By Mary Smith 
On February
19th, 2019, Inc. Magazine published its first list in the Inc. 5000 Series: California’s Top
Companies. This recently published list identified the fastest-growing private
companies from the fifty-eight different counties in California. According to
their website,
to be considered as a nominee:
“Companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 Series are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2016 to 2018. To qualify, companies must: be located in the region to which they are applying and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent–not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies–as of December 31, 2018. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2018 is $1 million… Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to three decimal places.”
The 250
companies recognized were selected from an array of industries, categorized by
the following: Advertising & Marketing, Business Products & Services, Computer
Hardware, Construction, Consumer Products & Services, Education, Energy, Engineering,
Environmental Services, Financial Services, Food & Beverage, Government
Services, Health, Human Resources, IT Management, IT System Development, Insurance,
Logistics & Transportation, Manufacturing, Media, Real Estate, Retail, Security,
Software, Telecommunications, and Travel & Hospitality.
The success of the companies exceeded expectations, most likely
attributed to the fact that California is home to some of the most prominent
venture capital firms in the United States. In fact, California attracts 47
percent of all venture dollars, according to Pitchbook – And, the investments
continue to grow. The companies identified on the list experienced a combine
total revenue growth of 168 percent from 2016 and 2018, equating to a
collective $5.5 billion and an addition of 25,959 jobs in the marketplace. The
individual revenue growth of each company ranged from $1 million to $393
million.
Inc. editor in chief Scott Omelianuk reported that “the companies on this list demonstrate just how much the small-business sector impacts California’s economy… Across every single industry, these businesses have posted revenue and growth rates that are beyond impressive, further proving the tenacity of their founders and CEOs.”
AdvisoryCloud,
a leading platform used for connecting advisors and companies around the world,
was ranked number 176 in the state following a two-year 131 percent growth. This
recognition
follows shortly after AdvisoryCloud’s inclusion in Inc. Magazine’s 2019 Inc.
5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America and San Francisco
Business Times’ 2019 Fast
100, as well as their honor as the Best in biz, silver award
winner in the Fastest Growing Company of the Year.
The company, which was founded in 2012 by Jonathan Aspatore, Dallas Bond, and Chris Beaver, specializes in providing an avenue to professionals worldwide to gain the exposure and tools they need to monetize their knowledge in their perspective industries. Today, the company operates in its main office in Marin County, California, while simultaneously operating a second office in Boise, Idaho.
Traditionally, building an advisory board was more challenging, requiring individuals to reach out to specific companies if they wanted to join, or for companies to seek out specialists related to the assistance they needed – both scenarios being restricted by technological and geographical barriers. However, thanks due to the innovative platform of AdvisoryCloud, companies, and professionals can connect, even when they are thousands of miles away. The years of dedication that one spends learning and perfecting their understanding can now be the benefit of existing companies and start-ups all around the globe. Additionally, the platform allows advisors to participate in varying capacities. They can partake in one on one phone conversations or join to be a part of an advisory board. The benefits to the companies is that they can find the best-suited candidate to help them grow, without requiring extensive time weeding through applicants. The benefit to advisors is similar in that they can interview for only positions that are best suited for them – plus, they can control their requested compensation for their expertise.
Furthermore,
the platform is useful for both experienced board members and novices to the
industry. No matter your level of experience sitting on a board or working as
an advisor, there is an opportunity for you to connect. It all starts with
simply establishing a profile online, developing your professional brand, and
then making yourself available as an advisor on the website. If you are an
advisor seeking a position, you can apply to multiple companies and those that
are interested will reach out for further discussion. If you are seeking a
board, you simply post the opportunity and the applicants will be presented to
you. An additional unique feature to the platform is that participating
companies can save time – the team at AdvisoryCloud selects the top candidates
for the identified position. Therefore, individuals do not have to spend hours
reviewing and weeding out only the most qualified candidates.
The reviews of the company are a testament to their success. Reports by both professionals seeking a position on an advisory board and those hiring for their companies have indicated that the platform provides valuable insight and opportunity to both parties:
“I would not have found this advisor opportunity anywhere else. AdvisoryCloud provides a perfectly focused platform to get placed for such opportunities. I met with the CEO twice and was very impressed with their vision. Fry Egg is a solid and well-organized, established company that is taking the right steps to leverage the blockchain AI synergies for their personal fitness exchange.” – Georgo Polzer, Chaiman of Technical Service for Enterprise Ethreum Alliance – Placed with Fry Egg
“Our advisors have been exceptional in presenting us with opportunities to grow and gain momentum in the marketplace. They’ve provided us with business advice, new contacts and connections, and partnerships with brands like Garmin and Under Armour.” – Tristan Chaudry, Founder and CEO of Fry Egg – Hired 12 Advisors
The founder and
CEO of AdvisoryCloud, Jonathan Aspatore, commented on the recent ranking: “Many of the world’s most innovative
companies were created in California, and we are honored to be recognized by Inc. for our leadership in expanding the
market for advisory work… achievement is a testament to the growing demand for
a simple, effective solution to mitigating the talent gaps within
organizations. As the industry continues to evolve, we remain at the forefront
of revolutionizing advisory services.”
This is a great honor to be recognized for the second time by Inc. – Founded in 1979 (and later acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC.), Inc. is identified as the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. In addition, being recognized in California is one of the most challenging honors to receive due to the state’s competitive nature, high cost of doing business and high cost of living. These factors dramatically impact a company’s ability to develop and experience financial growth.
As mentioned, this is the first in the series. The next lists in the series will roll out over the next 45 days and will include lists for the DC Metro (release date February 26), Texas (release date March 13), Florida (release date March 18), and the Midwest (release date March 25).
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Digital Editor 
Adam