Referral business · Microns · Public listing screen
A $15k referral business: two profit figures, one buying decision
The public listing describes different year-to-date profit totals. Resolve the period and accounting basis before leaning on the low multiple.
By Deal Preflight · Published and listing observed · Seller figures are unverified
What the public listing states
- Seller asking price observed
- USD 14,999
- 2025 profit stated
- USD 22,000
- 2026 YTD profit · highlights
- USD 11,700
- 2026 Jan–Jul profit · narrative
- USD 17,500
Source: AI & Business Technology Solutions Agency on Microns. This snapshot does not establish current availability or verify any seller claim.
Our arithmetic
USD 5,800
Gap between the two stated totals
17,500 − 11,700 = 5,800. A period or definition difference may explain it; the public page does not reconcile the two totals.
Simple payback excludes financing, taxes, acquisition fees, reinvestment and future changes unless explicitly included. It is not a forecast.
Three issues to investigate
01
Reconcile the conflicting totals before annualizing
The highlights and financial narrative disclose different 2026 profit amounts. They may reflect different updates or cost treatment. That requires clarification, not an accusation of inaccurate records.
Ask the seller: Which YTD profit figure is current, what exact dates does each cover, and can you provide a reconciliation from collected fees to profit?
02
Contracted referrals still need a handover test
The seller says recurring volume comes through partner arrangements and those relationships transfer. Inspect the actual counterparty, assignment terms, cancellation rights and concentration before treating that volume as durable.
Ask the seller: What share of collected fees comes from each partner, and has each necessary counterparty agreed to the buyer’s takeover?
03
Completion-based fees require pipeline reconciliation
A fee per completed referral differs from contracted recurring revenue. Open cases, rejected cases and clawbacks may move receipts across periods. Build the buyer’s opening position from completed and paid transactions.
Ask the seller: Can completed referrals be matched to invoices, bank receipts and reversals, with pending work and responsibilities separated?
What would change the assessment?
- A dated 2026 P&L with the two disclosed totals explained
- Referral logs matched to collected fees and reversals
- Partner-level revenue and written handover requirements
Next decision: Request the profit bridge and partner agreements before negotiating against projected earnings. A low headline multiple does not resolve either condition.
Limits of this teardown
We inspected the public page, not the seller’s private accounts, source records or contracts. The questions above are our analysis, not findings of misconduct. This is a public buyer-side due-diligence example, not professional diligence or investment advice. Deal Preflight sells buyer-side due-diligence reports and workspaces and may benefit if you use the analyzer.