Dubbed the “party of the year” for Dallas’ rising business stars, the Dallas 100 is a showcase for the success of local founders.
Established in 1990 by Southern Methodist University’s Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship, the Dallas 100 celebrates the culture of entrepreneurship in Dallas and publicly recognizes the fastest-growing companies in the area. These companies are chosen based on both their percentage revenue growth and absolute dollar growth during the previous 3 years.
In order to apply for the Dallas 100, a company must meet the following criteria:
- Be an independent, privately-held company headquartered in the Dallas Metroplex area,
- Be at least 3 years old,
- Have sales of more than $500,000, but less than $75 million in year 1 of the 3 year period.
The firms recognized at the event are also featured in a special edition of the Dallas Business Journal, with the top 10 ranked companies receiving full profiles. Entrepreneurs also receive media exposure through print and radio ads, as well as invitations to participate in subsequent seminars and meetings hosted to promote business growth. According to Simon Mak, the head of the Dallas 100 Awards, the event also serves as a networking opportunity for companies, since it brings key economic players together.
The success of the event is due to three factors:
- Select and objective criteria to build trust around the ranking – the ranking is only based on certified numbers and does not use any subjective criteria,
- Extensive reach and credibility of the media partner – the Dallas Business Journal serves as the go-to magazine for local business knowledge in the local community,
- Appropriate scale for the list – Dallas has a large economy that can support 100 very high-growth businesses, but smaller cities duplicating this program should consider celebrating the top 25-50 fast growing privately held companies.
For more information, please visit the Dallas 100 Award’s website here.
Contributed by Haley Goodman.
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