market-based | Highest on platform deals, lower on small tuck-ins |
| Minimum size | $1M+ revenue | Usually $1M to $3M+ EBITDA for a platform |
| Time to close | 30 to 75 days | 4 to 9 months with heavy diligence |
| Re-trade risk | Low | High, price can drop at diligence |
| Confidentiality | High | Moderate, committee and advisors involved |
| Your team after close | Operated by WETYR | Often restructured to hit the return model |
| Your role after close | Optional, clean exit | Often required to roll equity and stay on |
When Private equity firm is the better choice
Private equity is the better choice when your business clears their size bar (often $1M to $3M or more of EBITDA), you want the highest possible number, and you are willing to roll equity and stay involved for a second bite at the apple when they resell. For a large, clean, growing business, a PE platform can pay a multiple an individual operator simply cannot, and the equity rollover can be worth more than the cash at close. If maximum enterprise value is the whole goal and you have the scale and the patience, PE is built for that.
When WETYR is the better choice
WETYR is the better choice when your business is below the PE size bar, when you want out cleanly rather than rolling equity and staying on, and when you do not want your confidential numbers in front of an investment committee and its advisors. We do not need to re-trade the price at diligence to hit a fund return model, and we do not restructure your team to fit a spreadsheet. Owners who value a quiet, certain, operator-to-operator handoff over a maximized-but-fragile PE process choose us.
What it costs
PE can pay more on paper, especially on platform deals, but the headline number and the money you actually receive are not the same thing. PE deals more often carry earnouts, equity rollovers, working-capital pegs, and re-trades that move the real number down after the LOI. WETYR structures a clear offer up front and does not need diligence surprises to make the math work.
Get a confidential valuation
Tell us a little about your business. We reply with an indicative value range and whether we are a direct fit, within one business day. No obligation, no listing, nothing public.
Questions people ask about this comparison
Is my business big enough to sell to private equity?
Most PE platforms want at least $1M to $3M of EBITDA for a standalone platform deal; smaller businesses are usually only interesting as tuck-ins to something they already own. Below that bar, an operator-buyer like WETYR is often the more realistic and cleaner path.
Why does private equity re-trade the price at diligence?
Because the initial offer is often set to win the LOI, then adjusted once the fund digs into the numbers and its return model. A price cut late in the process is common. An operator-buyer that underwrites carefully up front has less reason to move the number.
Do I have to stay on if I sell to private equity?
Frequently, yes. PE often requires the owner to roll some equity and stay involved to protect the transition and the return. If you want a clean exit with no rollover and no required post-close role, that points toward a direct operator sale.
What is an equity rollover?
It is when you keep a minority stake in the business after selling the majority, so you get a second payout when the buyer resells later. It can be lucrative, but it also means you are still exposed and not fully cashed out.
Get a confidential read on your options
A 30-minute call with the operator, not a broker. We tell you honestly which path fits your business.