Skip to content
IncBid

Sealed-bid auctions · incbid.com

Sell a business without a bidding war.

Inc Bid is a private sealed-bid auction for the sale of a business. Invite the buyers yourself. Each one seals a minimum and a maximum. The highest maximum wins, and the price is the second-highest — not a public climb.

  1. 01

    The seller sets the terms

    Business name, three years of revenue, a reserve, an optional Buy It Now price, and an end time from 30 minutes to 30 days.

  2. 02

    Only invited buyers bid

    Each buyer registers a name and a private range. Nobody sees the numbers while the clock runs.

  3. 03

    The second price clears

    The highest maximum wins and pays the next ceiling, the reserve, or their own floor — whichever is greatest. The auction is official only after the seller accepts. Buyers then see the price, not the buyer’s name.

  4. 04

    Or pay the “Buy It Now” price

    If the seller set a “Buy It Now” price, an invited buyer can offer that price before the auction clock ends. The seller is notified that the “Buy It Now” price has been met and has the option to accept. Accepting closes the auction. Every invited buyer is told the price was met and accepted. Buyers see the price but not who bought it.

01

Business sellers

Register a company for sale

Name the business, enter 12-, 24-, and 36-month revenue, set the minimum required bid and the auction end, and list who may bid.

Register a business

02

Business buyers

Seal a minimum and a maximum

Sign in with the email you were invited under. Enter your name and the least and most you will pay. Read how a second-price auction sets the winner’s price.

Place a sealed bid

What a Vickrey auction is

A Vickrey auction is a sealed-bid, second-price auction. Everyone submits a secret bid. The highest bidder wins, but pays the second-highest bid — not their own. Honesty about your ceiling does not raise the price you pay.

On Inc Bid each invited buyer submits a range:

Minimum bid
The least you will pay for the business.
Maximum bid
The most you will pay. Treat this as your true ceiling.
  1. 1. Reserve. Any range whose maximum is below the seller’s minimum required bid is set aside.
  2. 2. Winner. The highest maximum wins. Ties go to the higher minimum, then to whoever sealed their range first.
  3. 3. Price. The winner pays the highest of the reserve, the second-highest maximum, and their own minimum. The price never exceeds their maximum. A lone qualifying buyer pays the reserve, or their minimum if that is higher — not their maximum.
  4. 4. Buy It Now. If the seller set a Buy It Now price, a buyer can offer it while the auction is open. The seller is notified and may accept. Accepting closes the auction at that price and tells every invited buyer. The price is shown. The buyer’s name is not.

A worked example

The reserve is $1,000,000. Avery’s ceiling is higher, so Avery wins. The price is Blair’s maximum, the second-highest ceiling — not Avery’s own maximum.

Avery

Minimum $900,000

Maximum $1,400,000

Wins · pays $1,250,000

Blair

Minimum $1,100,000

Maximum $1,250,000

Does not win. Sets the price.

Lowering your maximum cannot improve the price. It can only make you lose a business you would have wanted. Until the auction ends, other buyers cannot see your range, and the seller sees who has bid but not how much. After the clock stops, the seller accepts the result before it is official. Other buyers then see the winning price only, not who won.