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The WordPress plugin market has gone through a wave of acquisitions. Financial buyers replaced founders, and the products changed – ads in your dashboard, price hikes, admin panels you can’t remove, and lock-in to ecosystems you didn’t choose. Now that you understand why that happened, the next step is simple: audit what you’re running and know who owns and supports every tool your business depends on.
In this episode, Charly covers:
✔️ How the WordPress plugin ecosystem works and why people in the community built tools like LearnDash, The Events Calendar, Cadence WP, and GiveWP
➡️ What happened when private equity started acquiring these plugins during the COVID era
⚡ Why the founders left after the acquisitions
✨ What changed for users – dashboard ads, forced rebranding, workforce cuts, and websites now redirecting to Liquid Web
❗ Why this pattern isn’t just a WordPress story – it’s what happens when financial buyers enter any ecosystem built on trust
⭐ Why you should audit your WordPress plugin stack before next Monday
This is Part 1 of a series on the effect of private equity, mergers and acquisitions on the WordPress plugin ecosystem and what it means for business owners.
Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me
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Music and Credits to:
Paradise Found is covered under Creative Commons.
“Paradise Found”
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/licenses/
https://rumble.com/v79zevu-what-do-wordpress-plugin-acquisitions-mean-for-you-2026717.html
Life is busy and there's just so many things to remember. What tools do you use to help you keep on top of ALL the things?
It's easy to react or respond quickly to messages and the like. It's better to do that mindfully. That's why I try to Practice The Pause.
If you’re bringing in extra help over Christmas or changing how work gets done while people are away, what happens to the information your business handles? An arrangement that keeps work moving can potentially expose customer details and confidential business information to unauthorised people.
✅ What access and data are you handing over along with the work when someone steps in for Christmas?
➡️ Why does an email forward matter?
⚡ What does your automation keep after it’s finished its job?
⭐ What should you do when you return from a break?
If you’re making arrangements for the break, join Charly for Firewall Friday. What precautions are you taking with your automations over Christmas?
Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me
(1 per person only)
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...
Getting ready for the Christmas holiday break? The automated response when someone submits an enquiry from your website can perform a vital function in setting expectations and conveying holiday information.
Charly’s preparing holiday notifications in Gravity Forms for today’s Walkthrough Wednesday.
➡️ What do you need to convey in the message?
⚡ How do you add multiple notifications in Gravity Forms?
⭐ When should you get the messages ready?
✅ Who can make the changes?
Get organised now before business takes off.
Have you started your festive season plans yet?
Book a Free 30 minute Breakthrough Session: https://askcharlyleetham.com/book-me
(1 per person only)
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Locals: https://askcharlyleetham.locals.com
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Instagram: ...
Could your small business win work with a large company or government? Being good at what you do matters, but a prospective buyer also wants to know they can depend on you.
Bronwyn Reid, business mentor and author of Small Company Big Business, joins Charly to discuss what it takes to become that supplier. Drawing on nearly 30 years of supplying larger organisations through her environmental services business, Bronwyn shares some hard-earned lessons:
✅ Why a bigger buyer might see risk where you see great service.
➡️ What’s worth preparing before a contract catches your eye.
⚡ Where smaller businesses can find opportunities they might otherwise overlook.
⭐ Why competing for work doesn’t rule out working together.
A larger contract could bring more consistent income, but is your business ready to take it on?
Join Charly and Bronwyn for a conversation about closing that gap, including the work involved and where to find help.
Connect with Bronwyn
Website: https://bronwynreid.com.au
Facebook: ...
