Adam Robinson

Struggling to scale your mid-market business? Scaling isn't just about getting bigger – it's about getting smarter. In this week's The Wise Exit newsletter, we're diving deep into scaling strategies for mid-market firms. You'll learn: - The difference between growth and scaling (most get this wrong). - 5 key strategies to scale your business without losing your shirt. - Common mistakes to avoid (we see these all the time). - Case Study: How Zapier scaled without traditional VC funding. Whether you're planning to scale, sell, or just curious about what's next, this issue is packed with insights you can't afford to miss. Read the full newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3LHo7Ra Don’t miss out. P.S.: Follow me for more content like this.

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𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 $𝟏𝟎,𝟎𝟎𝟎+ 𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 You NEED this 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 checklist to create 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐫-𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 that skyrocket your sales. I'm giving away my exact 𝟒𝟑-𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 for FREE. We’ve helped countless Amazon brands scale their listings to the top using this proven process. Now it's YOUR turn. This isn’t just another lead magnet... It's a 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 that can 2-3x your conversion rate on Amazon. PS: Like 👍 & Comment "List" I'll DM you the link 🔗 to the full checklist! Follow Meredith Judge for more valuable insights on optimizing your Amazon listings

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Want to bring more traffic to your business? I’m breaking down the game-changing insights from Traffic Secrets—the ultimate guide to getting eyes on your offers. Here’s what you’ll learn: 👉 The Dream 100 strategy to build partnerships with influencers and amplify your reach. 👉 Platform-specific tips for driving traffic on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. 👉 Why building your email list (traffic you own) is the key to long-term success. After using these strategies, I landed a partnership that brought me more leads in one week than I’d seen in months. Ready to level up? Watch now! #trafficsecrets #russellbrunson #dream100 #digitalmarketingtips #leadgeneration #emailmarketing #businessgrowth #entrepreneurship #marketingstrategy #scaleyourbusiness

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𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿? Here's how the ICP Grid revolutionizes customer targeting: 1️⃣ Focus Quadrant These are your dream clients. They align with your vision like stars in a constellation. Invest here. The ROI isn't just probable; it's promised. 2️⃣ Respond Quadrant Good fit, but they're not knocking on your door? They're your passive prospects. Keep the communication lines open, but don't chase. 3️⃣ Ignore Quadrant Low Product-Market Fit? Hard to reach? Don't let the sunk cost fallacy drain you. Your energy is better spent elsewhere. 4️⃣ Research Quadrant They're hard to get but worth the effort. They're the tough nuts that crack open to massive potential. Innovate your outreach. So, here’s the game plan: ✅ Double down on the "Focus". ✅ Stay alert on the "Respond". ✅ Sidestep the "Ignore". ✅ Dive deep into the "Research". Because when you know who to pursue, The chase isn’t just exciting. It's exponential. Visual from Chris Tottman

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Good agencies and great agencies are separated by one thing. People. I used to think it was process too. But, I think most agencies have virtually the same process. The difference in good process v bad process are the people executing that process and the quality at which they do it and how much they care. The name of an agency matters virtually zero. The people within the agency matter, a lot. The size of the agency, most of the time, doesn't matter a TON. The quality of the TEAM at that agency, that you are working with, matters. 3 A players will accomplish more (and a higher quality output) than a bigger group of B + C players. All this to say, if you are looking to build a great agency, you must find A players who care about the success of the agency and the clients you serve, almost as much as you do. When you find them -- pay them extremely well. Invest in their success, their happiness, their future. Most of the 'bad' agencies I chat with, don't charge their clients enough, or have a good enough margin, to support a team of A players, and it shows. They have high employee churn. In turn, high client churn. And worse, overall morale is low. Great agencies are made up of A players. Play like a champion, today :)

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These are the 3 most common "omission" finance mistakes I have seen SMB owners make: 1. Lack of clear goal 2. Don't understand the economics of growth 3. Don't know the difference between earnings & cash flow All are easily solvable.

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🧪 CRO Case Study Episode 54 One A/B test → 930K plus revenue 🚀 Swipe to learn how one A/B test added over $930K to our client's annual revenue. The Results Breakdown: +$77,558 per month +$930,696 per year (forecasted) +$0.58 revenue per session Bookmark this!

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Niche doesn't mean single-product. Data from TideMark's 2024 Vertical & SMB SaaS Benchmark Report backs this up. The sauce for Vertical SaaS is owning a niche and layering new products over time to grow 'share of wallet'... Here’s what I’ve learned from acquiring and operating Micro SaaS: // Product Expansion: - Start with your core offering, but always be mapping out adjacent pain points - Look for low-hanging fruit - features users are cobbling together with spreadsheets or third-party tools - Aim for products that increase switching costs and make your solution "stickier" // Acquisition vs. Development: - Sometimes it's faster to acquire a complementary product than build in-house - Look for small, bootstrapped tools in your vertical that solve adjacent problems - Assess potential acquisitions based on tech stack compatibility and integration ease // Pricing and Packaging: - Bundle strategically - not all products need to be sold separately - Use add-ons to increase ARPA without scaring off smaller customers - Consider usage-based pricing for auxiliary products to lower the barrier to adoption // Sales and Marketing: - Retrain your sales team on solution selling rather than product pitching - Develop clear ideal customer profiles for each product combination - Use your existing customer base as a testbed for new products // Technical Considerations: - Plan for integration from day one - whether building or buying - Prioritize a consistent user experience across products - Consider a modular architecture to facilitate future expansion // Metrics to Watch: - Track product adoption rates within your customer base - Monitor support ticket volume as you add products - Keep a close eye on churn rates for single-product vs. multi-product customers The multi-product approach isn't just about making more money. In smaller verticals, it's often the only path to building a substantial business. It's about creating an ecosystem that comprehensively serves your niche, making it harder for competitors to dislodge you. Depth plus breadth. But don’t diversify for the sake of it — be strategic, based on actual user needs and market dynamics. Follow me if you want to learn more about my journey of acquiring & operating Micro SaaS. For the love of the game 🏴‍☠️ ⚡ #Growth #Product #Strategy #Sales #Marketing

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Are investment decks important when running a raise? Darn right they are. They're the number one way to communicate what you're trying to build, the size of the market you're trying to disrupt and how big your business is going to get (as long as you build your GTM like Maja Voje shows!). Or are they? The quickest and easiest raise I've ran in the past 12 months has no deck. I mean it did have a deck. But rather than redesign it from the ground up once I got my hands on it, we just created a Notion page with all the info. No pretty design (above the great way Notion lets you present info), no silly mission/vision statements or nonsense words like 'empower', 'enable' and absolutely no use of the horrendous 'innovation'. And baby? That round is #done. In record time. Lesson? Decks are a way to convey the important information your investor needs to make a decision. But the actual information inside is far more important than what it looks like. ---------------------------------- Want to know what investor really thinks but is never going to tell you? Join myself and Chris Tottman (Founding GP at Notion Capital) on Dec 5th to hear 3 decks get roasted in all their raw and roasting glory. All attendees get a whole bunch of going home presents including the most up-to-date investor lists, cold email templates + more! Comment "ROAST" on this post to find out more!

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I've made this mistake... Many other agency founders make this mistake... Building a SaaS within an agency. Why? Because you lose focus on what matters: Keeping your clients happy. You can't be both the best service and the best software in the world at the same time. You can do one, but only if you focus. Thanks to John Ghiorso for reminding us on Confessions of a B2B Entrepreneur. Link to the full episode in the comments below 👇

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Tons of new business owners are missing out. You can get up to $100,000 in AWS credit (as in, no-payback) to build a proof-of-concept if you have an idea and a website. AWS Activate is the program. If you're a founder and you're looking to build cost-effectively before you have paying clients, check it out.

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Heres the thing I can tell you for sure after taking many companies 10-20MM Take time to build the right foundation Know your values and vision Know your audience and their needs And validate your goals and market Keep doing this right and in collaborations And you will find your PMF, GTM, Scale, Differentiation, Positioning Take time to build this right and you will scale seamlessly

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Don't you hate spammy outreach? Guess what, so do your agency's prospects. Here's how you can send non-spammy outreach: 1️⃣ Break your niche into subniches ↳ Say your niche is "tech startups". A subniche could be "Sillicon Valley based Series A tech startups who recently raised funding" 2️⃣ Build a list that matches your subniche ↳ Here's where you'll need to put in the time to identify your prospects or hire a service like ours to do it for you. 3️⃣ Research your prospects to identify potential areas of collaboration ↳ Jot down notes of potential areas where you can help them. If someone doesn't seem to need your help, eliminate them from the list. 4️⃣ Write a hyper-personalized sequence ↳ Mention something that shows you know (a) they're from Sillicon Valley, (b) they recently raised Series A, (c) potential areas they may need help in, (d) why you're reaching out and (e) ask them if they'd like to see a case study. 5️⃣ Book meetings ↳ For the positive responses, send the case study and ask them for a meeting to explore if you could do something similar for them. For the negatives, keep nurturing them with your content. Do this, and people will THANK YOU, for reaching out to them. 😃 If you need help implementing this, then reach out, we can eliminate all the manual, boring and hard work involved in the process from you. _______ To learn more about getting clients consistently for your agency from LinkedIn go to 🦖 Tudor D. then click the 🔔 icon. You’ll be notified every time I post and you’ll be sure never to miss important content! #agency #newclients #AscendancyProgram

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Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of SaaS founders wrestle with pricing strategy—and let me tell you, it’s not just about the numbers. It’s about psychology, design, and knowing your audience inside out. I’ve pulled together seven of the top insights I’ve picked up along the way when it comes to your pricing page. Whether you’re refining your current pricing page or building one from scratch, these tips will help turn browsers into buyers.👇 #PricingStrategy #SaaS #ConversionOptimization #CustomerExperience #BusinessGrowth

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Whether you're dipping your toes into SaaS acquisitions or looking to expand, understanding the diverse buyer profiles is key. Here's a quick rundown of SaaS acquirers by purchase price to identify where you fit and how to strategize: // <$250k: Side Hustlers: Look for low-maintenance, simple products. Ideal businesses demand <20 hours weekly and minimal support. // <$500k: First-Time Acquirers: With a technical/GTM background, focus on businesses matching your skills, requiring less than $500k capital. // $500k-$1M: Professional Portfolio Acquirers: Experienced? Aim for stable, recurring revenue businesses, managing 5-10 companies with 15-30% EBITDA margins. Serial Acquirers & Niche Specialists: Quick scalability or niche alignment is key, targeting businesses for growth and a perfect fit. // Over $1M: Corporate Integrators & Small Financial Sponsors: Major players seek strategic alignment, investing $3M-$10M for a 20-30% ROI. /Industry Consolidators & Strategic Diversifiers: Focus on efficiencies, market dominance, or diversifying through innovative models. A Reminder: Micro SaaS is a unique field — untouched by Institutional Private Equity and Strategics below $5M ARR, presenting a lucrative avenue for those ready to play smart. Which profile resonates with you? Whether you're aiming to buy, grow, or sell, positioning yourself correctly in the Micro SaaS universe is crucial. 👉 For a deeper dive into each buyer profile and strategic insights tailored to your journey, connect with us at Skaling Ventures. Link to substance in bio... #MicroSaaS #SaaSAcquisitions #StartupGrowth #SkalingVentures

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GOOD SEO brings $74.857 for every $10,000 you invest. Not seeing those numbers? Stop trusting your webmaster. “It takes time to rank.” “Your industry is competitive.” “Google changed the algorithm.” "Oh, you're ranking now... Clients will start coming in. (but we're not sure how...)" Ever heard those excuses? What they’re really saying is: "We don’t know how to deliver results. Settle for scraps." And yet, you keep pouring in cash, wondering if you’re even breaking even. High-quality SEO is MUCH more than rankings: • It converts clicks into clients. • It doesn’t take years to FEEL progress. • It SPIKES your dopamine levels every time you check your bank account. • You don’t even need to calculate ROI - you know it works. If your SEO isn’t making you money, let's fix it. Book a call & my team and I will show you strategies that work. https://lnkd.in/gDAMPJug

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The game is changing in the SaaS world and it's sparking some serious excitement over here! Why the hype? ✨ The old spray-and-pray method of mass acquisitions? It's on its way out. Why? Because customers today demand the best. And they're not settling for less. Here's where it gets exciting: companies that genuinely put their customers first are poised to dominate. Imagine a world where self-centered businesses become a thing of the past. That's a world I want to be part of! No pile of venture capital can sway this shift. It's already in motion. The elite players? Their Net Revenue Retention rates are soaring above 150%, with churn dipping below 5%. Even if they paused on new customer acquisition, they'd still outpace 99% of their competitors. But let's be clear: acquiring new customers hasn't lost its charm. The strategy, however, is evolving. It's no longer about signing up anyone and everyone. The focus has shifted to targeted acquisitions. Think customers who will truly benefit and grow alongside your product. 🌱 Growth is morphing into: - Strategic expansions and upsells - Pricing that reflects true value - A surge in word-of-mouth referrals Remember, those who prioritize their customers are the ones who will lead the pack 🚀

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Yesterday PitchBook dropped some new data showing Q2 activity up, and Modern Retail and Anna Hensel published a great article on Zombie brands. Sean Frank summarized it well. So what is the actual state of affairs? Do things suck? Or do things not suck? My take: We live in too much of a black and white world. Nuance and grey area are important. Take the Non-Alcoholic category for example. Twitter takes are hot that either Alcohol is DEAD, or Non-alcoholic is FOR SURE a fad. For me, the answer is in between. I don't need NA to take over the whole store, or even half the store. I need it to grow its shelf space from 1 to 1.5, or 2. Incremental changes, across a wide number of stores. That grows the market. It's not all or nothing. The current investment cycle is messy. There are large amounts of zombies. There are also large amounts of good companies successfully raising capital, quickly, that may trade at revenue multiples in the future. Both can be true, at the same time. Discerning investors and operators will continue to focus on fundamentals.

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Here's what happens when you price your SaaS in comparison to your competitors Assumption: - We get the sales - More profits - More Market shares - Competitive pricing if we reduce a few dollars. Reality: - Businesses avoid you due to a lack of social proof - Unclear pricing for features - Clients who were being unheard, ignore you too - Bad market penetration Better solution? - Build with your users. - Prices based upon them, not others - Address their needs and offering - Get sales, and market shares faster - Avoid competition as they don't matter - Scale and build trust with profits. Need I say more? You aren't making for your competitors It's for your users, so price for them. Want to scale your startup? Let's talk! Always, Arcui

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