business.com

Business.com, Inc. was founded in 1999 by Jake Winebaum, previously chairman of the Walt Disney Internet Group; and Sky Dayton, founder of Earthlink, Boingo Wireless, and Helio, among others.{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.03/helio.html|title=Sky Dayton Gets Mobile|publisher=Wired|last=Rose|first=Frank|date=March 2006|accessdate=2008-07-10}} Around that time, the Business.com domain name was purchased from Marc Ostrofsky by Winebaum's eCompanies Ventures for $7.5 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.pr.com/press-release/89370|title=One Word Domain Name Sales Reach Record Levels|publisher=PR.com|date=2008-06-11|accessdate=2008-07-10}}{{cite web |last=Wingfield |first=Nick |date=1997-06-04 |title=Domain name fetches record price |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-200256.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925065818/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-200256.html |archive-date=September 25, 2012 |accessdate=2008-07-10 |website=CNET |publisher=}} In addition to investment by eCompanies, early funding in the amount of $61 million was provided in 2000 by Pearson PLC, Reed Business Information, McGraw Hill, and others.{{cite news |date=2004-11-08 |title=Business.com Secures New Round of Financing; Growth Potential of Business Search Drives $10 Million Investment from Benchmark Capital |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Nov_8/ai_n6333998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050529023210/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Nov_8/ai_n6333998 |archive-date=May 29, 2005 |accessdate=2008-07-10 |publisher=Business Wire}} In its initial form, Business.com aimed to be the Internet's leading search engine for small business and corporate information.{{cite web|url=https://www.business.com/ |title=Something ventured: Renewed VC Interest In A Pricey Name |last=Loftus |first=Peter |publisher=business.com (Dow Jones Newswires) |date=2004-12-08 |accessdate=2022-02-01 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806025655/http://www.business.com/info/news/sv.asp |archivedate=August 6, 2007 }}

Business.com struggled through the Dot-com bubble years.{{cite news|url=http://interactive.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/dotcomlayoffs.htm|title=Dot-Com Layoffs and Shutdowns|publisher=The Wall Street Journal Online|date=2001-11-28|accessdate=2008-07-11|archive-date=2008-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509071506/http://interactive.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/dotcomlayoffs.htm|url-status=dead}} The company retooled beginning in 2002 after massive layoffs and a new focus on developing a pay for performance ad network model.{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2008/05/01/technology/businesscom.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008050211|title=Business.com's winding road|publisher=CNNMoney.com|date=2008-05-02|accessdate=2008-07-10 | first=Richard | last=Siklos}} In April 2003, the company achieved profitability, and on November 8, 2004, the company secured an additional $10 million in venture capital funding from Benchmark Capital.

Having purchased the domain in 2001,{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2001-04-16 |title=Business.com Launches Version 2.0 with Enhanced Content and Features |url=http://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/Digest/Businesscom-Launches-Version-20-with-Enhanced-Content-and-Features-17616.asp |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=newsbreaks.infotoday.com}}{{Cite web |last=Pham |first=Alex |date=2001-03-31 |title=Work.com Is Sold for Mere $500,000 to Business.com |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-mar-31-fi-45008-story.html |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} Business.com launched Work.com on October 9, 2006. The site included business how-to guides contributed by the small business community.{{cite web|url=https://www.business.com/ |title=Work.com launches to help small businesses tackle their most important business tasks |publisher=Business.com |date=2006-10-09 |accessdate=2022-02-01 }} Work.com was sold in March 2012 and is now a corporate performance management platform owned by Salesforce.{{Cite web |last=Allemann |first=Andrew |date=2012-03-15 |title=Did Salesforce.com acquire Work.com domain name? |url=https://domainnamewire.com/2012/03/15/salesforce-work-com/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Domain Name Wire {{!}} Domain Name News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Allemann |first=Andrew |date=2012-07-30 |title=Salesforce.com buys Work.com domain name |url=https://domainnamewire.com/2012/07/30/salesforce-com-buys-work-com-domain-name/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Domain Name Wire {{!}} Domain Name News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Rao |first=Leena |date=2012-09-19 |title=Salesforce Debuts Rypple-Powered Work.com To Help Companies Manage Talent, Partners With Facebook |url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/19/salesforce-debuts-rypple-powered-work-com-to-help-companies-manage-talent/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

Then on July 26, 2007, after beating out Dow Jones & Company, the New York Times Company, IAC/InterActiveCorp, and News Corp, print and interactive marketing company R.H. Donnelley Corporation announced plans to acquire Business.com in a deal valued at $345 million. The deal closed on August 23, 2007.{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=94712|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114030621/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=94712|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 14, 2009|title=Business.com, Inc.|publisher=BusinessWeek|accessdate=2008-07-10}}{{Cite web |date=2007-07-26 |title=Business.com Sells for $350 Million |url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/07/26/businesscom-sells-for-350-million/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

In June 2009, R.H. Donnelley filed for bankruptcy.{{cite web|url=http://domainnamewire.com/2009/06/02/businesscom-owner-files-for-bankruptcy/|title=Business.com Owner Files for Bankruptcy|work=Domain Name Wire|date=June 2, 2009|accessdate=2009-06-18}} The company emerged from Chapter 11 as Dex One Corporation on February 1, 2010.{{Cite web |last=Hosford |first=Christopher |date=February 2, 2010 |title=R.H. DONNELLEY EMERGES FROM BANKRUPTCY AS DEX ONE |url=https://adage.com/article/btob/r-h-donnelley-emerges-bankruptcy-dex/281566 |access-date=March 22, 2024 |website=Ad Age}} In February 2011, Resource Nation acquired the brand and associated assets of Business.com. JMI Equity provided funding in support of the transaction.

In January 2013, the appointment of Tony Uphoff as CEO was announced.{{cite web |last=Mickey |first=Bill |date=2013-01-15 |title=Tony Uphoff Named CEO |url=http://www.foliomag.com/2013/tony-uphoff-named-ceo-business-com-media-inc#.UT_c3xzijLk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118053945/http://www.foliomag.com/2013/tony-uphoff-named-ceo-business-com-media-inc#.UT_c3xzijLk |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |publisher=FOLIO Mag}} In March 2013, Business.com launched a site refresh, new logo and new suite of products.{{cite web|title=Business.com blog|publisher=Business.com|url=https://www.business.com/articles/5-ways-to-minimize-your-start-up-costs/|date=March 2013|access-date=2022-02-01|archive-date=2013-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316035930/http://www.business.com/blog/the-new-business-com/|url-status=dead}} New content management, analytics, and big data platforms were introduced in August 2014.{{cite web |date=2014-08-11 |title=Business.com Press Release on Site Transformation and B2B Digital Media |url=https://www.business.com/articles/thank-you-page/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150222235435/http://www.business.com/info/pr/businesscom-revolutionizes-b2b-digital-media/ |archive-date=2015-02-22 |access-date=2022-02-01 |publisher=Business.com}}

In June 2016, Business.com was acquired by Purch Group.{{Cite web |last=Ha |first=Anthony |date=June 22, 2016 |title=Purch acquires small-business site Business.com |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/22/purch-acquires-business-com/ |access-date=2016-08-07 |website=TechCrunch}} When Future plc acquired Purch's consumer properties in 2018, Business.com was not included and was instead spun off as an independent company.{{Cite web |last=Guaglione |first=Sara |date=September 7, 2018 |title=Future PLC Acquires Purch's B2C Brands, B2B Division Renamed Business.com |url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/324817/future-plc-acquires-purchs-b2c-brands-b2b-divisi.html |access-date=2019-10-16 |website=Mediapost.com |language=en}}

Business.com serves advertisers looking to reach small and mid-sized business.{{Cite web |title=Reach in-market buyers at all stages |url=https://www.business.com/connect/ |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=business.com |language=en}} Advertising customers include some of the largest B2B brands in B2B such as Intel, Salesforce, Marketo, ADP, Sprint as well as smaller brands. Its suite of digital marketing products include display advertising, pay per click, email marketing, content marketing demand generation, and lead generation for sales ready leads.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

In December, 2014, the company launched LENS, a lead expansion and nurturing service, as part of their demand generation product set.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

Business.com has been named as a Best Place to Work by the San Diego Business Journal in 2012, 2013, 2014.{{cite web|title=San Diego Business Journal 2014 Best Places to Work|publisher=SDBJ.com|url=http://www.cbjonline.com/a3sdbj/resources/supplements/PDF/20140818_BPW.pdf|date=August 2014}} In October 2014, the website was ranked #1 on Inc.com's '50 Websites Your Startup Needs to Succeed'.{{cite web |last=Hendricks |first=Drew |date=October 2, 2014 |title=50 Websites Your Startup Needs to Succeed |url=http://www.inc.com/drew-hendricks/50-websites-your-startup-needs-to-succeed.html |publisher=Inc.com}}

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• {{Official website|www.business.com}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Business.Com}}

Category:Privately held companies based in California

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Category:Companies based in Carlsbad, California