The end-to-end mechanics of the WETYR Partner Program. How referrals are submitted, qualified, tracked, paid, and reported. Designed for partners who need to know exactly what they're signing up for before they introduce a client.
The 6-Step Process
You Submit The Referral
Use the online form, email partners@wetyr.com, or introduce the owner directly. WETYR captures referrer, referral context, and engagement type. Submission generates an automated confirmation with a tracking reference number.
WETYR Qualifies Within 1 Business Day
WETYR reviews the referral and confirms within 1 business day whether the engagement is a fit. If yes, we schedule the qualifying call with the owner and copy you on the introduction. If no, we tell you why and refer the situation back to a specialist (often through our partner network) - you still benefit from the relationship preservation.
You Stay In The Loop
Monthly status update emails as long as the engagement is active: where things stand and what the next milestone is. If the engagement pauses or your client goes elsewhere, you find out within a week.
WETYR Collects Its Fee
Your client pays WETYR for its engagement: a monthly buyer sourcing engagement, a consulting retainer, or exit planning work. The referral fee is calculated under the Partner Agreement against fees WETYR actually collects, not against any sale price or transaction value.
Payment Within 30 Days
Wire or ACH within 30 days of WETYR collecting its own fee. For ongoing-retainer engagements, payment runs quarterly as the retainer is collected. You receive a remittance advice with the calculation.
1099 At Year-End
WETYR issues a 1099-NEC to every partner who received $600+ in referral fees during the calendar year. Wire or ACH details are collected at first payment via secure form.
Fee Terms
The referral fee terms are written into the Partner Agreement you sign before making an introduction. Every partner is on the same terms. You receive a remittance advice showing the calculation with each payment.
Compliance Notes For Specific Professions
Attorneys
Some state bars restrict attorney participation in referral fee programs from non-legal services, particularly for ongoing matter referrals. WETYR offers an alternative for attorneys: a reciprocal-only relationship where no fee changes hands but client referrals run both ways, OR a charity-direct option where the fee amount is donated by WETYR directly to a charity of the attorney's choice. State bar rules vary - confirm with your ethics counsel before signing the referral agreement.
Broker-Dealers, RIAs, Investment Advisers
FINRA and SEC rules govern referral compensation between investment professionals and non-registered firms. WETYR is not a registered broker-dealer or investment adviser. Partners in registered roles should confirm with compliance before accepting fees. The reciprocal-only and charity-direct alternatives are also available for these partners.
CPAs
AICPA and state CPA boards generally permit referral fee receipt with disclosure to the client. WETYR provides standard disclosure language partners can include in their engagement letters.
Insurance Producers, Realtors
State licensing rules typically permit referral fees from non-licensed services. The standard Partner Agreement terms apply.
What If The Referral Owner Doesn't Engage Now?
Many referrals are early - owner is not ready yet but will be in 12-36 months. WETYR maintains a relationship-tracking system. If the owner eventually engages within 24 months of your original referral, the fee still flows to you. After 24 months the referral expires unless you re-introduce.
Multiple Referrers
Occasionally two partners refer the same business. WETYR splits the fee equally between them in that case unless both partners agree to a different split. We will tell each referrer about the other so the relationship runs honestly.
No-Hire Window
WETYR does not poach partners' employees, advisors, or principals. Standard 24-month no-solicit on partner relationships.
Termination
Either side can terminate the partner relationship at any time with 30-day notice. Referrals already in progress continue to pay on the original Partner Agreement terms.
Ready To Sign Up?
Submit your first referral, review the plain-English agreement, or schedule a 20-min partner intro call.
Authoritative Sources & Further Reading
WETYR works from primary sources, regulators, and industry data providers when consulting with owners and operators. The references below are the same sources our team uses when modeling valuations, benchmarking multiples, and stress-testing assumptions. We encourage every owner, buyer, and operator to verify any data point that materially affects their decision against the underlying primary source.
Primary Federal Sources
- U.S. SBA - 7(a) Loan Program for acquisition financing eligibility, terms, and lender list.
- SEC EDGAR for public-company comparables, 10-K disclosures, and recent strategic acquirer filings.
- IRS - Sale of a Business on Section 1060 asset-allocation reporting and tax treatment of asset vs stock sales.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Industries at a Glance for wage, employment, and growth data by NAICS code.
- U.S. Census Economic Census for industry size, firm counts, and revenue distributions.
- Federal Reserve Economic Data for prevailing rate environment underwriting.
Standards & Reference Bodies
- AICPA for Quality of Earnings methodology and CPA standards governing transaction-related financial work.
- FINRA Rules and Guidance for understanding when a transaction crosses into broker-dealer territory.
- NACVA business valuation credentialing body and standards (CVA designation).
- USPAP - Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice for valuation engagement standards.
- Investopedia - EBITDA reference page for definitional alignment with our glossary.
- Harvard Business Review - Mergers and Acquisitions archive on integration and post-close value creation.
For deeper transaction-specific data, the GF Data and PitchBook private-company transaction databases publish quarterly multiple ranges by industry size band that we cross-reference against our own pipeline benchmarks. Owners considering a sale should also review the Pepperdine Private Capital Markets Report (free, annual) for current cost-of-capital and lender appetite data across the lower middle market. Buyers underwriting search-fund or holdco theses commonly pair Stanford GSB's Search Fund Study with the IBBA Market Pulse report, which tracks multiples for sub-$50M transactions quarterly. None of these sources replace advice on a specific deal from your own attorney, CPA, or licensed advisor, but they give owners and operators the same reference points professional acquirers are using on the other side of the table.
Related WETYR Resources
Every WETYR resource ladders into a structured engagement framework. Whether you are diagnosing readiness, modeling a number, or preparing for a specific transaction phase, the resources below cover the most common owner and operator workflows. All tools are free; all guides are operator-written; all engagements start with a confidential conversation.
Engagement Pillars
Decision Tools
Operator-Written
Glossary & FAQ
Checklists & Templates
Niche Coverage
If you are not sure where to start, the Exit Readiness Score takes about four minutes and produces a one-page diagnostic on the value drivers most likely to compress your multiple. From there the natural next step is either a long-form guide covering your specific situation, a focused glossary term lookup, or a confidential introductory call with our team to discuss whether WETYR consulting, a buyer introduction, or a direct purchase by WETYR is a fit. Our team responds to every inbound inquiry within one business day.