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Tell us whatcha' think! Send a text to us, here! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on our podcast. This episode dives into the ongoing debate about parents' rights in education. It looks at recent laws and court decisions that are changing how schools handle sensitive issues like gender identity and sex ed. The big takeaway? There's a lot of back-and-forth between what the state decides and what parents want, and it's more important than ever for parents to stay informed and involved in what their kids are learning.Moses Lake School Board FightOpt In Changes in NevadaParent Free Zones in MassachusettsTake our PreScore quiz now at https://parentsrightsineducation.com/quiz/Support the showIf you need assistance with a situation in your area, please fill out our free consultation form.DONATE TODAY!www.ParentsRightsInEducation.com
Tell us whatcha' think! Send a text to us, here!Colleen O'Neal, a candidate for state representative in Maine, discusses her motivation for running for office and her focus on parents' rights in education. She highlights the lack of access and input for parents in school board decisions and the need to address issues such as trans students playing on women's teams and the sexualization of children in schools. Colleen emphasizes the importance of returning to a focus on core education subjects and allowing parents to make decisions for their children's education.Colleen O'Neal spent 30 years in public service before retiring in 2022. She has been married to her husband Steve for 32 years and has two children and four grandchildren. She holds a bachelor's in Intelligence and Securities and a Master's in Homeland Security. Colleen is a staunch believer in the Constitution and a lover of Liberty.Top 3 Priorities:1. Remove powers of the school boards and return the power to parents.2. Remove children's access to porn - Pornography isn't for children3. No Secrets!PreScore: 100% Email: coneal2024@gmail.comSupport the showDONATE TODAY!www.ParentsRightsInEducation.com
Tell us whatcha' think! Send a text to us, here!The conversation covers various topics related to political campaigns, sports, controversy over the LGBTQ+ agenda, and parents' rights. It discusses instances of drag demonstrations with minors, controversial performances at the Olympic Games, and the use of children in public performances. The conversation also touches on the selection of political leaders and the importance of participating in the selection process. It highlights a lawsuit filed against the state of California regarding a law that restricts teachers from disclosing a student's gender identity to parents.PreScore ShoutoutName: Jeff ScottLocation: Hartland, MichiganRole: Candidate for Hartland School BoardPreScore Page: https://parentsrightsineducation.com/publish_on_pre/jeff-scott/PreScore: 100%BIO: Jeff is a proud family man with three children in the Hartland School District. He is seeking to serve his community by joining the local School Board because he is concerned about schools restricting parent involvement in the district, an issue widely known within the community.Support the Show.DONATE TODAY!www.ParentsRightsInEducation.com
In this Monday Briefing, Suzanne covers the following: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Safety Act, which prohibits school districts from requiring staff to disclose information about a student's sexual orientation or gender identity to parents. The act also protects school staff from retaliation if they refuse to notify parents of a child's gender. Elon Musk announced that SpaceX and X will be relocating to Texas due to the Safety Act and other laws that he believes attack families and companies. South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is leading a coalition appealing a decision that dismissed a lawsuit where a school allegedly helped a student with their gender transition without parental knowledge.Link to brief.PREScore ShoutoutName: Scott Jordan Location: Cumberland, MaineRunning For: Main House of Representatives - House Seat: District 110PreScore: 100%Profile Page: https://parentsrightsineducation.com/publish_on_pre/scott-jordan/Bio: Scott is running for the US House of Representatives to represent Maine District 110 and received a 100% on the PreScore. Scott's top 3 priorities are: Academic Excellence, Fiscal Responsibility, and Protecting Medicare and Social Security. You can learn more about Scott and his race at his PreScore profile page. Support the Show.DONATE TODAY!www.ParentsRightsInEducation.com
Welcome to another enlightening episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm with Roger Knecht. Today, Roger welcomes Dr. Sabrina Starling, a renowned business psychologist and author. Dr. Starling and Roger delve into critical topics affecting accounting businesses, such as marketing, pricing, and staffing. Plus, Dr. Starling discusses her advocacy for finding a balanced work-life dynamic. Key Discussion Points: Marketing, Pricing, and Staffing in Accounting: Dr. Starling shares insights on crucial aspects such as marketing strategies, appropriate pricing models, and effective staffing techniques tailored for accounting businesses. Advocacy for Work-Life Balance: Roger and Dr. Starling emphasize the importance of taking vacations and prioritizing life over work. Dr. Starling lays out her ambitious goal to help 10,000 entrepreneurs take 4-week vacations within the next decade. Effective Hiring Practices: Insights from Dr. Starling's research and interviews with successful small business owners. Overview of her book series focused on attracting and retaining top talent. Networking and Positive Work Environments: Roger highlights the significance of building strong professional relationships and fostering a supportive work culture. Dr. Starling and Roger discuss the benefits and limitations of policies such as unlimited vacation and sick time, and offering salaried positions to enhance employee satisfaction and balance. Sustaining Well-Being: The hosts present strategies for planning time off to prevent post-vacation blues. Dr. Starling recommendations to schedule future plans within an 8 to 12-week timeframe to maintain a positive outlook. Challenges of Disconnecting from Work: Acknowledgement of the difficulties business owners face in detaching from work responsibilities. Techniques to focus on high-value tasks and delegate effectively to achieve a balanced lifestyle. Building Self-Sufficient Businesses: Discussion on creating systems and processes that allow businesses to operate independently. Importance of self-care and utilizing available resources for business growth and personal well-being. Setting Boundaries and Prioritizing Self-Care: Practical advice on establishing boundaries to protect personal time. Encouragement to seek support and maintain a healthy balance between business and personal life. Join us as Dr. Sabrina Starling provides valuable insights and actionable strategies to help accounting professionals and business owners achieve a sustainable work-life balance, ensuring long-term success and personal fulfillment. Sponsors: Universal Accounting Center Helping accounting professionals confidently and competently offer quality accounting services to get paid what they are worth. Offers: As the host of Profit by Design Podcast and our guest on the show today Dr. Sabrina is offering our listeners two important resources, the first is the $10k assessment sheet and the opportunity to pledge to work towards and take Your 4-week Vacation. For more information regarding each and Dr. Sabrina, check out her website: www.tapthepotential.com Roger also shares receiving your PreScore. This is a must-have when considering stepping back or away from the daily operations of the business. Take a moment and see how ready you are for this next change in your career as you empower your team to work more autonomously Get a FREE copy of these books all accounting professionals should use to work on their business and become profitable. These are a must-have addition to every accountant's library to provide quality CFO & Advisory services as a Profit & Growth Expert today: “Red to BLACK in 30 days – A small business accountant's guide to QUICK turnarounds” – This is a how-to guide on how to turn around a struggling business into a more sustainable model. Each chapter focuses on a crucial aspect of the turnaround process - from cash flow management to strategies for improving revenue. This book will teach you everything you need to become a turnaround expert for small businesses. “in the BLACK, nine principles to make your business profitable” – Nine Principles to Make Your Business Profitable – Discover what you need to know to run the premier accounting firm and get paid what you are worth in this book, by the same author as Red to Black – CPA Allen B. Bostrom. Bostrom teaches the three major functions of business (marketing, production and accounting) as well as strategies for maximizing profitability for your clients by creating actionable plans to implement the nine principles. “Your Strategic Accountant” - Understand the 3 Core Accounting Services you should offer as you run your business. help your clients understand which numbers they need to know to make more informed business decisions. “Your Profit & Growth Expert” - Your business is an asset. You should know its value and understand how to maximize it. Beginning with the end in mind helps you work ON your business to build a company you can leave so that it can continue to exist in your absence or build wealth as you retire and enjoy the time, freedom, and life you want and deserve. Learn what it is you can do to become an author, leveraging your expertise to market your services effectively and get the clients you deserve. This is a webinar you don't want to miss. Learn from Mike Capuzzi what a Shook is and how you can use it to position yourself as the Premier Accounting Firm in your area. This is a must-see presentation so get ready to take some great notes. In addition to becoming an author, see what you can do to follow the Turnkey Business plan for accounting professionals. After more than 40 years we've identified the best practices of successful accountants and this is a presentation we are happy to share. Check it out and see what you can do to be in business for yourself but not by yourself with Universal Accounting Center. It's here you can become a: Professional Bookkeeper, PB Professional Tax Preparer, PTP Profit & Growth Expert, PGE Next, join a group of like-minded professionals within the accounting community. Stay up-to-date on current topics and trends and see what you can do to also give back, participating in relevant conversations as they relate to offering quality accounting services and building your bookkeeping, accounting & tax business. The Accounting & Bookkeeping Tips Facebook Group The Universal Accounting Fanpage Topical Newsletters: Universal Accounting Success The Universal Newsletter Lastly, get your Business Score to see what you can do to work ON your business and have the Premier Accounting Firm. Join over 70,000 business owners and get your score on the 8 Factors That Drive Your Company's Value. For Additional FREE Resources for accounting professionals check out this collection HERE! Be sure to join us for GrowCon, the LIVE event for accounting professionals to work ON their business. This is a conference you don't want to miss. Remember this, Accounting Success IS Universal. Listen to our next episode and be sure to subscribe. Also, let us know what you think of the podcast and please share any suggestions you may have. We look forward to your input: Podcast Feedback For more information on how you can apply these principles to start and build your accounting, bookkeeping & tax business please visit us at www.universalaccountingschool.com or call us at 8012653777
Josh Abramson has an impressive track record of building valuable companies. In 1999 Abramson started CollegeHumor.com and before he could even graduate, Abramson had received an offer of $9 million for the website. Abramson went on to start the popular video-sharing website Vimeo and apparel company BustedTees.com selling his collection of companies to Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp for a reported $20 million in 2006. After a short stint reporting to Diller, Abramson left IAC and started TeePublic, an innovative online marketplace that serves as a platform for artists and designers to showcase and sell their distinctive designs on a wide range of products, including t-shirts and hoodies. With Abramson at the helm, TeePublic grew to $41 million in revenue and $4.5 million in EBITDA before he decided to sell to RedBubble in a $41 million deal, $36 million of which was in cash.
In 1998, Lori Morton founded AerieHub, a customizable mobile app that helps facility managers efficiently control building information and operations, including compliance records, blueprints, and employee training. Morton onboarded industry giants such as Netflix, Michelin Tires, GE, Bosch, and others reaching over $1 million in annual recurring revenue. Thanks to a rigorous onboarding process and exceptional customer service, Morton lost only two clients in 24 years. In 2022, JDM Technology Group acquired AerieHub in a lucrative 100% cash upfront deal.
In 2017, Gamal Codner established Fresh Heritage, an e-commerce company that created grooming products specifically for men of color. Codner grew Fresh Heritage quickly with Facebook ads and online reviews, but relying solely on paid customer acquisition almost bankrupted the company. Codner introduced a subscription program and turned one-time customers into automatic repeat purchasers, dramatically increasing the lifetime value of a customer. As a result, Fresh Heritage's revenue skyrocketed to over $4 million. In 2022, BRANDED, a leading global operator of digital-first consumer brands, acquired Fresh Heritage from Codner.
In 2008, Brandon Lazar started A+ Gutter & Window Cleaning, servicing homeowners in British Columbia, Canada. Lazar successfully bootstrapped the business, generating nearly $1.5 million in revenue before being approached by an acquirer. Lazar sold A+ Gutter & Window Cleaning to a private buyer in 2023 for approximately 3.5 times EBITDA, without an earn-out.
In 2016 Susanne Klepsch launched Meetfox, a scheduling and video calling solution that helps service professionals manage and monetize their time. By 2021 Meetfox had acquired a user base of 25,000. As Klepsch observed competitors being acquired by large software companies, she recognized the need to partner with a major player to compete effectively with Calendly. Consequently, she initiated a merger and acquisition process, reaching out to over a hundred companies, including the venture-backed, all-in-one marketing software Sendinblue. Eventually, Sendinblue made her an offer she couldn't refuse.
In his role as an acquirer, Kevin McArdle has purchased 45 businesses, including three from former Built to Sell Radio guests.
In 2013, Dan Reich and his partners founded TULA, a digitally native, probiotics-infused skincare line. Reich bootstrapped TULA to around $10 million in annual revenue when he realized he needed to replace himself as CEO. The company thrived under professional management, and by 2022, TULA had achieved revenue of over $100 million and received an acquisition offer from Procter & Gamble.
In 2016, Jeremy Parker co-founded Swag.com to offer branded promotional products for businesses. Parker and his team developed a powerful online platform that enables customers to order products through their unforgettable website. Thanks to Swag.com's innovative approach and memorable domain name, the company generated $30 million in revenue by 2020. However, when Parker began to explore acquisition offers, potential buyers viewed Swag.com as just a distribution company, which is typically valued in low single digits of EBITDA. Fortunately, Parker met the founder of Custom Ink, who recognized that Swag.com was more than just a traditional promotional products business - it was a technology company.
Microsoft's recent announcement about integrating OpenAI's features into Microsoft 365 serves as a prime example of how finding a strategic acquirer for your company can bring significant benefits. In this special edition of Built to Sell Radio, we will explore five reasons why larger businesses acquire smaller ones and provide tips on how to make your company more attractive to potential strategic acquirers.
In 2011, Tammer Kamel launched Quandl, a company that provided investors with data designed to give them a competitive trading edge. For example, Quandl offered subscriptions that let investors access private jet flight information for public companies as a predictor for M&A activity. By 2018, Quandl had grown to 75 employees. Kamel saw industry giants entering the space, but knowing the time and capital investment it would take to build a competitive offering, he believed they would prefer to acquire Quandl. Kamel began shopping the business around, and shortly after, Nasdaq acquired Quandl for a life-changing sum.
Kyle Scott launched Crossing Broad, a Philadelphia sports blog, in 2009. His irreverent and edgy writing style gained a significant following among Philly sports fans, resulting in thousands of daily readers. However, it wasn't until the 2018 Supreme Court ruling lifted the ban on sports betting in the US that the business flourished. To capitalize on the ruling, Scott merged Crossing Broad with Warwick Gaming into CBWG, which owned and operated several popular sports and gambling websites. The company instantly became the largest independently owned US sports betting affiliate marketing network, generating $5 million in annual revenue. In 2020, Ten months after joining forces, XLMedia acquired CBWG for $12 million in cash, $8 million worth of XLMedia shares, and the potential for another $9.5 million tied to a three-year earn-out.
In 2013 Mac Lackey licensed the FC Barcelona name to offer soccer camps and immersion trips to young athletes in the United States. Lackey grew the business to over $10 million in revenue before accepting a lucrative buyout offer that included various desirable benefits for sports fans.
In 2015, Brad Lorge founded Premonition, a technology company that offers logistics software to streamline a company's delivery operations. Rather than the traditional approach of financing their start-up through rounds of dilutive funding, Lorge asked his customers to pre-pay, allowing the founding team to retain 80% of the equity in their business. By March 2022, Premonition had grown to $3 million in Annual Contract Value (ACV) which is when it was acquired by Shippit for $20.5 million -- an implied valuation of just under 7 times ACV.
In this episode, we discuss: 1. What working capital is. 2. Why it is so important for business owners and leaders to have a solid understanding of their working capital. 3. When working capital issues should be addressed. Make sure to visit Home - Blue Sky Business Resources (blueskyadvisors.net and you can reach Joe Milam via email at jmilam@blueskyadvisor.net or by calling 864 221-9335 For all of the money issues that might be keeping you up at night, make sure to email david@parallelfinancial.com and visit www.allofmyassets.com and don't forget to take you PRESCORE assessment at www.allofmyassets.com/prescore
Rachel Elsts Downey is the founder of Share Your Genius, a podcast production company that has been helping businesses increase their brand visibility since 2017. Over the years, Share Your Genius has grown into a successful business, generating $500,000 in revenue by 2021. That's when Downey was approached by one of her clients with an offer to acquire her business. The client wanted to hire Downey and saw the acquisition of Share Your Genius as the best way to recruit her. After some deliberation, Downey accepted the offer and agreed to be "acquihired". This deal valued Share Your Genius in the mid-six figures and provided Downey with cash for her business, a secure salary, bonuses, and some equity in the acquiring company.
In 2003, Ron Holt founded Two Maids & a Mop, a residential cleaning business. Thanks to an innovative employee bonus plan, Holt was able to grow his business to 12 company-owned locations. That's when a random encounter with Fred DeLuca, the founder of Subway, changed Holt's life forever. Deluca gave Holt the inspiration and a roadmap for franchising his business which Holt used to grow Two Maids & a Mop from 12 to 91 locations across the United States and $40 million in revenue. In 2021, eager to pursue the next chapter in his life, Holt began exploring selling Two Maids & a Mop. A short time after, JM Family Enterprises acquired the business in a lucrative deal valued at well over ten times EBITDA.
Sam Parr founded the Hustle, a media company that delivers business and tech news to millennials in an engaging and relatable way, in 2015. The business was an instant hit with readers, generating millions of page views in only a few months. By 2020 Sam Parr had grown the Hustle to $15 million in revenue, attracting the attention of tech giant HubSpot. A few months later, the tech conglomerate acquired the Hustle in a lucrative eight-figure deal.
In 2016, Derek Morin founded Tabarnapp to create after-market sales applications for Shopify website owners. The company was an instant hit generating more than 1,000 paid customers in its first few months after launching on the Shopify platform. In 2020, Morin acquired one of his partners' stake in Tabarnapp, valuing the company at $400,000. Two years later, Morin sold Tabarnapp for a much higher price, implying a tenfold increase in the company's value.
In 2012, Spencer Thompson founded Sokanu, a career assessment platform aimed at replacing the outdated assessments that existed at the time. Sokanu's “Career Explorer” quickly became one of North America's most prominent assessment tools and was adopted by the U.S. Government and top colleges around the world. The assessments were a huge hit with job seekers, yet Thompson struggled to generate sales. Rather than fix his revenue model, Thompson looked for an acquirer who would value his enormous user base. Soon after, Sokanu received a lucrative acquisition offer from Penn Foster, an online educational institute.
In 2011, Perry Rosenbloom started the web development company, Brighter Vision. After a few years of jumping from project to project, Rosenbloom had a breakthrough. Instead of doing web design for everyone, he decided to focus on creating websites exclusively for therapists. His decision to niche down worked as revenue soared. By 2020, Rosenbloom had thousands of customers and millions in sales, which was when Evercommerce made an offer to acquire Brighter Vision for $17.5 million.
In 2016, Marc Lafleur started truLOCAL, a subscription business allowing people to buy locally-raised meats online. To ignite sales, Lafleur and his co-founder pitched the company on the popular Canadian TV show Dragon's Den (similar to Shark Tank). The presentation was a hit as they received an investment of $100,000 from Dragon's, Michele Romanow and Joe Mimran for 10% of the business. As a result of their new partners and the free marketing that came from the show, revenues soared. By 2020 truLOCAL had reached sales of eight figures when Lafleur began receiving interest from acquirers. A few months later, the company was acquired by EMERGE in a deal valued at $16.8 million.
In 2009 Simon Penson founded Zazzle Media, one of the first content marketing agencies in the U.K. Although the company was successful, Penson had difficulties winning large customer contracts due to the size of his agency. To enhance his credibility, in 2015 he decided to merge Zazzle Media with Stickyeyes, which, at the time, formed the largest content marketing agency in the U.K. Penson's decision proved to be savvy.
In 2006 Kelby Zorgdrager started DevelopIntelligence, an outsourced training provider that helps programmers develop new skills and adapt to ever-changing technologies. The business snowballed as Zorgdrager onboarded most Fortune 500 giants in his space. However, Zorgdrager had a problem. The company was too dependent on him. To ensure the business could succeed without him, Zorgdrager implemented a four-step system to replace himself as the rainmaker of his company. The strategy worked. By 2020 Zorgdrager had grown the business to $12.1 million in revenue, which piqued the interest of some acquirers. A year later, Zorgdrager signed an acquisition offer from Pluralsight in a deal valued at $48.9 million.
In 2016 Trevr Smithlin and Dave Hanley founded AdvertiseCast, a marketplace connecting podcasters with advertisers. The company experienced tremendous growth, doubling revenue year-over-year until 2020. That's when the uncertainty triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic caused Smithlin and Hanley to consider their strategic options. In March 2021, Smithlin and Hanley signed an acquisition agreement from Libsyn for $30 million.
In 2016 Channing Allen and his brother Courtland founded Indie Hackers, a blog and forum that encourages founders to transparently share their ideas and stories. After only eight months, the brothers had grown the business to $8,000 in revenue when they received an unexpected email from Patrick Collison (co-founder and CEO of Stripe), who was looking to acquire the company. Although tempted to keep building, Stripe's offer was too good to refuse. The brothers agreed to be acquired by Stripe in March 2017.
During his collegiate basketball playing days and then during his time as a basketball performance coach, Alan Stein Jr., has learned that the secret to achieving greatness happens during the "unseen hours". Now, as a keynote speaker, Alan works with organizations to help them to achieve "more" and to move the needle towards their potential for greatness. To learn more, visit www.alansteinjr.com , www.strongerteam.com and make sure to connect with Mr. Stein on Linkedin For all of your financial questions, email david@parallelfinancial.com To get your PRESCORE visit www.allofmyassets.com/prescore All previous episodes of The Weekly Wealth Podcast can be found at www.weeklywealthpodcast.com To learn how to build the VALUE of your business, visit www.allofmyassets.com
In 2012, Jaclyn Johnson founded Create & Cultivate, a media company that educates and inspires women to succeed in business. By 2018, Johnson had grown Create & Cultivate to eight employees when an acquirer offered her a staggering $40 million. Unfortunately, the deal was too good to be true. When the acquirer discovered her hands-on management style, they pulled out. Learning from her mistakes, Johnson implemented a collection of strategies to ensure Create & Cultivate could thrive without her. By the end of 2019, Johnson had grown to $14 million in revenue ($4 million EBITDA) when acquirers came knocking again. This time she was ready. Create & Cultivate was acquired by Corridor Capital in a deal valued at $22 million.
In 2002 Chuck Crumpton started Medpoint to help businesses bring medical devices and pharmaceuticals to market. The company quickly took off after Crumpton landed a prominent blue-chip client. It was a blessing and a curse. At one point, the blue-chip customer made up 83% of Medpoint's revenue. Determined to reduce his customer concentration, Crumpton implemented a clever strategy to minimize his dependency. The strategy worked as Crumpton successfully reduced his reliance below 50%, allowing him to sell Medpoint in 2020 for around five times EBITDA.
In 2009 Natalie Nagele and her husband, Chris, launched Postmark to help businesses deliver emails to their customers quickly. A decade in, Nagele had grown the company to around 40 employees, which was when she began feeling burned out. The pull to explore new interests was the catalyst to accepting a life-changing acquisition offer from Active Campaign in 2022. In this episode, you'll learn how to: Develop passionate employees that care about your company. Create raving fans that refer their friends. Decide when it's time to sell. Distinguish between serious burnout and normal fatigue. Create a list of demands for an acquirer when selling your business. Think in decades when making big decisions. Establish a positive relationship with your acquirer.
In 2020 veterinarian Dr. Joseph Marchell started Old Brown Dog Veterinary Partners (OBDVP) after identifying a unique opportunity to do a rollup of family-owned animal hospitals. Marchell acquired three practices for around ten times EBITDA. He then implemented a streamlined operational strategy that resulted in the sale of OBDVP less than two years later for almost three times the purchase price.
In 2015 Nick Santora founded Curricula, a cyber security awareness training program that helps companies defend themselves against hackers. Santora created fun, cartoon training videos in contrast to the dull content that existed at the time. Companies happily embraced Santora's approach. By 2021 he had grown Curricula to just over $2 million in annual recurring revenue when he accepted an acquisition offer from the cyber security giant Huntress for $22 million.
In 2008, Gavin Hammar started Sendible, a platform that allows companies to manage all their social media accounts from one place. The company grew steadily until 2016, when Hammar hit a sales plateau. Challenged to combat a high churn rate, Hammar took several unique steps to humanize his business. Becoming a more approachable brand worked. Sales increased by 30% year-over-year and by 2021, Sendible had 47 employees when they were approached by ASG with an acquisition offer Hammar couldn't refuse.
U.K.-based Nathan Winch started his career as a private equity investor after selling his first company, Winch Pharma, in 2017. Since then, Winch has acquired over 20 businesses, with a focus on logistics and infrastructure companies. In the latest installment of Built to Sell Radio's Inside the Mind of an Acquirer series, you'll learn how to: Understand how an investor structures an acquisition. Build your management team to avoid an earn-out. Dodge the most common blunder made during due diligence. Avoid turning off an acquirer during the selling process. Prepare your company to be acquired.
In 2014 Tim Grassin founded Candy Banners, which designs ads that show up along the top, bottom, and sides of a website. Grassin built a remote team in the Philippines to minimize his costs. Hiring inexpensive developers allowed Grassin to charge lower rates to agency owners, resulting in rapid growth. The business had grown to over seven figures in revenue in 2020 when Grassin received an acquisition offer from one of his clients, Native Touch. The offer valued Candy Banners at around five times EBITDA, and the deal closed in 2021.
In 2015 Mike Winnet started U.K.-based Learning Heroes after recognizing that most e-learning programs were long and boring. Winnet saw an opportunity to transform the industry by creating short, engaging, animated training courses. Winnet started by trying to sell his courses to job seekers, but when his efforts failed, he pivoted to selling to companies. Instead of a few hundred dollars a year from job seekers, selling to companies meant he was getting a few thousand dollars a year. The switch from B2C to B2B worked, and in less than three years, Winnet grew his company to around £2 million in annual recurring revenue, which was when he was approached by Litmos, a learning management software provider. Winnet sold Learning Heroes to Litmos for approximately four times revenue.
In 2013 South African entrepreneur Jason Bagley started Firing Squad, a lead generation company specializing in cold emails. In 2020 Firing Squad signed an agreement to be acquired by Southern Web and was later rebranded to SiteCare. The deal was something Bagley would later come to regret.
In 2012, Patrick Campbell founded ProfitWell to help SaaS companies increase revenue and reduce churn by managing their data in a single place. After bootstrapping the business to 8-figures, Campbell decided it was time to raise money. While seeking a financial investor, Paddle approached him with an acquisition offer. Soon after, in 2022, Campbell sold ProfitWell to Paddle for over $200 million.
Ed Buckley started Peerfit, which allows companies to offer fitness classes as part of their employee benefits package. The company grew to more than 150 employees before receiving an acquisition offer for almost $100 million from a major fitness brand widely reported to be Peloton. As part of the deal, Buckley retained some of the IP, which, in a strange twist, he was able to sell in another eight-figure exit months later.
In 2012, Ryan Coon started Rentalutions, a platform to help landlords manage and communicate with their tenants more effectively. The business showed steady growth, but Coon wasn't satisfied. Five years in, Coon rebranded the company to Avail and focused his marketing to target DIY landlords with under ten rental units to manage. The changes proved successful as Coon grew the business to around $7 million in revenue before selling to Realtor.com in 2020 for approximately five times revenue.
When Jodie Cook started her social media agency, nothing happened without her involvement. Desperate to free herself up from the minutia of running her company, Cook started to systematize her business with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). After a few missteps, Cook mastered the art of delegation.
In 2016, Ryan Kulp launched Fomo because he saw marketers using aggressive popups on their websites. Kulp reasoned that if he could show other people were shopping and interacting with a site, it would give new visitors confidence in the company. Fomo allows businesses to show off real-time customer interactions (purchases, opt-ins, even pageviews) with a line of code the company installs on their site. Kulp led Fomo to around $1 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) before deciding to step down as CEO in 2020. Two years later, an acquirer approached Kulp about acquiring Fomo. Initially, he wasn't interested, but after some soul-searching, Kulp decided to sell Fomo to Relay Commerce in a lucrative exit.
The economy has been a roller-coaster over the last quarter. In this special episode of Built to Sell Radio, John Warrillow reveals the downside of trying to time the market and shares four alternative ways to know when to sell.
Rory Fatt began his entrepreneurial journey running marketing seminars for restauranteurs. After several owners approached Fatt to do their marketing for them, he decided to launch Royalty Rewards in 2005. The business was a multimedia marketing platform that helped small businesses market their products and services by rewarding loyal customers. The company took off, hitting just over $2 million in revenue in its first year. Inspired to achieve financial freedom, Fatt began to explore selling his company. In 2022, he accepted an offer from Schianti Partners that would set his family up for life.
Jeremy Nagel started his entrepreneurial career teaching clients how to get the most out of Zoho, a popular CRM platform. Nagel began cultivating a small following on YouTube by sharing his advice for Zoho enthusiasts. Given his status in their ecosystem, Zoho approached Nagel about creating an SMS plug-in for their application to allow users to text their clients while using Zoho. Nagel developed the application while keeping his day job. Despite only dedicating one or two days a week to its growth, the feature quickly became one of the top five applications in the Zoho marketplace. Two years later, Nagel received a LinkedIn message from the head of corporate development at MessageMedia with a lucrative exit offer he could not refuse.
Touraj Parang has experienced the highs and lows of selling a company. In 2009, Parang sold his first company, Jaxtr, for pennies on the dollar. He took the lessons he learned and joined Webs.com, where he helped Haroon Mokhtazarda sell his company for over $115 million. Parang left Webs.com and joined GoDaddy as a leader in their acquisitions group, where they acquired dozens of companies during his tenure. In the latest installment of Inside the Mind of An Acquirer, Parang shares how companies like GoDaddy acquire companies.