Inc. 5000


Recent Inc. 5000 Articles

Why You Should Be Geeked About Data

By Janine Popick |  Apr 23, 2012

We ran three marketing tests-with surprising results. Here's what our data revealed about the clicking habits of customers.  Read more

The Cure for Rose-Colored Glasses Syndrome

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 23, 2012

Entrepreneurs are often incurable optimists. But if your optimism is clouding your vision, small problems can turn into business-threatening issues.  Read more

Lessons From a Scientist-Turned-Entrepreneur 

By Tim Rice |  Apr 20, 2012

Bonnie Schnitta, founder of SoundSense, a noise-reduction consultancy, seeks out advice from financial and legal experts.  Watch video

How to Cultivate a Culture of Caring

By Curt Richardson |  Apr 20, 2012

It's not enough to have a great product anymore. Consumers want to buy into company culture.  Read more

When It's Time to Throw Out Your Business Plan

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 20, 2012

Successfully growing your business requires regular questioning of the key elements of your plan. Here are five tips for keeping your business model fresh.  Read more

What You Can Learn from a Deal Gone Bad

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 19, 2012

By taking the time to reflect on why you lost a customer or failed to close a sale, you'll find ways to improve on the next one.  Read more

You Can’t Make Unfriendly People Friendly

By Glen Blickenstaff |  Apr 19, 2012

Customer service is a tough job. Don't make it more difficult by hiring the wrong people.  Read more

Could Google Lose Its Famous Name?

By Matthew Swyers |  Apr 19, 2012

Too much brand recognition can actually be a bad thing, especially if left unchecked, and lead to the loss of your trademark rights.  Read more

Preparing Your Pre-Sale To-Do List

By Mike Handelsman |  Apr 18, 2012

Creating a to-do list before you sell can help you create a clear plan for improvements to your business before you put it on the market.  Read more

Can You Share Too Much Online? No

By Kevin Bailey |  Apr 18, 2012

The answer to remaining relevant in today's digital marketplace is adopting this simple philosophy: "Share everything, everywhere."  Read more

How I Built My Company With Grassroots Marketing

By Shazi Visram |  Apr 17, 2012

Happy Family became one of the fastest-growing food companies in the U.S. by tapping into a network of moms.  Read more

Big Company Bureaucracy: 4 Ways to Cut Through It

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 17, 2012

When working with or within a large organization, it's important to keep it simple and stay focused on the goal so you don't get consumed by bureaucracy.  Read more

3 Tips to Perfecting Your Sales Pitch

By Matthew Swyers |  Apr 17, 2012

Some consumers are only interested in the best price. Others, however, may be more concerned with ability. To increase sales you must learn to tailor your ma...  Read more

Can You Be a Business-Minded Environmentalist?

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 16, 2012

How one VP turned his passion for environmentalism into new business opportunities.  Read more

Why Your Why Doesn’t Matter

By Kevin Daum |  Apr 16, 2012

Most entrepreneurs have their inspirational Why for why they do what they do, but actually, it's not your why that brings in customers.  Read more

5 Leadership Lessons From the Business Trenches

By Janine Popick |  Apr 16, 2012

In the age of Pinterest and Instagram, 11 years in business seems like a long time. Here's what longevity has taught me.  Read more

From eBay Store to a $24 million Business

By Erin Kim |  Apr 16, 2012

Inc. 5000 Applicant of the Week Nasty Gal transformed from a vintage clothing store on eBay into an international fashion website.  Read more

There's Money to Wring Out of Old Contracts

By Glen Blickenstaff |  Apr 13, 2012

Chances are you haven't reviewed all your company's contracts and agreements in a long while. Here is how to trim the fat and put some extra jingle on the bo...  Read more

5 Tips for Managing Millennial Employees

By Michael A. Olguin |  Apr 13, 2012

Motivating the millennial generation is key to business success. Here are five tips to inspire and motivate the new working class.  Read more

How to Get Good Social Media ROI

By Ilya Pozin |  Apr 13, 2012

Seven things you must do to make sure your campaign is measurable and effective.  Read more

What Venture Capitalists Want: 4 Tips

By Matthew Swyers |  Apr 12, 2012

Venture capitalists look for very specific items when determining whether to invest in a business. Use these tips to make sure you have a leg up on securing ...  Read more

3 Strategies to Adopt From Apple

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 12, 2012

These three product strategies you can lift from Apple's playbook and incorporate into your growing business.  Read more

So Why Haven't You Started Your Business Yet?

By Michael E. Gerber |  Apr 12, 2012

Let go of the belief that entrepreneurs are born, not made. Here's four steps to turning your pipe dream into an action plan.  Read more

7 Steps to Building Your Dream Team

By Jay Love |  Apr 11, 2012

Mapping out your company's talent will help you see the value in your current employees and the holes in your hiring.  Read more

Help Your Employees Give Back

By Curt Richardson |  Apr 11, 2012

It's National Volunteer Month! Companies have the ability to increase their reach by empowering employees to get involved in efforts to give back.  Read more

Selling Your Business? Set Achievable Goals

By Mike Handelsman |  Apr 11, 2012

Establishing goals will help put your business sale in the proper perspective and increase the likelihood of an outcome that you deem a success.  Read more

One Trait to Look for in Every Hire

By Matthew Swyers |  Apr 10, 2012

What type of people should you have on your team? Those with a great attitude or with unparallelled knowledge. I've made my decision.  Read more

Last Question Before You Jump

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 10, 2012

Be honest. Are you confident that the market for your new business is attractive and the capabilities you bring will be unique?  Read more

CardCash: The Cure for Unwanted Gift Cards

By John McDermott |  Apr 9, 2012

Inc. 5000 Applicant of the Week CardCash.com has been growing fast by providing an online marketplace for unwanted gift cards.  Read more

Epic Fail: 3 Ways to Come Back Stronger

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 9, 2012

Failure is part of risk-taking for any growing business. It’s what you learn from those missteps, however, that determine future success.  Read more

Business Meeting Etiquette: 8 Pet Peeves

By Janine Popick |  Apr 9, 2012

Do your days consist of meeting after meeting? Master these eight don'ts to stay focused and distraction-free.  Read more

What Really Makes Apple Sexy

By Curt Richardson |  Apr 6, 2012

Some elements of running a business seem downright dull ... until you see the payoff.  Read more

How India Can Surge Ahead

By Naveen Jain |  Apr 5, 2012

For India to cultivate an entrepreneurial environment its successful entrepreneurs need to support start-ups and there needs to be a renewed focus on technol...  Read more

3 Rules for Building Business Relationships

By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart |  Apr 5, 2012

Are you generating the most value from your professional relationships? Here are three ways to quickly inject some life into your network.  Read more

Find Your Perfect Business Buyer

By Mike Handelsman |  Apr 4, 2012

There are numerous routes for how to sell your small business. Here's how to determine which route is best for you.  Read more