Blake Hutchinson, CEO of Flippa.com, discusses the evolution and challenges of the online business marketplace. The Flippa platform facilitates the sale of online businesses in five core business models: online publishing, e-commerce, SaaS, iOS/Android apps, and YouTube channels, with 425,000 AI matches weekly. Blake highlights the importance of supply acquisition, the growing interest from institutional investors, and the demand for quality assets focusing on traditional, recession-proof industries.
“We are enabling local entrepreneurs to exit to global investors.”
Blake Hutchison
What You’ll Learn
How It Works: Get an insider’s view on how digital asset acquisitions work, their growth trajectory, what sells, and what is challenging about the platform economy.
Strengths: The importance of building a robust matching engine and buyer base to facilitate efficient cross-border transactions in the online business M&A space.
Weaknesses: The nuances in selling different types of online businesses – from the relative ease of selling YouTube channels to the challenges around SaaS and app-based models.
Opportunities: The evolving landscape of online business acquisitions, with institutional investors increasingly active in the lower middle market segment.
Threats: The need for online business owners to proactively address concentrations of risk and diversify their revenue streams to make their businesses more attractive to buyers.
“The platform economy is rich, it’s powerful, it’s fast-growing.”
Blake Hutchison
Topics Covered
How and when did Flippa.com start? What was the biggest challenge? [1:24]
What kind of online businesses sell on a digital platform? [6:53]
What is currently the most desirable of all the assets to purchase/sell? [11:19]
What’s the toughest type of business to sell? [15:32]
What acquisition trends have been prevalent in the past year or so? [20:14]
How are concentrations of risk addressed? [23:22]
What are the trends in the globalization of deals? [29:03]
How does the matching process of buyers to sellers work on Flippa.com? [32:31]
What will the trends be over the next 1-2 years? [37:02]
Blake Hutchison has been at the helm of Flippa’s global operations for over five years, spearheading a transformative journey in the realm of mergers and acquisitions for online business owners worldwide. Passionate about creating value for customers, partners, and stakeholders alike, Blake is relentless in his pursuit of innovation and growth opportunities. His commitment extends beyond business success to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, and collaboration across Flippa’s global offices in Austin, Amsterdam, Melbourne, and Manila.
You’ve invested your blood, sweat, and tears into an enterprise that has provided for you, your family and your employees. The moment has finally come for you to start a new chapter in your life. Explore your options now.