Feature

Join the Elite?Apply Now
for Inc. 5,000 Recognition

Last year Brad Stone, CEO of Heritage Web Solutions, based in Provo, received what appeared to be a random e-mail inviting his company to apply for the Inc. 5,000 recognition? Inc. magazine?s and Inc.com?s annual list of the fastest growing private companies in America.

Heritage Web Solutions has enjoyed exponential growth, so Stone thought, ?Why not?? The online application was fairly easy to complete. He says the most time consuming part of the process was certifying his company?s gross revenues. Stone?s application was successful and Heritage Solutions was not only named to the Inc. 5,000 but ranked 22nd?within the upper tier, which is the top 500 of the Inc. 5,000. Another Utah company, Doba, based in Orem, ranked 23rd in the Inc. 500 last year as well. Other Utah companies to make the Inc. 500 list in 2007 include:

? Firstline Security
? MediConnect Global
? Costume Craze
? eWatches.com
? AdvancedMD Software
? Logoworks
? D&H

A total of 71 Utah companies made the Inc. 5,000 list in 2007. Click here to see the list.

Stone says being ranked in the Inc. 500 has been invaluable. ?The main thing it has done is generate credibility for us,? he says. ?Almost 100% of our business comes through online advertising, so having the Inc. 500 logo on our Web site and on our advertisements has given us immediate credibility.?

If your company is growing rapidly and could benefit by the credibility of an Inc. 5,000 or Inc. 500 designation, EDCUtah encourages you to apply today. The Inc. 5,000 is an editorial award and there are no fees involved with entering or qualifying.

Megan Burns, director of private company outreach for Inc., says the Inc. 5,000 is an elite ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. Receiving this editorial award puts a company in the top tenth of a percent of the seven million U.S. companies with employees.

?It is an excellent opportunity to gain both local and national media attention, something that can be difficult when you?re privately held,? she adds. ?Applying for the list also gives a company the opportunity to create a company profile on IncBizNet, a networking site for entrepreneurs.? Companies selected for the Inc. 5,000 also receive a wealth of new ways to market their businesses with Inc. press release templates, reprint packages, the ability to license the Inc. 500 or Inc. 5,000 logo for use on company Web sites and written materials, and in invitation to attend the 2008 Inc. 5,000 conference in Washington, D.C. next September. What?s more, every company honored on the Inc. 5,000 will be profiled on Inc.com, while the top 10 percent will be featured in Inc. magazine.

The Inc. 5,000 also recognizes the top 100 companies in every major metro area and several other categories. Burns says the Provo-Orem metro area has been the leader in Inc.?s ?Top Metro Area for the Most Inc. 500 Companies per Million Residents? for two years running.

?The recognition is definitely worth it,? according to Stone. ?It is important for businesses to receive recognition in reputable national magazines.? What?s more, it?s free! But don?t wait?the deadline to apply is April 30, 2008. Click here to apply. Click here for more information about the Inc. 5,000.

Utah Receives Accolades
for Livability, Pro-Business Environment

The Beehive State continues to receive positive national exposure, this time for its livability and pro-business environment.

CQ Press recently ranked Utah the second most livable state in the nation in its 2008 edition of State Rankings: A Statistical View of America. CQ Press is a division of Congressional Quarterly.

Utah's pro-business environment is also in the limelight, this time being recognized in the Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States Report for 2008.

Regarding Utah?s livability ranking, Governor Jon Huntsman said, ?This impressive ranking is a reflection of our state's unparalleled quality of life and exemplary economic success. Utah truly offers ?Life Elevated.??

The livability rank is based upon 44 factors that reflect a state?s basic quality of life. The factors include statistics for each state in education, economic development, public safety, environment, public health, median household income, crime rate, sunny days and infant mortality rate.

?Utah boasts one of the nation?s lowest unemployment rates, while maintaining one of the highest job growth rates,? added Jason Perry, Executive Director of the Governor?s Office of Economic Development. ?Our focus on education along with our skillful workforce makes Utah a great place for doing business. The affordable cost of living, the beautiful scenic life, and the countless recreational opportunities truly qualify Utah as one of the ?Most Livable States in the Nation.??

The Pollina report scrutinizes job creation and retention efforts in all 50 states and the federal government. In addition to its high quality of life, Utah was recognized for its strong pro-business tax environment.

?For the second year in a row, Utah's political leaders have proven that they truly understand what it takes for a state to provide an environment for business growth and expansion,? said Dr. Brent A. Pollina, Esq., vice president of Pollina Corporate and the study's author. ?Utah continues to place strongly in the areas of employee quality, good infrastructure, low corporate taxes, and high quality of life."

Governor Huntsman said the Pollina report continues the good business news for Utah. ?To again be recognized in the ?Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States? acknowledges the momentum Utah maintains in its job creation and retention efforts. While the national economy struggles, Utah companies continue to grow and recruit top quality professionals with long-term high paying jobs in Utah,? he added.

This year Utah also has the distinction of being recognized as the most pro-business state with the closest proximity to West Coast markets, lending strong weight for distribution and other industries that rely on being a day's drive from California, according to Dr. Pollina.

The Pollina study evaluates and ranks states based on 28 factors including taxes, human resources, right-to-work legislation, energy costs, infrastructure spending, workers compensation legislation and jobs lost or gained. This evaluation includes 14 state government-controlled factors based on incentive programs and state economic development departments. The Pollina Corporate study is the most comprehensive and impartial examination of states to date.