Inc. 5,000 Columns
- Reaching the very last customer: evaluating and expanding your sales organization
- Getting the maximum number of customers may mean allowing your sales channels to compete against each other
(Walter G. Kortschak, July 2008)
- The Right Time to Build Your Team:
Recruitment and Management Development for Growing Companies
- When is it the right time to expand your management team?
(Bruce R. Evans, May 2008)
- Strengthening Your Balance Sheet
- A healthy balance sheet can help your company grow faster. Here are things to consider as you evaluate how much cash you should have and how much debt you can take on.
(Walter G. Kortschak, April 2008)
- Succession Planning for Privately Held Companies
- Succession and liquidity planning go hand in hand. Here are four essentials steps entrepreneurs should take when considering these dual issues.
(Bruce R. Evans, March 2008)
- The Right Amount of Leverage
- How to incorporate debt into your company's capital structure.
(Walter G. Kortschak, December 2007)
- Not All Private Equity Is the Same
- What every business owner should know before choosing a private equity partner.
(Bruce R. Evans, November 2007)
- Five Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
- successful owners of dynamic small and midsize companies share these five essential traits.
(Walter G. Kortschak, September 2007)
- How To Avoid Five Common M&A Pitfalls
- Companies increasingly are using M&As to build market share, broaden product offerings, and enter new markets. What can go wrong when using this growth strategy? Plenty.
(Bruce R. Evans, July 2007)
- Strategic Acquisition or IPO?
- While the primary consideration between choosing a strategic acquisition or going public is often price, there are other critical factors to consider as well.
(Walter G. Kortschak, May 2007)
- Six Steps to Building an Effective Board
- A properly functioning board can be a powerful force for your company's success. A board in disarray, on the other hand, can be a distraction, causing missed opportunities and creating liabilities for your company. Here's how to build one that helps grow your company.
(Bruce R. Evans, April 2007)
- The Five Myths of Private Equity
- Misperceptions about private equity can prevent an entrepreneur from making a rational decision about taking on outside investors. Here are five of the most common misperceptions and why entrepreneurs should be wary of them.
(Walter G. Kortschak, December 2006)
- How to Manage Through a Downturn
- The first step is to acknowledge it when sales shrink. The second is to make the tough calls on where to cut.
(Gary Pudles, November 2006)
- Five Tips for Selecting an Investment Partner
- Choosing a firm you like is important, as is one that truly understands your needs.
(Bruce R. Evans, October 2006)
- Inc. 500 Lessons for the Next Generation
- When Inc. 500 honoree Grady Hesters' daughter joined a fast-growing business, he found experiences to share—and some to glean.
(Grady Hesters and Anna Olsen, September 2006)
- When to Stop Bootstrapping It
- It may feel good to have launched your company without outside funding. But there comes a time when a financial partner is the only way to continue to grow.
(C.J. Fitzgerald, August 2006)
- What Investors Want to Know
- A private equity firm partner shares his secrets for evaluating a company -- so that you don't waste your time on irrelevant PowerPoint presentations.
(John R. Carroll, July 2006)
- Get More than Equity from Private Equity
- Ultimately, you want to grow your business, not simply sink money into it. Find the right partner who shares that view.
(Peter Chung, June 2006)
- Why You Need the "Right" URL
- Don't get lost on the World Wide Web. Make sure you secure the appropriate Web address for your business. Here's how.
(Gary Pudles, May 2006)
- Grow Your Company Through Acquisition
- More businesses are gobbling up other businesses than they have in years. Read these strategies from an expert on getting it right.
(Marty Mannion, January 2006)
- Almost Famous
- When The Apprentice needed a call center for one of its contests, the producers called AnswerNet. But this Inc. 500 company ended up on the cutting room floor.
(Gary Pudles, December 2005)
- When It's Time to Think About an IPO
- If you are one of those entrepreneurs wondering whether now is the right time to go public, ask yourself these critical questions before making the decision. (Bruce Evans, November 2005)
- There's No Place Like Home
- Web-based concierge service, VIPdesk, uses far-flung employees so successfully that employing a home-based workforce has become integral to how it does business. (Mary Naylor, October 2005)
- Taking Money Off the Table
- A founder's guide to liquidity options. (Tom Roberts, September 2005)
- Considering Your M&A Options
- By addressing some key variables you can ensure your business's merger with another company is a successful one for all parties involved. (Walter G. Kortschak, July 2005)
- The Never Ending Battle
- Freeing up valuable time to work on long-term objectives for a business is a constant struggle for owners. Inc. 500 CEO Mary Naylor shares advice on gaining the necessary reflection time you need to get your business to the next level. (Mary Naylor, June 2005)
- Teach Your Employees to Focus on Your Best Customers
- How to maximize revenue from your current customers. (Mary Naylor, March 2005)
- Keeping Your Small Company Personality As You Grow
- Maintaining that start-up enthusiasm for your business takes communication with employees and customers. (Gary Pudles, February 2005)
- Boosting Revenue from Existing Customers (Part 1)
- Don't spend all of your time beating the bushes for new customers. Taking care of existing customers can reap more profits. (Mary Naylor, December 2004)
- My Company Is Changing. Do I Have to Change Too?
- Founding CEOs must transition from being senior doer to senior strategic leader to ensure their companies continue to succeed and grow. (Gary Pudles, November 2004)
- I Won! Now What Do I Do?
- Here's how to get the most out of winning the Inc. 500 or any award or public recognition your company receives. (Gary Pudles, October 2004)
- Buy. Sell. Grow
- Over the last 20 years, Gary Pudles of AnswerNetwork has purchased or sold over 50 companies. Here he shares his thoughts on the process and how it's helped him build his business. (Gary Pudles, October 2004)
- Rolling with the Punches
- Staying flexible and seizing opportunities are important qualities to have when running a fast-growth business. (Gary Pudles, September 2004)
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