Featured Stories
Selling an Edtech Business: The PositivePsychology.com Exit
PositivePsychology.com, a mission-driven edtech platform used by 19M+ professionals, was acquired in an 8-figure deal advised by FE International. This case study covers their growth, decision to sell, and the exit process.
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North Korea Accused of Stealing Bitcoin to Fund Regime: Newsletter September 15, 2017
North Korea has this week been accused of stealing bitcoin in order to seek other sources of funding for their regime with global sanctions tightening. Reportedly, hackers have targeted at least three South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges, likely motivated by the restrictive sanctions recently placed against them by the UN. Some countries, like Australia and Russia, are trying to introduce new legislation to regulate digital currency providers. China on the other hand has banned its use. If your business uses Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, be sure to check if you will be affected by any new legislation. Read below to see the full article.
China Targets “Heavy Polluters” in Factory Closures: Newsletter September 8, 2017
China has closed tens of thousands of factories across the nation this summer, targeting “heavy polluters.” Reportedly, the new Ministry of Environment is employing this method to lower pollution levels, which have skyrocketed during China’s period of industrial growth. E-commerce owners who source from China will want to reach out to their suppliers to check that products will still be available and how it may affect prices. Read below for the full article and to see which specific regions will be affected.
Congressional Hearings on Net Neutrality Postponed as Apple, Google, Facebook Refuse to Testify: Newsletter September 1, 2017
Congressional hearings to decide on net neutrality were postponed this week after tech executives from giants like Amazon, Google, Facebook and Netflix declined an invitationto testify, despite Apple’s letter to the FCC that the Internet should remain an open platform. This is a topic that we at FE International are very passionate about and would advise anyone with an active interest to voice your opinion on the measure by writing to the FCC.
Google and Walmart Partner to Take Down Amazon Newsletter August 25, 2017
Google announced this week that it has joined forces with Walmart in a new initiative to promote Walmart products via Google express. This is taking direct aim at Amazon, the dominant player in the e-commerce space. Walmart’s proactive steps in addressing the decline of its retail business is starting to succeed since the 2016 acquisition of Jet.com, with a clear two-horse race starting to emerge. This is big news for both e-commerce store owners and also affiliate partners. Founder, Thomas Smale, explores the merits of both platforms in his recent blog post on the topic.
Walmart vs. Amazon: A Comparison of Affiliate & Fulfillment Programs
After acquiring a number of high-profile online retailers of late – most notably Jet.com in the US in 2016 – Walmart has been adding hundreds more third-party sellers to their marketplace, Walmart.com, which is now home to an inventory of over 50 million individual products. Back in 2016, their inventory had only 10 million.
Quora Launches Ad Retargeting Platform: Newsletter August 18, 2017
Things are heating up in the customer acquisition space, with Quora announcing this week that it has launched an ad retargeting platform that will allow online business owners and advertisers to segment customers to a particular landing page or within a specific time frame, as well as track ad conversions from such targeted campaigns. Not to be left out, Reddit announced their release of a native video hosting platform. Users will now be able to upload original content directly to the site rather than having to link out, which will be an opportunity for business owners to expand promotional content through a major B2C video channel.
PayPal Acquires Swift Financial: Newsletter August 11, 2017
This week PayPal announced that it will acquire Swift Financial, a small business capital lending house. PayPal reportedly made the strategic move in order to supplement their own working capital service for small businesses. The main value of the acquisition will likely come from the new level of detail in the data PayPal has available to evaluate prospective small businesses. The online payments giant is looking to complete the acquisition this year, with no comment yet of any impact on current small businesses using PayPal merchant services.
Oracle Releases Update to SaaS Suite of Products: Newsletter August 4, 2017
Oracle recently released a complete refresh to its entire SaaS suite of products. Its most recent update includes new applications and features for four of their suites (SCM, CX, ERP, and HCM), as well as an improved user interface. This is good news for SaaS and e-commerce business owners, as the updates improve customer experience, aiming to increase conversion and upsells. They even add advanced features like social listening, which monitors social media for opportunities. If you are a SaaS or e-commerce business owner and use Oracle or are considering switching to them, you can read more about the complete update here.
Microsoft Shuts Down Paint: Newsletter July 28, 2017
After 32 years of commitment, Microsoft is killing off Paint – or trying to. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would be discontinuing the program, which was followed by an outcry of Paint fans. In response, Microsoft stated that the app would be available in its Windows Store for free in the future. For those that were worried a staple of their childhood would be permanently forgotten, you’ll still be able to foster your inner creativity!
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