How does one measure success?

IRR? Turnover growth? Website hits? Publicity? Staff satisfaction?

The ways are myriad, but in the world of commerce, the assessment by disinterested parties might well be the most reliable. And in that regard, since 1997 there’s always been Real Business Hot 100 listing of Britain’s best performing companies.

Criteria are simple – take all private company accounts filed at Companies House, exclude any with turnover under £10m and EBITDA under £1m, then identify the 100 companies with the best compound growth over the past four years.

And we’re proud to be associated with the success of two of our clients, Polar Group Ltd and City & Country Group Plc, 83rd and 100th respectively in The Hot 100 2013 listings. They may be very different businesses – Polar’s success is based on international trade and the exploitation of the burgeoning aspirations of the growing middle classes of the far east, whilst City & Country’s is based on award-winning redevelopments of heritage buildings here in the UK.

No businesses can achieve sustained compounded growth at greater than 25% p.a. over four years without having excellent business models rigorously enforced. Even in pre-financial crisis times, ensuring expansion at those levels was difficult enough – to achieve it in the current climate speaks volumes for the skillsets of their management teams.

We’re proud to have played our part in their success. Frank Zilberkweit, MD of Polar – “Our success is underwritten by the support we get from Goodman Jones. Their expertise and advice is indispensable. The very best sounding board.” and Helen Moore, Managing Director of City & Country [and a lady the business world would be well advised to take note of] – “The team at Goodman Jones have been very influential in guiding our Group into the Top 100 – with the combination of their indispensable support and our own expert and passionate team, we are aiming to stay in the Hot 100 and indeed move up the rankings!”.