Francis Walshe

Francis Walshe is training in Irish law and has spent several years working in legal and business environments, where he gained firsthand experience with financial regulations, compliance, and operational strategy. He studied law in Ireland and is on the path to qualifying as a lawyer there. With a sharp eye for how regulations, investment platforms, and financial tools work in real life—not just on paper—Francis now brings his insights to investigate and test financial tools here at The Digital Merchant.

Guidde vs. Whale Compared: Picking the Right Tool for Video Documentation

November 25, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Creating video documentation for standard operating procedures is the bane of many a business leader’s existence. It’s time-consuming, error-prone, and, frankly, boring. Thankfully, technology is finding increasingly useful solutions to this problem, with platforms like Guidde and Whale emerging to simplify procedural documentation — albeit in different ways. So, which represents the better potential investment … Read more

How to Exit Your Agency Business

November 25, 2025November 22, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Exiting a business you’ve spent years building is an exciting journey, but there are a lot of potential pitfalls you should be aware of. If you don’t give the process the respect it deserves, you could end up leaving a lot of money on the table. Of course, company sales are always complex, and the … Read more

My Top WalkMe Alternatives

November 19, 2025November 13, 2025 by Francis Walshe

WalkMe is a leading digital adoption platform that’s used to teach team members how to use enterprise software. With step-by-step walkthroughs that provide real-time assistance, it offers a suite of features to facilitate adoption, automate tasks, and analyze user engagement. However, it’s very much an enterprise tool. It’s a major investment with a steep learning … Read more

FE International vs Quiet Light Brokerage

November 12, 2025November 6, 2025 by Francis Walshe

If you’re new to the game of buying or selling businesses, you may not appreciate just how much work goes into it. Valuation, marketing, closing – if you don’t have experience with all of these, you could be facing an uphill battle. Luckily for you, business brokers exist for exactly this reason. They connect buyers … Read more

Best Online Notary Platforms for Legal Documents

November 10, 2025October 24, 2025 by Francis Walshe

There’s a lot of redundant tech out there these days. Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think businesses need a paid app to execute every function in existence. However, one use case that has definitely changed the game for the better is remote online notarization. As soon as you start using it, you’ll be baffled … Read more

Flippa vs Acquire: Where Should You Sell Your Business?

October 21, 2025October 21, 2025 by Francis Walshe

So, you’ve decided to sell your business, but you’re not sure how exactly to do it. The good news is that there are plenty of buy-and-sell platforms out there that can make life easier in this regard. The bad news is that it can be difficult to pick the most appropriate one for your needs. … Read more

How to Sell Your Profitable Blog

October 20, 2025October 18, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Selling a business of any type is a headache, and blogs are no different. Unless you’re fluent in the language of valuation and sales, you’ll need help getting the best possible price for your asset. So, how should you seek this help? You can start by reading this; I’ve covered everything you’ll need to know … Read more

Top Process Street Alternatives: My Picks

November 19, 2025September 25, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Is anyone still documenting workflows manually in 2025? There are countless tools that can take the pain out of this tedious task nowadays. Of course, as is often the case in the world of B2B SaaS, this poses its own problem. There’s just too much choice. Process Street is one of the leading workflow documentation … Read more

OneNotary vs. NotaryCam: A CPA’s Perspective

September 29, 2025September 23, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Alright guys, let’s talk about some real dry content for a minute. I use notary services often, probably over 10 or 15 times a week, so it’s important for me to have on demand access to notary services as needed if my book keeper isn’t nearby to notarize something for me quickly. The reason? Well, … Read more

Best Notarize Alternatives

October 3, 2025September 16, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Picking a notary service is unlikely to be the most crucial move you make in your business this year. However, if you’re regularly getting documents notarized, it is worth thinking about the provider you’re using. Notarize is probably the leading name in this space, but it’s not necessarily the best for every business (or even … Read more

Where to Sell Your Shopify Store

October 6, 2025September 5, 2025 by Francis Walshe

So, you’ve poured your blood, sweat, and tears into a Shopify store, generated a consistent revenue stream, and decided that the time has come to make an exit and sail off into the sunset. Great! Well, maybe. A lot of Shopify entrepreneurs underestimate the selling process. If you make the wrong deal, you could end … Read more

Website Closers vs Quiet Light

August 21, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Website Closers and Quiet Light are two of the best-known names in the medium-to-large business brokerage space. They both serve a range of industries and offer a thorough, high-touch service. However, there are big differences between the pair in terms of their commission structure, preferred deal sizes, and approach to scouting for buyers. I’ve put … Read more

Website Closers Review: Should You Let Them Sell Your Business?

August 17, 2025 by Francis Walshe

If you’re looking to exit your online business, you’re probably going to want a broker to help you find a suitable buyer willing to pay a good price. The good news is there are plenty of options in this space. The bad news is that finding the right broker for your specific situation can be … Read more

Best Amazon Business Brokers for 2025

August 18, 2025August 13, 2025 by Francis Walshe

The market for Amazon FBA businesses has evolved significantly in recent years. After a price boom in 2021, valuations for Amazon brands have come down from their peak. If you’re considering selling your Amazon business, it’s important to understand the impact these shifting sands may have. If you’re more familiar with the day-to-day operations of … Read more

Best Accounts Payable Solutions for Every Business Size and Budget

August 22, 2025July 23, 2025 by Francis Walshe

Some people work to live, while others live to work, but almost nobody enjoys managing accounts payable transactions. So, why not invest in a tool that can do it for you? Luckily for you, there are many such tools on the market these days, and they all offer something different. Of course, too much choice … Read more

Top Airbase Alternatives

July 21, 2025July 9, 2025 by Francis Walshe

If you’ve ever tried to manage business payments without a dedicated finance team, you know that it’s more often than not a massive headache. Luckily, emerging tech solutions have made it much easier to manage financial inflows and outflows efficiently. Airbase is one such solution. It’s primarily an expense management tool, and it’s especially well-known … Read more