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Vertical Focus: TakeLessons Raises $6 Million

Specialized verticals are a major part of the new marketplaces environment. One vertical we like is TeachStreet, a portal that helps consumers find teachers, and then helps sign them up and process payments. Along the same lines is TakeLessons, a…

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The ‘Common Elements of Successful Promotions’

We’ve been focused so much on deal a day that we sometimes forget it is just part of the mix when it comes to successful SMB promotions. Seth Gardenswartz of SpaBoom, a provider of promotion services for spas and restaurants,…

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So — Do We Buy Shares in Groupon? 8 Big Qs

So, do we buy shares in Groupon? We don’t provide investment advice, of course, but as we consider its prospects from a non-investment angle, we’ll be watching for answers to the following eight questions – none of which, unsurprisingly, is…

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MerchantCircle Sold to Reply for $60 Million

Reply has acquired MerchantCircle for $60 million in cash and stock in a deal that makes a big bet on SMB, vertical and social marketing. The deal, which should be completed in Q3, brings MerchantCircle’s list of 1.6 million SMBs…

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MerchantCircle Adds Request for Quote

MerchantCircle last week quietly added free Request for Quote services for its large base of 1.6 million local merchants, immediately sending out more than 180,000 quotes. The quotes are based on category and locale. Logistically, consumers who ask for quotes…

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MedCity Goes After Medical Hubs; Focus on News, City Guide

Some cities have unique professional communities that make them a company town with its own media. Washington D.C., of course, is a government town, well served by Bonneville’s WFED-AM. Similarly Huntsville, Alabama, is a space town; Los Angeles is a…

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Local.com Buys Krillion; Will Integrate Retail Information

Finally, we have the long awaited merger of a directory with a retail solution. Today, prior to its earnings call, Local.com announced it would integrate product and store availability into its growing suite of women-oriented services by acquiring Krillion.com. The…

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SeniorChecked Announces First Franchise Partnership

SeniorChecked, a national network that aids seniors with choosing trustworthy local service providers, is partnering with FirstLight HomeCare, a national franchise that provides non-medical in-home care for seniors. We spoke with SeniorChecked CEO Chris Spanos about trends in the local…

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Groupon Testing Real Estate Leads in Chicago

Groupon has been reaching deep into the verticals, first with home and garden, which launched a couple of weeks ago. Now it is testing real estate leads via a Chicago offer with Dream Town Realty. As first reported by Crain’s…

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Thumbtack: 30,000 Home and Trade Leads Last Week

The home and trade leads space was getting a lot of attention a year ago, with a number of social media driven leads companies hoping to cut in on longtime leaders such as ServiceMagic and Angie’s List. Among the contenders:…

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YPG Sells Trader Business

Canada's Yellow Media announced today that it has sold its Trader Corp. vertical media business to the private equity firm Apax Partners for C$745 million. The deal lets YPG focus on transforming its core directories business and the cash helps improve the…

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