Selling by industry

Selling a consulting firm? Your house method can be licensed

When a consulting firm sells, the price follows partners, clients and pipeline. The firm's own method, built up in proposals, workplans, templates and internal reviews, is a separate asset that AI companies now license.

The line to draw is between your method and your clients' confidential findings.

AI Data Offers research deskChecked against our methodology Updated October 28, 2026 2 min read 8 sources

In this guide

Your house method, not your clients' findings

Proposals and scoping documents
Workplans, status reports and review notes
Frameworks, templates and training material
Internal email and chat about how engagements run

Is my firm big enough?

The normal bar is 20 to 30 staff, with a few buyers setting none. Small boutiques run by a few partners seldom clear it on their own.

Client deliverables stay out

Client findings, data and deliverables are usually covered by confidentiality clauses. Buyers say data held for clients is excluded. License your own method, not your clients' secrets.

When the acquirer is a bigger firm

A larger firm buying yours may want your method for itself. Exclusivity matters here, so read Troveo's explainer on exclusive versus non-exclusive licenses before you sign either deal.

Questions to put to any data buyer

Is this a license of a copy, or a sale of the records outright?
Is it exclusive, and for how long? Can I license the same data elsewhere later?
Which systems and date ranges are in scope, and can I leave folders or whole tools out?
Who removes names and personal details, how, and do I approve a sample before anything leaves?
When does payment arrive, and does the clock start at signing or at your acceptance of the delivery?
Do I pay anything, and does anyone in the chain take a cut?
How long do you keep the copy, and what happens to it if you are acquired?

FAQ

Questions, answered

Do AI companies want consulting data?

Yes. Process-heavy professional work is high on several buyers' lists.

Is my company big enough?

The usual floor is somewhere from 20 to 30 staff. Some buyers publish none at all. Mode accepts law firms with 6 people and accounting firms with 10, and Pewter goes by your highest-ever headcount. Our match quiz sorts it out in two minutes.

What could a license pay?

For a business that is still trading, most buyers publish bands of roughly $100K to $2M. Treat those as marketing claims. They are no price for you. Only a written offer from a buyer whose criteria you meet tells you what your data is worth.

Do I pay anything to license?

Typically no. Direct buyers rarely charge sellers. Middlemen are different: brokers and marketplaces may keep anywhere from 8% to 30%. Have any fee written down before a sample changes hands.

Find the buyers that fit your company

Answer a few questions about your size, tools and history. We show which buyers want a company like yours. Free, no files.

Match my company What is my data worth?

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Sources

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