Small to Mid-Sized Businesses to Watch
July 6, 2009 -- No matter the size of your company, chances are that you can learn valuable lessons from the innovation, supply chain, sales and marketing and sustainability initiatives employed by small to mid-sized businesses (SMB).
As Dame Anita Roddick, the founder of a small business turned big success The Body Shop, once said, "Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking."
After all, SMBs are driven by an unmatched competitive nature; product and category creation is truly their lifeblood; they are perhaps the most resourceful when it comes to getting the word out; and more often than not, sustainability is built into their DNA.
Based on nominations submitted by readers, CGT recognizes unique and pioneering SMB companies, all with revenue less than or equal to $1 billion, that your company should watch in 2009 and beyond.
Some highlights include:
- Honest Tea Inc. recently took on Coca-Cola as a partner while still innovating as a major brand in the natural tea category.
- TOMS Shoes started in 2006, donating more than 130,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world.
- As the largest grower of pomegranates in the United States, POM Wonderful invests in its brand and medical research to promote the unique health benefits of one of the oldest fruits known to man.
Plus, find out how past Standout SMB honorees, like Burt's Bees and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, have grown since being featured in CGT.
Click here for more information on these companies and more.
As Dame Anita Roddick, the founder of a small business turned big success The Body Shop, once said, "Nobody talks of entrepreneurship as survival, but that's exactly what it is and what nurtures creative thinking."
After all, SMBs are driven by an unmatched competitive nature; product and category creation is truly their lifeblood; they are perhaps the most resourceful when it comes to getting the word out; and more often than not, sustainability is built into their DNA.
Based on nominations submitted by readers, CGT recognizes unique and pioneering SMB companies, all with revenue less than or equal to $1 billion, that your company should watch in 2009 and beyond.
Some highlights include:
- Honest Tea Inc. recently took on Coca-Cola as a partner while still innovating as a major brand in the natural tea category.
- TOMS Shoes started in 2006, donating more than 130,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world.
- As the largest grower of pomegranates in the United States, POM Wonderful invests in its brand and medical research to promote the unique health benefits of one of the oldest fruits known to man.
Plus, find out how past Standout SMB honorees, like Burt's Bees and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, have grown since being featured in CGT.
Click here for more information on these companies and more.