Start with verified numbers
Revenue claims in marketplaces are hard to trust. TrustMRR shows MRR verified through the startup's payment provider, alongside total revenue, growth and whether the founder lists it for sale.
Build the pipeline
In Prospect Cheap's TrustMRR scraper:
- choose categories you understand (SaaS, AI, developer tools…)
- set an MRR range that fits your budget
- choose For sale to see listed businesses with asking prices — or include all to approach founders who haven't listed yet
- sort by growth or revenue
Qualify
- steady or growing MRR over months
- a niche you can grow
- reasonable asking price relative to revenue
- founder reachable (email or X)
Approach founders who aren't selling
Many founders would consider an offer they never listed for. Be direct and respectful:
"Hi Dana — Pagecraft looks like a great product at $6K MRR. If you'd ever consider selling, I'm a buyer focused on small SaaS and can move quickly. No pressure — happy to just stay in touch."
Do proper diligence
Verified revenue is a start, not the whole picture: check churn, costs, code, customers and legal setup before any deal.
Questions to ask a founder
- How has MRR changed over the last 12 months, and why?
- What is monthly churn, and who are the biggest customers?
- What does the product cost to run each month?
- How much time does it take to operate?
- Why are you open to selling?
Valuation basics
Small SaaS businesses are often valued as a multiple of annual profit or revenue, depending on growth, churn and how much work they need. Use the verified revenue as a starting point and adjust for what you learn in diligence.
Move with care
Use escrow for payments, transfer accounts and code properly, and get legal help for the purchase agreement. A cheap deal with a messy handover costs more than it saves.