They Got Acquired - How a strategic barter led to this sale

September 10, 2024
​Read on web​

When founder Ibrahim Zafar worried about maintaining his company’s growth, he got creative.

He had started his video production company Lens End Media at age 27, in March 2020, and rode an unexpected wave of initial success during the virtual years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two years later, that wave began to ebb. He’d already worked his way through his personal referral network as a way of bringing in new business, and he didn’t have the clout or experience to cold call marketing managers at large companies.

“When you're that young, you don't have a lot of friends in high places,” he said. “I knew that I wasn't able to make those big phone calls yet in my career.”

So he decided to lean on his company’s online presence to bring in leads. He hired a contractor to optimize their website for search, but he had one big problem...

He didn’t have the deep pockets necessary to bring in a top-tier web designer.

Instead, he approached a design firm and offered a barter: If they built his website, he would produce a documentary they wanted.

They agreed. That website brought in more than new business. It helped the company attract an acquisition offer.

Here’s what happened next:

​How a strategic barter helped this founder scale up his video production company​

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Behind the business (of TGA)

Headcount is often seen as a measure of success.

You hire a lot, you've built a great business... right?

But in practice, for many of us, what's hot is being LEAN. 🔥

The fewer employees you need to run your business, the better.

That revenue-per-employee ratio is what really deserves 👀

Feeling this vibe in your own business? Or perhaps you have a different perspective? Join the conversation on this LinkedIn post.

See you next time,

Lexi Grant
Founder & CEO
​They Got Acquired​

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