For Staffing & Services Platforms · Direct Engagement
Brokered listings mean auctions — every acquirer in the market bidding on the same firm. Sentinel is the retained buy-side engine behind staffing, IT services, and business-services platforms: we approach founders by name, off-market, qualify them against your buy box, and put you alone at the table.
or call (888) 560-5852
Auctions vs. Proprietary Flow
By the time a firm reaches a broker, the seller's fee is priced in and every acquirer in the market sees the same deal. The platforms that grow fastest own the top of their funnel — proprietary conversations with founders who weren't for sale yesterday. That funnel is what we build and run for you.
The retainer typically repays itself on the first closed deal — and the exact numbers take one five-minute call.
Quick answer
For staffing and B2B services platforms, Sentinel originates off-market acquisitions matched on gross margin profile, contract mix, geography and size — verified with the owner before introduction.
Key takeaways
What We Run For Services Platforms
Sentinel sources for retained buy-side partners — we never present ourselves as the buyer, and on your mandate we act for you alone — never for the seller. On a retained platform mandate the cadence we build to runs 2–5 qualified calls a week, 1–3 LOIs a month, and 4–10 closings a year — per platform.
We build the full owner universe for your buy box — staffing, managed IT, business services — and approach founders by name, off-market. No broker listings.
Every submission is a firm whose owner confirmed the criteria and said yes to a meeting — revenue, contracted mix, transition posture verified on the call.
Every target is approved by you by name before any introduction. One target, one partner — your targets are never shopped to another buyer.
20+ qualified calls in the first 90 days and reported weekly. Our floor is higher than most firms' ceiling.
The Record · Alongside Partners
Transactions closed alongside partners
Transactions closed with leading North American groups — from single-doctor practices to multi-location platform acquisitions — with capital deployed alongside partners under signed mandates. Partner and platform identities are confidential by policy — named references available under protocol during your diligence.
From the Live Board
Consistent with the live mandate board — anonymized by policy, criteria never softened. Your mandate can be live, sourced, and qualified within the week.
Acquirer building a regional MSP group: security practice a plus, founder may stay or exit fully.
Founder-led staffing and business-services firms are briefed the same way: criteria locked, owners approached by name, no broker listings. The engine is sector-agnostic; the depth points wherever your mandate does.
Tell us your criteria and it can be live, sourced, and qualified within the week — anonymized on the board, identity never disclosed.
Engagement Structures · Published Openly
Success-fee-only is available too, at a materially higher fee than Mandate Partners pay. The specific numbers take one five-minute call and arrive in writing within a day — the full ladder is on the engagement structures page.
Straight Answers
Next Step
A principal replies within one business day.
Or write to [email protected] · call (888) 560-5852
A qualified call: every criterion met, and the owner said yes to the meeting, calibrated to the mandate. The floor for your mandate is agreed before signing and reported weekly.