Q&A With Ethan

What is the #1 mistake people make when selling their website?

Many business owners take money out of their pocket by waiting for the last minute to start preparing for a sale. Instead, you should prepare well in advance, giving you time to make slight tweaks in your business that will lead to a higher valuation down the road. During prep calls, I am eager to find these tweaks that lead to future higher valuations. That is very rewarding for me. If you are thinking about selling, even if that sale isn’t for another year or two, I always recommend putting in that call to an advisor, developing a game plan for your future exit, and then exiting at a higher value when the timing is right for you.

What drew you to make your career online?

I saw an infomercial! Well, okay, not quite. I wanted to start my own business and I was amazed by the limitless business opportunities in the online space. Combine that with location independence and I was hooked.

Did you always know that you were going to be an entrepreneur?

Surprisingly, no. I’ve always wanted to help people and I actually wanted to go into the medical field and be a doctor. But in college, I began falling in love with entrepreneurship more and more. This ultimately led to a complete career change and to starting my own company. Since then, I’ve been able to build, sell, and acquire a number of companies, some of which I still run. Now, I can’t imagine NOT being an entrepreneur. Plus, my favorite part, I still get to serve and encourage people with business collaborations.

What is the greatest benefit of helping people sell their online businesses?

One of my personal highly valued priorities in life is spending time with loved ones. If I can help others achieve their financial goals so they have more time to spend with their family and friends, then this is a dream come true for me.

If you could have just one superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation…goodbye TSA lines and tiny airplane seats!

What is the best bit of advice you ever received?

Schedule time to stop running the company and start building it.

If you could have dinner with just one person (they don’t have to be living), who would it be?

Jeff Hoffman (the founder of Priceline, not the MLB pitcher). I always find myself writing down at least one quote of his every time I’ve heard him speak. So I know I will need a stenographer with me if we have dinner together.

Ethan was amazing to work with in selling my business. Without him I would have never had the confidence to go through the sales process as it can be stressful at times. I highly recommend Ethan and hope to work with him again in the future!

-Louis R

Ethan is, without a doubt, a cornerstone of Quite Light. He played a pivotal role when I decided to sell my company and proved to be a source of unwavering support throughout the entire sales process. The feat of selling a company can seem daunting to many, but with Ethan as my agent, the entire process was effortless and seamless.

The moment we initiated our collaboration, I instantly felt a strong rapport with him. The welcoming nature of his personality turned a potentially strenuous process into an enjoyable journey. His proficiency with numbers and business models is unparalleled, reflected by the exceptional quality of reports and analytics he provided. As a broker, Ethan embodies the perfect blend of organization and punctuality, all while displaying an extraordinary level of patience that is unrivaled.

I vividly recall the initial flurry of offers within the first couple of weeks of listing; four, to be exact. Ethan handled each inquiry with impeccable professionalism, answering every question and alleviating concerns. Throughout the typically nerve-racking ‘due diligence’ phase, he kept everything running smoothly and ensured no detail was overlooked. Ethan’s dedication and acumen instilled confidence and certainty that the sale would be a success.

The uniqueness of Ethan’s approach becomes apparent when you realize he treats his clients’ businesses as if they were his own. Upon engagement, he made a genuine effort to understand the intricacies of my company and our objectives, giving him the ability to guide the selling process expertly. He was always prepared to answer any question from potential buyers or obtain necessary information. His skill in maximizing the value of the sale for all parties is truly commendable, and his unwavering dedication and loyalty made the process enjoyable and rewarding.

Ethan’s profound industry knowledge and his personalized touch make him an absolute asset in any business transition. Throughout our collaboration, his approachability, professionalism, and seemingly infinite patience impressed me immensely.  He was always available for clarification, treating every question with utmost respect.

Ethan was not just a broker for me; he was a guide, a mentor, a confidante, and a friend. I wholeheartedly recommend Ethan to anyone looking to sell their business. He is an exemplar of excellence and a testament to the quality of service provided by Quiet Light.

-Paul D

Ethan is the guy you want to work with when selling your business. He is kind, patient, knowledgeable, and dedicated. Upon meeting Ethan, his extensive knowledge of the industry was evident. Throughout our process working together, I was impressed by his ability to help me finalize my financial documents, prepare to speak with potential buyers, and successfully transfer my business into the hands of the new owner. Ethan is professional, friendly, approachable, and seemingly has endless patience. Being brand new to this side of business, I had a lot of clarifying questions that may have been obvious, but Ethan never made me feel dumb when I didn’t understand. Although my transaction was on the smaller side of what QuietLight normally handles, he was very dedicated to seeing this transaction through and made himself available on nights and weekends to make it happen. He had a genuine interest in my success. Thank you, Ethan, for an outstanding experience!

-Meredith L

We reached out to Quiet Light based on a reference from a friend of ours. We were introduced to Ethan from there and we clicked instantly. We listed our portfolio of sites with him right away. Fast forward a few months and we closed a 7 figure deal. The process was streamlined, efficient, and we are very happy with the results of the sale.

His knowledge around site operations and valuations was amazing. He is not just a broker. He has a full understanding of how WordPress and Shopify sites function. Ethan’s abilities on the more technical side of websites are a game changer. It was very clear he is a digital marketer at his roots, which we loved.

Our biggest fear when going to sell our business was having a broker that lacked the fundamental skill set to run websites as a business. We knew that would lead to miscommunications and breakdowns in the sales process. Not only can Ethan actively run and scale websites, I wasn’t even able to use jargon and talk over his head at all. Trust me, I tried! I have been running my own digital marketing agency for over 5 years and have been in the field for a decade. I really did throw the book at him and he responded perfectly. Ethan comes from a digital marketing background then got into brokering and selling websites for others, and it truly showed.

It was impressive to see someone with the skillset to run their own sites from a technical standpoint, then also be able to turn into the salesman and broker/mediate the entire deal from start to finish. He has a knack for getting the right business in front of the right people. He was right by our side and walked us through the entire process. He organized and led every call we had with potential buyers and never missed a thing!

On top of that, Ethan was phenomenal to work with on a personal level. He’s enthusiastic about the space in general, always timely with communications, extremely friendly, and understood when to turn down the professionalism and become more casual when it was just us on calls (which is a big preference of my personality).

We have sold businesses elsewhere in the past before meeting Ethan and that will never happen again. Ethan has a lifelong client in us now and he established that loyalty simply through being himself, he is genuine and a blast to work with (plus really really good at what he does).

The bottom line is he was incredible to work with both the professional and personal level. I recommend Quiet Light if you are trying to sell a business, then I highly recommend you ask for Ethan specifically, he crushed it. If you are on the fence deciding which broker to use, absolutely go with Ethan at Quiet Light. You will not regret it!

-Austin R.

It’s impossible to describe how amazing it was working with Ethan. With the risk of this sounding like a paid testimonial, Ethan gets an A++++. Within 7 seconds of our first call – I immediately felt like I had a friend and ally in my corner.

He’s brilliant with the numbers and business models (the reports and analytics were the best I’ve ever seen!), kind, organized, super-punctual and quite possibly the most patient human I’ve ever met.

Within the first day, we had 4 offers and Ethan was on the phone all day fielding questions. And during the always stressful “due diligence” part of the sale, Ethan kept everything on track without breaking a sweat. I always knew we’d get the deal done because he was running the show.

If you want to sell your company, the only person I’d ever recommend you work with is Ethan!

-Ryan L.

After trying to sell the business on my own and failing I got in touch with Quiet Light where I met Ethan.

With multiple businesses attached in the same Amazon account this was not your typical sale.
It had many complex moving parts, which are not appealing to potential buyers.

I believe Ethan’s diligence, persistence, and grit is the only reason my business was sold successfully.

I know my business better than anyone and told Ethan if the business is not sold in 2022 it may never be sold.

He got the job done and I am extremely grateful to have hired Ethan and Quiet Light.

-Matt S.

We have had the privilege of being able to work with Ethan for several months now to a total success and it has been a great pleasure.

We contacted Ethan to help sell a family-owned Amazon business. Ethan was very attentive to our needs and first got an understanding of the business and what we needed/wanted to get done with it. He immediately showed great care and understanding.

He then guided the selling process along and, in this process, we saw and learned how competent and professional he is. No matter what question would come up from any potential buyer, Ethan either had the answer or would get it. He knew how to get the most value out of the sale of the business and diligently worked to obtain this. He knows what he is doing, and this was very easy to see.

In addition to the above, what was most valuable to us was his loyalty. He was always in communication with us on anything in regards to the sale of the business and any questions/concerns we had. He was always open and he was honest. This is an excellent trait and we are so grateful to have him as our broker.

The sale of our business would not have happened if it wasn’t for Ethan and his good works. We are truly appreciative for all he has done and we would, without a doubt, choose him again if we had another business to sell. Thank you very much!

-Denise S.

I wanted to let you know how kind, professional, and diligent Ethan has been whilst Quiet Light has been assisting to sell my business. Ethan at all times has been a pleasure to deal with. I found his advice and guidance so helpful and would be happy to recommend Ethan to anyone I know trying to sell their business. Many thanks to Ethan and I look forward to speaking to him again in the future.

-Sharon E.

Working with Ethan could not have been a greater pleasure. He is a true professional and has tremendous experience in the industry. He attends to every detail and all with ease, charm, and a lightness of being that made the whole process seem effortless and even fun. He was completely there for me in every way, every step of the way. I also witnessed his care in attending to the needs of the potential buyers. Ethan has an effortless way of making everyone feel wonderful with his positivity and professionalism. I can’t recommend working with him highly enough… I may have to create a new business just so that I have another one to sell with his help. All that to say… work with Ethan!

-Alicia I.