Posts tagged acquisition

Sarah Prevette On The Revival Of Sprouter

Everyone loves fairytales. Take Cinderella as an example. A woman down on her luck is rescued by Prince Charming and lives happily ever after. As rare as it is to find this scenario play out in real life, last week was an exception. In this fairytale, Sarah Prevette was Cinderella and Postmedia Network Inc. was Prince Charming. Ahh, acquisitions are so romantic.

As the story goes, Toronto-based Prevette founded Sprouter in November 2009 as a social network for startup founders. The business model was simple and brilliant: budding entrepreneurs could publicly post questions and seasoned vets would provide answers. In addition, Sprouter put out a weekly newsletter and executed live events around the world in support of its mission to create a vibrant startup community. The site took off and quickly became a staple of the entrepreneurial world.

That is until Aug. 2. It was on that day that Sprouter shut down and message boards were flooded with outrage and sadness over the site’s demise.

Then, on Oct. 3, news came that Postmedia Network Inc., a Canada-based media company, purchased Sprouter for an undisclosed amount. Prevette would again take the helm and business would go on as it did before the shutdown.

So how did this acquisition come about? Read the full Q&A here.

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Acquiring A Competitor

Great companies are often made better by great acquisitions. If you’ve been salivating over the competitor down the street, you may be in luck. In today’s economy, businesses are looking to sell and it can be a good time for those in the market.

Before biting the bullet, consider these five questions:

1. What are their numbers?
2. Will customers cross over?
3. Will the acquisition help your existing client base?
4. Do you have the capacity to continue a strong revenue stream?
5. Why is the other company willing to sell?

Read more tips on ensuring a successful acquisition on OPEN Forum.