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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FE International Acquires iAcquisitions: Newsletter October 27, 2017
We are thrilled to announce that FE International has successfully completed the acquisition of iAcquisitions, a leading privately held e-commerce mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisory firm.
Kohl’s to Accept Amazon Returns at 10 Stores: Newsletter October 20, 2017
Kohl’s has announced a partnership with Amazon in a new initiative allowing customers to return Amazon purchases in 10 of their stores in Chicago and LA. Not to be outdone by Walmart’s announcement last week that they would be accepting returns for online purchases in-store, Amazon is once again leveraging its colossal sales engine to create new partnerships to combat the existing offline distribution Walmart has. This one comes right before the holidays, and will likely be a leading indicator of whether consumers value the ability to return items in store, and whether this will drive more in-person purchases for Kohl’s, a reputed holiday retail giant.
Amazon Third-Party Merchants Required to Add Sales Tax: Newsletter October 13, 2017
Following the end of the sales tax amnesty, many of Amazon’s third-party merchants will be required to add sales tax to their products. Recently, states are cracking down on Amazon merchants, mandating the addition of sales taxes to previously untaxed products to combat an e-commerce nexus precedent set 25 years ago. These new requirements come right before the busiest shopping season of the year, so with these new stringent sales tax requirements, e-commerce owners who sell through Amazon will want to ensure they comply with new regulations.
Citron Research Claims Shopify in Violation of FTC Business Opportunities Act: Newsletter October 6, 2017
Shopify’s shares fell c.15.6% between Monday’s close and the end of trading yesterday. The heavy fall comes off the back of the research note released by Citron, which claims the company is in violation of the FTC Business Opportunities Act. The report argues that Shopify makes too many bold claims that entrepreneurs can become millionaires in an incredibly short period of time, and that it doesn’t disclose when they pay affiliate marketers and influencers who refer others to Shopify.
Shopify Launches Publishing Partner Program: Newsletter September 29, 2017
Shopify announced this week that it will now allow merchants to earn revenue through their partner program in an effort to leverage the many third-party Shopify service providers in the market. Users of the program can earn money through affiliate links, merchant referrals, apps, and themes on the Shopify store. Business owners who use Shopify might want to strongly consider the partner program as a passive form of extra income. Read below for more information on how to sign up.
HubSpot Acquires Motion AI: Newsletter September 22, 2017
The SaaS world this week saw HubSpot acquire the chatbot builder Motion AI, which provides an editor for websites to build a chat function through Facebook, Slack, SMS and more. While the terms of the deal were not released, this should come as an indicator that AI will be incredibly important for companies gaining a competitive edge on their customer service. Equally disruptive in the tech space this week is Uber’s expulsion from London, as Transport for London announced this morning that they will not be renewing their license at the end of this month. Read below for the full story.
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.
