Are you one of the fastest-growing security dealers/integrators in North America? If so, SD&I magazine’s FAST50, our third annual best practices and ranking program, is your free opportunity to get recognized for it on a national stage!
The Fast50 is open for submissions until Jan. 31 at www.securityinfowatch.com/sdifast50. The program was begun in an effort to recognize the entire landscape of security systems contracting, from alarm dealers and installers to systems integrators — especially the many smaller companies that make up the biggest chunk of our industry. It can be said that the majority of these firms are comprised of companies with less than 50 employees; however, in two years of running this program we have learned that size truly doesn’t matter — they are as likely to be the movers and shakers who will guide the industry into systems contracting success in the future as the larger firms.
Fast50 is different because of the way we compile our listing. It is a level playing field for all companies, no matter the size. Companies ranked in the Fast50 are recognized and ranked based on their year-to-year percentage growth and revenue growth, with their overall ranking balancing those two considerations. Our special algorithm balances percentage growth and revenue growth over a three-year-period and in doing so provides the ability to recognize all kinds of companies, large and small; thus, every firm has an equal chance to earn a ranking in the program. If your firm has enjoyed three consecutive years of growth, your company has a great chance to be recognized as one of America’s fastest-growing Systems Integrators.
It is important to note that any financial information you provide for the program will be kept under a strict non-disclosure rule. Because we base the awards on year-to-year percentage growth and overall revenue growth, the only numbers published will be the basic percentages — none of the hard numbers will ever be released. Once these percentages are calculated and all companies ranked, the results will be published in the March 2014 issue of SD&I; along with a main-stage event at ISC West to honor the top-ranked companies.
But the best part of this program is that it goes beyond simple rankings. The Fast50 also focuses on the best practices of these companies — and it is clear that they are continuing to adapt and change with the quickly-evolving security landscape. For the last two years, firms in the Fast50 have embraced a shift away from simply installing hardware and trying to make money only on products. These cutting-edge firms are focused on superior customer service; targeted specifications; service and maintenance contracts; and increasingly, hosted and managed services.
Select Fast50 award-winning companies will have the chance to share their winning strategies with their peers in the pages of this magazine. Your firm will be seen as cutting-edge and ahead of the curve in terms of business management and growth success.
Entering the Fast50 is easy, and it’s free. Simply visit www.securityinfowatch.com/sdifast50 and fill out the survey when it becomes available in December. This survey will ask for significant financial information, so please be prepared; but remember, all of these numbers will be held in the strictest confidence. In the meantime, you can visit that page to take a look at the results of the 2013 awards, along with a look at some of the best practices of the top companies.
This year, I expect even more companies to enter the SD&I Fast50 — it has quickly grown into a widely recognized and sought-after award. While the 2013 ranking saw that Fast50 growth occurred organically, this may change with the recent expanded growth from mergers and acquisitions; in fact, a few of the top Fast50 companies were acquired in the past year. Perhaps being known and accepted as one of the fastest-growing systems integrators in America had something to do with it!
Feel free to contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.
