Name: Eric Ruud Company: Sabrix Inc. in San Ramon, Calif. Key Stat: Has grown sales from zero to $11 million in four years.

From: Inc. Magazine, June 2004 | By: Lora Kolodny

Taking a cue from the Big Three automakers, Eric Ruud saw a 10% jump in three months just by offering financing, which is rare for a company of this size. Sabrix's tax compliance software costs between $250,000 and $1 million. Partnering with a financing company, Ruud offered clients three-year payment terms at a 4% rate, with the first two quarterly payments deferred. This helped customers secure budget approval--the cost would not show up on their books until the system was generating a return.

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