Inc. 5000


Recent Inc. 5000 Articles

Why You Need to Get Your Hands Dirty

By Langley Steinert |  Nov 15, 2012

When a start-up grows to a larger company, strong leaders should stay hands on.  Read more

Brightbox: Turning an Idea Into a Start-up

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 15, 2012

A start-up that has developed a venue-based charging station for mobile devices offers some valuable lessons in defining and building a business model around...  Read more

When Special Interest Groups Attack

By Peter Gasca |  Nov 15, 2012

You have not fully appreciated the entrepreneurial journey until you've gone up against a special interest group. Our battle was against one of the biggest.....  Read more

Demystifying Small Business Valuation

By Mike Handelsman |  Nov 14, 2012

A successful small business sale begins with a solid grasp of business valuation. Here's what you need to know to set your company at the right price.  Read more

5 Things That Really Smart People Do

By Kevin Daum |  Nov 14, 2012

Don't get in the way of your own learning. Here are five ways to step aside and continue to increase your smarts.  Read more

3 Basics of Facebook Analytics

By Janine Popick |  Nov 14, 2012

You've got a few months' worth of Facebook activity under your belt. Now's the time to dig into the data and see what's working.  Read more

Lessons From a Time Square Street Peddler

By Matthew Swyers |  Nov 13, 2012

A street hawker may seem like an unlikely teacher, but you can use their simple techniques to increase the power of your sales force.  Read more

3 Signs It's Time to Quit Your Day Job

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 13, 2012

You can't choose a path to entrepreneurship - it chooses you. Here are three signs that it's time to leave your corporate job and start chasing your dream.  Read more

The Zombie Guide to Human Resources

By James Archer |  Nov 12, 2012

If your team was the last surviving band of humans in a city overrun by zombies, you wouldn't let just anybody through the door would you?  Read more

Going Global: It's Not If, But When

By Curt Richardson |  Nov 12, 2012

For many companies the complex and daunting task of operating globally is inevitable.  Read more

The Marketing Playbook Has Changed 

By Brian Halligan |  Nov 10, 2012

Brian Halligan, founder of HubSpot, talks about the challenges within the changing landscape of marketing.  Watch video

How to Restart Your Business's Engine

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 9, 2012

A growing business will eventually hit a growth plateau. Here are four steps to power through the plateau and put your business on a new growth trajectory.  Read more

3 Ways to Overcome Buyer's Fears

By Kevin Daum |  Nov 9, 2012

The new normal for buyers is an attitude of fear and uncertainty. Here are three tips on how to get buyers interested in what you have to offer.  Read more

Dealing with a Midlife Crisis - for Your Business

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 8, 2012

Ask yourself these seven questions to determine if your business has reach a plateau and you don't know what to do next.  Read more

What Strategic Advisers Can Do For You

By Shazi Visram |  Nov 8, 2012

Advisers have a stake in your business's success and take on the responsibility of corporate governance.  Read more

How Obama Will Help or Hurt Your Business Sale

By Mike Handelsman |  Nov 8, 2012

President Obama won't have much time to celebrate his win as several key issues loom that could have a large effect on your ability to sell a business.  Read more

5 Steps to Handling a Customer Complaint

By Matthew Swyers |  Nov 7, 2012

Your employees may be turning customers away. Teach them these simple steps to navigate through a customer service issue.  Read more

Infographics Are Hot, Your Boring Data Is Not

By Janine Popick |  Nov 6, 2012

Turn your boring piles of stats, data and other information into an eye-catching infographic using these three steps.  Read more

Stop Procrastinating & Plan for 2013

By Kevin Daum |  Nov 6, 2012

If you're not planning for the coming year then you better believe that your competitors are. Here are three solutions to get you going before it's too late.  Read more

3 Ways to Prep Your Business for Sale

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 6, 2012

Selling your business is a rigorous process, so the more you can do in advance, the more likely you are to realize a successful transaction when the time is ...  Read more

The Election Could Affect the Sale of Your Business

By Mike Handelsman |  Nov 5, 2012

Before you vote, take a look at how either candidate could impact your ability to successfully exit your small business.  Read more

What's Your Unfair Advantage?

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 5, 2012

Anything that is worth copying will be copied, so how do you establish an advantage? By building something that cannot easily be copied or bought.  Read more

Where CEOs Spend Their Time (& Money) on Social Media

By Janine Popick |  Nov 2, 2012

A new survey shows that more small business owners are not only using social media but they are willing to pay for help.  Read more

24 Things You Can Do With an Extra Hour

By Kevin Daum |  Nov 2, 2012

Daylight Savings ended and now you have an extra hour every day. Here are 24 things you can do to get the most from that extra hour.  Read more

Do the Numbers Add Up for Your New Venture?

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 2, 2012

Any new business model must include sources of revenue, costs, as well as key metrics for measuring success. Here's how we modeled our potential new venture.  Read more

Expenses (& Perks) of Working Abroad

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Nov 1, 2012

Expanding your business internationally may create new opportunities for employees to work abroad. Here's how to make the experience a positive one.  Read more

5 Baby Steps Toward Going Global

By Janine Popick |  Oct 31, 2012

Doing business abroad doesn't necessarily have to take a Herculean effort, especially if you sell your products or services online.  Read more

The Case for Hiring Unskilled Workers

By Michael E. Gerber |  Oct 31, 2012

Did you create your business with the intent of gaining freedom and financial security? Here's how to get what you want without creating just another job for...  Read more

3 Ways to Avoid Hiring Nightmares

By Kevin Daum |  Oct 31, 2012

Want to waste less time and money on the wrong hires? Follow this bit of unexpected advice.  Read more

4 Tips to Stay on the High-Growth Track

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Oct 30, 2012

Getting off the ground is only the first challenge. As your business grows, your role must change to keep that growth going.  Read more

4 Dysfunctions That Will Eat Away at a Growing Business

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Oct 29, 2012

Small problems can grow quickly as a company grows. Here a several that are known to plague even the best teams.  Read more

How to Make Your B2B Content Sexy

By Janine Popick |  Oct 26, 2012

Don't dismiss the power of great content. You could be missing tons of new traffic to your website and the sales it will surely produce.  Read more

A Tale of Horror From the Hiring Desk

By Kevin Daum |  Oct 26, 2012

Who knows what terror lurks out there in the land of potential hires. Follow our CEO heroine as she learns valuable hiring lessons in this 2-part Halloween t...  Read more

Ditch Your Strategy, Keep Your Vision

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Oct 26, 2012

Winning strategies are not set in concrete, but your long-term vision should remain rooted.  Read more

4 Myths of Global Branding

By Matthew Swyers |  Oct 25, 2012

What rights do you have when protecting your trademark internationally? You may be surprised.  Read more