A Phoenix-based consulting firm that aims to help startups grow has formed a new partnership to provide merger and acquisition support to entrepreneurs.
LetsScale recently announced a partnership with STS Capital Partners, a global mergers and acquisitions firm specializing in sell-side consulting and advisory services for business owners, said LetsScale founder Saul Sutton.
Through the partnership, LetsScale is now able to help companies navigate complexities of mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence and integration plans, he said.
Sutton was introduced to STS Capital Partners via a business relationship with Valley entrepreneur Wayne Bell, who is a managing director and advisor with STS Capital Partners, Sutton said.
LetsScale helps early-stage startups launch their ideas while assisting established companies evaluate strengths and find new opportunities to scale operations. It creates customized growth strategies and pairs clients with seasoned professionals they might not otherwise find in a traditional hiring environment. Those executives are placed within organizations to enhance efficiency and increase revenue, Sutton said.
The company was launched in 2020 and has grown into a firm with revenue in the seven figures, year-over-year growth and plans to add six employees in the future, Sutton said.
“We want to be there when you need us to grow. We're actually very affordable compared to our competitors by design,” Sutton said. “Also, because I don't have a highly expensive overhead team, it gives us a huge advantage, which is more agility and allows us to focus on the value and benefit to our clients above anything else.”
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LetsScale has worked with clients that include Dell, American Express, Amazon, Arizona-based Desert Forrest Nursery and Cadogan, a luxury men's clothing brand in Los Angeles, according to the firm's website.
LetsScale helped Cadogan with growth strategy and securing a consultant to assist with profitability goals, said founder Cadogan Price.
“Through his network, Saul introduced us to a gentleman who joined the team and added value to the work that we’re doing,” Price said. “Saul added value around bigger growth strategies. He has experience with capital raise and ultimately growing businesses. It was interesting to see him come to the table with introductions of kind-hearted people. He’s doing a great job of building out his network and trying to take care of the people he works with, and that goes a long way.”
From Amazon to business consultant
Sutton’s journey into entrepreneurship and corporate leadership began while working at Amazon, helping to grow the company’s delivery services across the nation.
After leaving Amazon in 2018, Sutton co-founded medical staffing startup Ease Inc. with his brother Nathan Harris, he said.
During the pandemic, he found opportunity to support businesses' growth by helping them address areas in which they lacked resiliency, in addition to connecting them with partners to navigate complex challenges. That led Sutton to launch LetsScale.
In the past year, LetsScale has worked with nearly a dozen companies to enhance operational efficiencies via the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s MBDA program, Sutton said.
Sutton has recently joined the Arizona Commerce Authority as a mentor, supporting initiatives such as the Arizona Innovation Challenge, one of the largest business plan competitions in the country, he said.
LetsScale — which describes itself as a Christian consulting firm whose guiding principles are to lead with empathy, integrity and compassion — donates 10% of profits to churches as well as local and international charities, Sutton said.
“Our aspiration is to become the premier boutique Christian consulting firm for small to medium-sized businesses, with a focus on agility and innovation," he said.
EnduringLeaders conference
Sutton said he’s looking forward to expanding LetsScale’s network of partners as well as increasing support for underrepresented groups in Arizona.
On Nov. 8, LetsScale is hosting EnduringLeaders, a conference celebrating of exceptional founding management teams. The event will feature workshops, networking and panels, including a leadership discussion with venture capital investor Diana Sankovic; Bell of STS Capital Partners; Sean Richards, head of quality and growth at Vincit; and Marc Kiven, founder of Chicago ad-tech startup Signal, which was acquired by credit reporting agency TransUnion in 2020.
In addition, LetsScale is planning a CEO roundtable in January for established business owners with high-growth companies to connect and share resources. Sutton will release additional details about the roundtable during a fireside chat at LetsScale’s EnduringLeaders conference.
Sutton said he's committed to helping local companies flourish in the local startup ecosystem.
“I believe in the growth here, and it’s one of the most innovative hubs, I say, in the country," he said. "But it’s still a place of relationships and we want to share our resources. Community has always been our thing.”
