Every year, Inc.com publishes its annual Inc. 5000 list of companies, which touts businesses that are the best-of-the-best, and are of all sizes and across industries.
This year, RTP took a detailed look at the list to spotlight new businesses and brands, and revisit organizations that we’ve covered in the past. Here’s a quick snapshot of the brands we were most excited to see:
Debbie Hauss, Editor-in-Chief: I have to say I like the sound of The Clean Bedroom. It is a Maine-based company selling organic mattresses and bedroom accessories. We’ve all heard the horror stories of what lies inside our mattresses. And it’s true that we spend approximately 1/3 of our time sleeping, so with an effective marketing campaign I think this company will keep growing.
Alicia Fiorletta, Senior Editor: I was excited to see the variety of cool brands and retailers on this list, including Adore Me, Alex & Ani and Dolls Kill. But of course, I was most interested in the company that won the top spot: Fuhu. Mainly, I can’t help but wonder: What makes the business so unique and what need is it filling? After further investigation I understand completely. There is a huge need for parents today – they want to give their children access to videos, content and resources that will educate and entertain them. But the Internet is a breeding ground for inappropriate content. This ensures children of all ages have a great experience. And from a marketing perspective, I could imagine the brands and retailers that target children and their parents will have an opportunity to connect more directly with this audience.
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Rob Fee, Managing Editor: I like a business that is upfront with what services it offers. That’s why I’m drawn to uBreakiFix. Electronics, especially smartphones, can be extremely expensive to replace, but many times, consumers find it easier to purchase a new device rather than repair the broken one. uBreakiFix troubleshoots broken smartphones, tablets, game consoles, computers and other devices free of charge in more than 60 locations throughout the U.S. Repairs, if needed, often are completed while the customer waits. It’s a basic service, but it also fills a void in the marketplace. Although I have seen competing services, these tend to be mall kiosks that could be gone tomorrow. For me, a permanent storefront provides an added level of confidence in the repair.
Kim Zimmermann, Senior Managing Editor: Several retail media companies made the list – Smashwords, Motivational Media – but as I have some friends in the book publishing business, I was interested in Smashwords, which sells E-books by self-published authors. They not only sell the E-books, but they help the authors. This is a sustainable e-Commerce strategy, in my opinion, because they are helping the authors with marketing as well to ensure the success of the product they are selling.
Glenn Taylor, Associate Editor: I’m pretty intrigued by The Clymb’s business model, which seems to operate partly as a flash sale site for popular outdoors attire and equipment, and partly as a travel agency for adventurous types. Fans of outdoor activities are introduced to an interesting potential vacation spot as they shop, taking away a few steps that generally stand in between those processes. From an inventory standpoint, apparently Gilt manages the company’s order fulfillment capabilities, which brings a lot of confidence to consumers that their orders will arrive in a timely fashion.
Brian Anderson, Associate Editor: Of all the businesses on the list, I’d have to say that shopkick is the most intriguing of the bunch. The mobile shopping app has extended beacon technology to more than 100 partner stores, and customers are having a wonderful experience with the social media-esque interface. The app even reminds customers of products they’ve “liked” in the past when they walk into a store that sells that product. It’s innovative, responsive, and it seems as though many consumers are beginning to adopt these types of apps for their shopping experience – it definitely looks like shopkick is one of the frontrunners.
What Inc 5000 company were you most interested by?
