Growth through merging: Tips from two businesswomen

Thinking of expanding? Merging could be an option. Discover the history of Origine and its co-founders' tips on how to successfully navigate this process.

The birth of Origine

Origine is an innovative platform that showcases agriculture and food businesses. It allows people with an interest in homegrown Quebec products to sign up for farm activities, buy local products and discover Quebec's agri-food sector through inspiring articles, videos and podcasts.

The company is led by Safia Barrou and Alyssa Martone Martel. Safia owns the farm Au Gîte des Oies [in French only] and also runs an agri-food media outlet. Alyssa organizes agritourism outings. At first, the idea of merging never crossed their minds.

From collaborating to merging

Safia approached Alyssa with the idea to be not just associates but partners. “Alyssa was doing what we wanted to do, and I've always thought that if you have more people, you can bake a bigger pie, and then everyone can have a bigger piece of that pie,” says Safia.

The connections seemed obvious. The women found they had similar values, the same customers and complementary offerings.

They collaborated first by exchanging ideas, forming various partnerships and later by sharing workspace. Three years later, they decided to merge. “When it came time to launch the web store, it no longer made sense to stay separate,” explains Alyssa. “We were constantly exchanging invoices and explaining who owned what. Merging would also allow us to save on legal and accounting fees,” she says. They merged all their activities except for Safia's farm and consulting services.

The results have been extremely positive. The beaming smiles on both women's faces speak volumes. “This merger has allowed us to move beyond mere survival,” says Safia. “We achieved our goals much faster than expected. Together, we not only go further, we go faster! It's definitely more exciting,” she says.

But their success doesn't stop there. This project marks the start of an expansion that, according to the two business owners, will include the opening of several other brick-and-mortar shops.

Five tips for a successful merger

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