What's Hot

This is how it all begins: Culling from its massive database, D&B provides Entrepreneur with an initial list of fast-growing companies. Entrepreneur mails each company a form, which the entrepreneurs must complete and submit along with current financial statements. We then measure the company's sales growth from the date of inception, listing the businesses in growth order.

In order for a business to be considered for the list, it must meet the following criteria:

• The founder is actively involved in daily operations and owns a controlling interest in the business.
• The business was founded no earlier than 1999.
• Annual sales for 2001 exceeded $1 million.
• The company meets the SBA's definition of a small business, based on the company's number of employees and sales figures. These numbers vary according to the particular industry.

To be considered for our Hot 100 list next year, your company must be registered with D&B with current information on file.

D&B research is conducted by the D&B Analytical Services Group; Entrepreneur research is conducted by Maggie Iskander and Zoy Parkinson Smith.

About D&B

D&B (NYSE: DNB) provides the information, tools and expertise to help customers decide with confidence. D&B enables quick access to objective, global information whenever and wherever customers need it. Customers use D&B Risk Management solutions to manage credit exposure, D&B Sales & Marketing Solutions to find profitable customers and D&B Supply Management Solutions to manage suppliers efficiently. D&B's e-Commerce Solutions are also used to authenticate and verify potential trading partners online, increasing trust and confidence in e-commerce transactions. More than 90 percent of the BusinessWeek Global 1,000 rely on D&B as a trusted partner to make confident business decisions. For more information, please visitwww.dnb.com.

You can also look online for help managing and growing your business through D&B's Small Business Solutions Web site and its online tools and information. Visithttp://sbs.dnb.comfor details.

This article was originally published in the June 2002 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: What's Hot.