Have a look at the full 2015 Hot 100 list
The public markets provide us with ample information on which firms are leading the way, but what about those in the private sphere not required to submit trading statements every quarter
Since 1997, Real Business has brought to you The Hot 100 a yearly community of businesses for which we have secured the latest turnover, EBITDA and three-year compound growth rate. That financial information, when combined with our detailed analysis of each firm, provides an invaluable snapshot of the businesses leading the way in a wide range of sectors.
Using information from Companies House, and in partnership with Jordans, The Hot 100 is based on compound growth rates measured over a four-year period. Put simply, this is the single rate at which the staring value would have to grow each year to reach the final value.
To be featured in the ranking, the latest accounts needed to show sales of more than 10m and EBITDA of more than 1m. All were to be in the private sphere and actively trading, accounts had to be filed in the past two years and a credit rating available. We also did not consider subsidiaries, holding companies, property portfolios or investment firms.
So, with all that housekeeping out of the way, what has this years ranking told us. Well, the spread (average annual growth rate of number one company to number 100 company) was 236 per cent plays 30 per cent. Topping the tree was Whitworths, a 125 year-old business supplying major supermarkets with dried fruit nuts and seeds. Other well-known brands to make the list this year include Eds Easy Diner, Watch Shop, World First, Wahaca and Better Bathrooms.
Read more about the 2015 Hot 100:
- The complete Hot 100 2015 list
- Is London losing its hold as the hub for the UK’s growing businesses
- From 1997-2007: The historical high-rankers of The Hot 100 list of fast-growth British firms
However, what is perhaps most interesting is the continued ability for regions outside of London to pull their weight. While it remains true that London and the South East remain dominant, with 23 and 25 entries respectively, regions such as the North West (12), South West (8), West Midlands (7) and Scotland (5) show just how far and wide the UKs fastest-growing companies are located.
This year we chose to make the grand unveiling of The Hot 100 at our inaugural Value Creation conference. As a one-day event focused exclusively on unlocking growth, it seemed like the perfect place to reveal the companies each and every entrepreneur and business leader in the conference will be looking to emulate.
Having now published The Hot 100 18 times in its 20-year history, we feel like we have a good feel for how the growth company community in the UK operates. In fact, you can head over to our detailed feature on the history of The Hot 100 to see the top-line stats for every outing.
Over the coming year well be having a more detailed look at some of the most interesting members of this years list, doing some digging on what makes each one ticks so we can pass on priceless tips and warnings.
The ranking also sits neatly alongside our other initiative, the Everline Future 50. Now five years old, Future 50 is all about throwing revenues and profits out the door by solely focusing on the businesses we think are disrupting the most and likely to become household names in the future. It goes without saying that one day, many of our Future 50 alumnus will join the ranks of The Hot 100 as organisations leading the way in profit generation.
Alongside The Hot 100 ranking list, weve gone into a bit more detail on sector and region breakdown. Theres also a look at which are banking the most profit, and a slick video showing off this years work.
