INC. MAGAZINESeptember, 01 2007
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How I Did It: The 2007 Inc. 500
Inc.'s popular How I Did It feature, times 11. A cross section of the Inc. 500 leaders talk business.
- How I Did It: Charles Hallberg, Founder and CEO, MemberHealth
- How I Did It: Mike Walrath, Founder, Right Media
- How I Did It: Amy Rees Lewis, CEO, MediConnect Global
- How I Did It: Jeffrey Smalls, CEO, Smalls Electrical Construction
- How I Did It: David Katz, CEO, AEE Solar
- How I Did It: Jason Araghi, CEO, Green Beans Coffee
- How I Did It: Todd Johnson, President and CEO, Hospital Partners of America
- How I Did It: Prathiba Ramadoss CEO, Business Integra
- How I Did It: Stephen Siegel, CEO, The Siegel Group
- How I Did It: Alexander Tabibi, CEO, Pets United
- How I Did It: Mike Broderick, CEO, Turning Technologies
Welcome to No Man's Land
Somewhere between small and big is a place where many companies get lost. Your organization can't keep pace with demand. Banks won't lend to you. Longtime staffers need to be replaced. Welcome to No Man's Land. Few firms make it to the other side. But it doesn't have to be that way. A conversation with Doug Tatum.
103 Countries and Counting
The Inc. 500 is truly global in scale. More than half the companies on the list do business overseas, from Baghdad to Bordeaux. And some 40 companies have established at least one permanent office abroad. Here’s where these companies are finding opportunity.
Here's the Thing
The world isn’t all ones and zeroes, not yet. Plenty of Inc. 500 companies still make and sell physical objects. Stuff. Things. Here are some that caught our eye.
Parallel Lives
Bill Gates has a golf handicap in the double digits. And so does Ronald Harland! Tom Monaghan launched his pizza empire in Michigan. And Lisa Stern eats Domino's pizza in Michigan! Are these just amazing coincidences? Or are they examples of a scientific determinism that landed them at the same ranking on the Inc. 500? You decide.
Introducing the Inc. 5,000
That's the Inc. 500 plus 4,500 new fast-growing companies.
Everything Will Change
Perhaps the ultimate business tool is acceptance. Everything Will Change. Many of the changes will surprise you. If that sounds exciting, you're ready for the future. A conversation with Scott Cook.
Advice & Strategies
Finance
Me Want Cash Up Front
Getting customers to prepay.
Noah Glass Has Built a Service That Lets You Order Coffee or Takeout Food Via Text Message.
To expand it, he needs $5 million.
Technology
Turning Browsers Into Buyers
How to improve conversion rates.
The Biggest Picture
Projectors shine on brightly.
Sales + Marketing
A World Without Bestsellers
Creating a "long tail" product mix.
Smart Questions: What to Look For in an Ad Agency
Some 42 percent of small businesses say that increasing advertising is a high priority for 2007, according to a Wells Fargo/Gallup poll. Businesses choosing to tap an outside agency can use these questions to help separate the chaff from the Chiat/Days.
Case Study
The Mortgage Business was Sliding. But Salespeople Still Raked in Big Fees.
Could Scout kill commissions?
Ask Inc.
Managing and Benefits
Selling employees on health savings accounts. Plus, how to motivate junior staffers who are short on humility.
Web Exclusives
The 2007 Inc. 5000
For 25 years, Inc. has been ranking the 500 fastest-growing private companies in America. This year we've gone further: We've expanded the list tenfold, to create the first-ever Inc. 5,000.
Priority
Who’s Behind TheFunded.com?
A mysterious new website lets entrepreneurs talk trash about their VCs.
A Back-to-School Business Plan
Why an $8 billion market is suddenly up for grabs.
A Room of One's Own, With a Big TV
Business for Sale: A Dallas-area home theater business, priced at $1.9 million.
Columns
Norm Brodsky
Street Smarts
Free At Last
There's nothing like getting rid of those personal guarantees.
David H. Freedman
What's Next
The Cost of Competence
In a fast-changing world, here's one more thing to worry about: being too good at what you do.
