Frequently Asked Questions

The Inc. 500|5000 lists the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the nation. The Inc. 500 are the top 500 companies on that list. All 5,000 companies are profiled on Inc.com. The top 500 are highlighted in the September issue of Inc. magazine. There is a single application process for both lists.

Companies are ranked according to the percentage growth of their annual revenue over a three-year period. To assess this, we ask for your 2009 and 2012 revenues. This gives us a three-year growth period, using 2009 as a base year for growth.

The equation for growth percentage is:
[(2012 revenue / 2009 revenue) - 1] x 100 = total growth percentage

For example, if 2009 revenue was $3 million and 2012 revenue is $15 million: $15 million / $3 million = 5 5 - 1 = 4 4 x 100 = 400.
Growth is 400 percent.

Visibility

• National, local, and industry recognition
• Media exposure via national, local, and industry/trade outlets -- in past years, the Inc. 500|5000 list has received over 25 million media impressions
• A high-traffic company profile page on Inc.com
• Coverage in Inc. magazine for the top Inc. 500 companies

Morale:

• Personal validation for your employees
• Public acknowledgment for company-wide success despite the recession

Networking:

• An exclusive Inc. 500|5000 community of private companies
• New leadership opportunities, e.g. by hosting a local Inc. event
• Increased visibility to the Inc. editorial staff
• Local private company Inc. event invitations
• Celebration and learning at the Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony

Knowledge:

• Exclusive, cutting-edge private company research on growth patterns and strategies
• Shared business insights, resources and best practices
• Eligibility for a complimentary analysis of your company's growth potential by our CEO Project experts

Business Opportunities:

• Traffic to your Inc.com profile (The profile pages of 2009's Inc. 500|5000 honorees received nearly 200,000 visits collectively during the months of August and September)
• Recruiting tools
• New sales and partnership opportunities through high-quality networking

1. APPLICATION: Complete an application for the Inc. 500|5000 online here.

• Confirm that your company meets the Inc. 500|5000 2013 eligibility requirements. (Eligibility section below)
• Apply early in order to be eligible for the early application benefits and to ensure that you make all editorial and publication deadlines.
• If you do not have a final figure for your 2012 revenue when you apply, you may enter an estimate and provide us with the more precise figure when you submit your verification materials.
• Application fee is $125

2. REVENUE VERIFICATION: Once your company's 2012 revenue figure is final, submit revenue verification materials to confirm your 2009 and 2012 revenue figures.

• Submitting your revenue verification early will ensure accurate coverage in Inc.com or Inc. magazine. If you need an extension, please call 800-248-0308, or send an email to feedback5000@inc.com.
• After you submit verification to support your revenue numbers, you may not withdraw from consideration for the 2013 Inc. 500|5000.
• If you are concerned that your final 2012 revenue figures will not be available in time, please contact us at 212-389-5505 (toll free at 800-248-0308) or email us at feedback5000@inc.com.

3. EDITORIAL: Once revenue verification materials have been submitted, our editorial team may need to contact you to ask follow-up questions, to gather additional information and to discuss your company.

4. NOTIFICATION: In the summer of 2013, companies will be notified as to whether they made the list.

• Applicants will first be notified of their status via email
• CEOs of 2013 honoree companies will receive packets by mail informing them of their Inc. 500|5000 rank

5. PUBLICATION: In August we will publish the 2013 Inc. 500|5000 on Inc.com. The September issue of Inc., profiling the top 500 of the Inc. 500|5000, will hit newsstands the following week.

• Inc. will publicize and distribute the list to media channels throughout the country.

6. CELEBRATION: Congratulations! Making the Inc. 500|5000 is a major accomplishment, and one that can be celebrated with your executives, employees, clients, and all others who helped make it possible.

• Inc. helps you celebrate with year-round regional events led by high-profile business leaders, exclusive private company research and more.
• Join us to accept your award in person along with other Inc. 500|5000 honorees, alumni, elite speakers, and other business leaders at the 2013 Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony, October 10 - October 12, 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Washington, DC.

Companies are ranked according to the percentage growth of their annual revenue over a three-year period. To assess this, we ask for your 2009 and 2012 revenues. This gives us a three-year growth period, using 2009 as a base year for growth.

Yes. There is a $125 nonrefundable processing fee for all applicants. Identifying the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. is an enormous editorial project that, among other things, raises awareness of entrepreneurship as a valuable force in our economy. The processing fee covers only a portion of the operational costs of this undertaking.
As a special benefit, applicant companies can elect for us to apply the $125 application fee toward a $200 deposit on registration for the 2013 Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony.

Yes. If you do not have a final figure for your 2012 revenue at the time you apply, you may enter an estimate and give the precise figure when you supply your revenue verification materials.

Yes. To ensure the integrity and credibility of the list, we ask that all applicants submit documentation ("Revenue Verification") of their 2009 and 2012 revenue numbers. Please refer to the Revenue Verification section below for more details.

Yes, many of our Inc. 500|5000 applications are submitted by representing firms (PR firms, accounting firms, etc.) on behalf of their clients.

Yes, representing firms (PR firms, accounting firms, etc.) may submit applications on behalf of one or more clients.

Not necessarily. We look at the overall three-year growth rate from 2009 through 2012 compared with that of the other Inc. 500|5000 applicants. Among last year's 2012 Inc. 500|5000 honorees, year-to-year declines were acceptable and common.

As a part of the Inc. 500|5000 award, we will publish your company's 2009 and 2012 revenue, location, number of employees, year founded, and Web address. We will also publish a brief profile of your company. Most of this basic company information is already available publicly in one form or another. The positive attention and credibility that comes with an Inc. 500|5000 listing are unparalleled and usually outweigh concerns about information disclosure.

You may withdraw at any time before you submit revenue verification. After that, you may no longer withdraw from consideration. Please note that the $125 application fee is nonrefundable.

All of the following must be true of your company in order to qualify for the 2013 Inc. 500|5000. Your company must:

1. Have generated revenue by March 31, 2009;
2. Have generated at least $100,000 in revenue in 2009;
3. Have generated at least $2 million in revenue in 2012;
4. Be privately held, for profit; based in the U.S., and independent (not a subsidiary or division of another company).

Note: there are a few limited exceptions to the requirements, so please call our team with any questions about eligibility at 212-389-5505 (toll free at 800-248-0308).

Inc. defines revenue as gross revenue, less returns and allowances, before any cost of goods sold. This is the same figure that you enter in Box 1c of your corporate income tax return. Revenue figures should be as precise as possible and rounded no more than to the nearest thousand (i.e. $234,000). If you do not have a final figure for your 2012 revenue at the time you apply, you may enter an estimate and give the precise figure when you submit your verification materials. Please refer to the Revenue Verification section below for more details.

No. The Inc. 500|5000 is determined solely by revenue growth; profitability is not a consideration.

Yes, as long as it meets the rest of our requirements, your company is still eligible.

Public companies are not eligible for the Inc. 500|5000. Note that there are some exceptions to this requirement. Please call our team with any questions at 212-389-5505 (toll free at 800-248-0308).

Your business is eligible as long as it was privately held and independent as of December 31, 2012.

Please contact our team at 212-389-5505 or toll free at 800-248-0308, or email us at feedback5000@inc.com.

Company structure is not a factor. Your company may still be eligible, as long as the business is independent and meets the other criteria.

A. We're here to help! If you have any additional questions or concerns about the Inc. 500|5000, please contact our team at 212-389-5505 or toll free at 800-248-0308, or email us at feedback5000@inc.com.

A. To ensure the integrity and credibility of the list, we carefully verify the 2009 and 2012 revenue numbers for every Inc. 500|5000 applicant. Submitting documentation early will ensure accurate coverage. If you need an extension, please call 800-248-0308, or send an email to feedback5000@inc.com.

You may choose one of the following three kinds of revenue verification to submit to our verification team:

1. Revenue Certification Form (click here to download): This is the easiest to submit and our preferred method of revenue verification. Simply fill out the form and have a certified public accountant, chartered financial analyst, certified management accountant, or attorney sign the form attesting to the complete accuracy of the information. The certifier may work at the applicant firm or be independent, as long as the certifier is a licensed professional with credentials that are current and in good standing. Please make sure to print clearly!
   
   OR
   
   
2. Corporate Tax Return: Include the first page and the page that indicates that accrual accounting was used to prepare the return.
   
   OR
   
   
3. Audit: Include the accounting opinion letter and income statement from financial statements that have been audited, reviewed or compiled by an independent accounting firm.

For more information on revenue verification, feel free to contact our team at at 212-389-5505 or toll free at 800-248-0308, or email us at feedback5000@inc.com.

The quickest way to verify your revenue is to submit a secure electronic version of the Revenue Verification Form through DocuSign. A link to the your secure form will be provided immediately after you complete the online application both on the confirmation page and in your confirmation email. If you do not choose to use DocuSign, we prefer that you save your revenue verification documents as PDFs and e-mail them to verification@inc.com. Please include the name of your company in the subject line. Alternatively, you may fax the documents to 646-304-3157.

A. We prefer the electronic Revenue Verification Form submitted via DocuSign as a simple and clear method of revenue verification. A link to the your secure form will be provided immediately after you complete the online application both on the confirmation page and in your confirmation email. If you do not choose to use DocuSign, we prefer that you save your revenue verification documents as PDFs and e-mail them to verification@inc.com. Download the form here. Please be sure that the form has valid signatures from both the CEO and a certifier.

The deadline for submitting Revenue Verification materials is May 15, 2013. We strongly recommend that you submit your verification early to ensure that the application process is complete by the deadline and to ensure accurate coverage on Inc.com and in Inc. magazine.

Please contact our team at 212-389-5505 or toll free at 800-248-0308, or email us at feedback5000@inc.com.

We ask all applicants to submit their revenue figures for full calendar years. Companies with non-calendar fiscal years should use our Revenue Certification Form for verification, rather than tax forms or audits. Please make sure the revenue figures entered on the form are for calendar years 2009 and 2012.

No. Inc. requires that all revenue figures (for both 2009 and 2012) be converted using accrual accounting. To convert cash figures to accrual figures, start with cash receipts, subtract the beginning accounts receivable, and add ending accounts receivable.

A. We're here to help! If you have any additional questions or concerns about the Inc. 500|5000, please contact our team at 212-389-5505 or toll free at 800-248-0308, or email us at feedback5000@inc.com.

A. No. Franchisors should only report the fees that come to the parent company, plus total sales from any stores owned by the parent company.

The Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony will be held October 10-12, 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Washington, DC.

The 2013 Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony celebrates the 31st year of Inc.'s ranking of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America. The event brings together current Inc. 500|5000 honorees and alumni, along with the greater business community, to recognize their remarkable achievements and their great contributions to the economy. For more information about the 2013 conference, visit www.Inc5000Conference.com or send an email to events@inc.com. Official registration for this year's conference will begin in the early spring of 2013.

As a special benefit for applicant companies, you can elect for us to apply the $125 application fee toward a $200 deposit on registration for the 2013 Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony.

We're here to help! If you have additional questions or concerns about the Inc. 500|5000 awards or the upcoming conference, please contact our team at 212-389-5505 or toll free at 800-248-0308, or email us at feedback5000@inc.com.