In the high-stakes world of mergers and acquisitions, big corporations usually set the rules. But Ruth Berenstein has made a career out of rewriting them. As a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Hostly, she has built and scaled companies by leveraging strategic acquisitions, turning underperforming assets into industry leaders. Her playbook features a mix of sharp negotiations, operational efficiency, and an instinct for seeing value in areas others don’t.
Most entrepreneurs focus on building companies from scratch, spending years perfecting products, acquiring customers, and establishing brand credibility. Berenstein does that too, but she’s also mastered an approach that gives her an edge—buying, restructuring, and scaling existing businesses to accelerate growth. This strategy allows her to sidestep many of the risks and time-consuming challenges that come with starting from the ground up. “When you acquire a business, you’re buying assets, you’re inheriting relationships, supply chains, and market position,” she explains. “If you know how to optimize those, you can create enormous value overnight.”
Her ability to see potential where others see failure has allowed her to compete with multi-billion-dollar corporations that typically dominate industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality. Instead of trying to outspend them—which would be almost impossible—she outmaneuvers them, utilizing agility and precision where larger companies rely on sheer size and extensive budgets. “Big corporations often move slowly because of bureaucratic red tape,” she notes. “As a smaller, independent operator, I can make strategic decisions quickly, pivot when needed, and implement changes without waiting for layers of approval.”
For Berenstein, acquisitions aren’t just a means of expansion—they’re a strategy for rapid transformation. While many entrepreneurs dream of building the next billion-dollar startup, she believes more should consider acquisitions as a viable investment and growth strategy. “There are countless businesses with great potential that are mismanaged or undervalued,” she says. “If you know how to fix what’s broken, you can bypass years of slow growth and step straight into profitability.”
Despite the opportunities that acquisitions present, most small and mid-sized business owners avoid them, assuming the process is too complex, expensive, or risky. That’s where Berenstein is working to change the narrative. Through mentorship, speaking engagements, and educational content, she’s helping entrepreneurs understand that mergers and acquisitions aren’t just for massive corporations with deep pockets. “You don’t need to be a Fortune 500 CEO to play this game,” she explains. “You just need to know the rules and how to leverage them to your advantage.”
The business landscape is changing, and traditional models of organic growth are no longer the only—or even the best—path to success. Market disruptions, shifts in consumer behavior, and evolving technology mean that businesses must be more adaptable than ever. Corporate takeovers are no longer reserved for the Wall Street elite. Entrepreneurs willing to embrace M&A strategies can position themselves for exponential success. “You don’t need a billion-dollar budget to make a power move. You need the right strategy,” Berenstein emphasizes.
As she continues to expand her portfolio, acquiring businesses and guiding others through the process, Ruth Berenstein is proving that the art of the corporate takeover isn’t just for industry giants. It’s a powerful tool that, when used strategically, can help independent entrepreneurs build empires.
