www.crn.com.au
CRN Fast50

Overview

Are you the fastest growing reseller in the Australian channel?
You could win a prize package worth $75,000!

CRN is excited to launch the Fast50, the channel's No. 1 awards list and a who's who of Australia's 50 smartest IT resellers.

It's a new approach to recognising the hard work and entrepreneurial success of Australia's best and brightest channel partners, borrowing lessons from the successful American CRN Fast Growth 100.

For our awards, we re-imagined what it meant to be a success. Instead of a panel handing out the gongs, we rank the top 50 up-and-coming resellers on what matters - their revenue growth.

Those companies growing in the middle of recession do so by understanding their customers' businesses, matching them to the right technologies and doing it faster and better than their competitors.

CRN's Fast50 will be the cover story of the December issue. The Fast50 microsite and magazine will list the channel players at the height of their games, feature interviews with the top resellers and the distributors who backed them.

Answer the 17-question online form to be in the running for the $75,000 prize which includes a $60,000 advertising package and a $15,000 consulting program.

Fame, fortune and glory could be yours. What are you waiting for? Enter today!

Best of luck,
Sholto Macpherson
Editor, CRN

CRN Fast 50
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FAQ

1. How long do I have to apply?

Online nominations will be accepted from 4 August to the new extended deadline 14 October 2009. Companies that rank among the top 50 in terms of percentage growth between financial year 2007-2008 (FY2008) and financial year 2008-2009 (FY2009) will be notified in October. Companies that do not produce substantiation of claimed FY2008 and FY2009 net sales before the extended deadline of Wednesday October 14, 2009 midnight EST will likely be removed from consideration for the list.

2. How are you going to rank the companies?

The ranking will be done solely on the basis of the growth of net sales revenue from financial years 2007-2008 to 2008-2009, in percentage terms. We will calculate the percentage growth rate for this period.

3. What are the criteria for eligibility?

The winner of the CRN Fast50 must:
  • sell, resell, recommend, design or implement IT products and/or services to business end users;
  • have net sales revenue of at least $250,000 in financial year 2007-2008;
  • be based in Australia;
  • be established and have traded before 1 July, 2007.
Vendors ("manufacturers") and distributors are NOT eligible for the list.

4. Will I be asked to supply supporting documentation?

To confirm your accrued, financial-year net sales revenue for FY2008 and FY2009 you must submit:
  1. A statement by a company director on company letterhead confirming the sales figures, and
  2. Either:
    a) A statement from an independent accountant confirming sales figures OR
    b) ASX or ASIC filings OR
    c) a notarised, signed affidavit signed by the same company director.
Please email all supporting documentation to CRN Editor - Sholto Macpherson.

An affidavit is a sworn statement witnessed by a notary public. The process is generally easy and inexpensive – the standard cost in NSW is $90. Most accounting firms have links to notary publics and can organise or advise their clients on them. Otherwise, this website will find a notary public for you.
http://www.notarylocator.com.au

5. My company's revenue is growing rapidly, but we are not yet profitable. Does this matter?

No. The ranking will be based solely on revenue growth, not the degree of profitability.

6. Does it matter if my company is public or private?

No. Again, the ranking is done solely on the basis of revenue growth.

7. Does it matter how my company is structured?

As long as your company is independent and meets the other criteria listed above, it does not matter how it is structured.

8. What if my company used to be independent, but was acquired?

Then you are not eligible for the list unless your company was acquired after June 30, 2009.

9. What if my company is a division or subsidiary of a larger company?

Then you are still eligible for the list, but please make sure that your net sales revenue figures reflect only the net sales revenue of your division, not the entire company. In this case, you must supply sales revenue documentation from an independent accountant; internal sales figures will not be acceptable.

10. What if my company was founded or commenced trading after 1 July 2007?

Then you are not eligible for this year's list, though you may be eligible for future lists. Your company must have been founded or commenced trading before the start of 1 July 2007, so that we have a full year's worth of sales revenue from FY2008 to use as the base for calculating revenue growth rates. Partial-year revenues in the base year would give a very unfair advantage to the company and a skewed perception of the change in performance.

11. What if my FY2008 net sales revenue was below $250,000?

In this case, your company is not eligible for the list. This minimum level of sales will be strictly adhered to.

12. What if my company's name has changed?

Please fill out the application with your new name and include in parentheses after the name "(was OLD NAME)".

13. What if my company's fiscal year does not coincide with the standard (1 July - 30 June) year?

Then you must adjust your company's sales data accordingly so that the data you report to us does coincide with the financial year. This enables us to compare all respondents using the same time period.

14. What if my company has different fiscal year ends for each year?

Adjust your net sales revenue figures to reflect periods for FY2008 and FY2009 in order to fill out the application. When you submit supporting documentation, it must include all relevant periods.

15. Can I submit sales figures based on cash accounting?

No. Before filling out the application, you must convert your net sales revenue figures to an accrual basis. To convert cash to accrual, start with cash receipts, subtract the beginning accounts receivable, and add ending accounts receivable.

16. How will the results of this study appear in CRN?

We plan to publish a comprehensive special report later in the year on the results of this study. The list of the fastest-growing companies will be published in order of rank, including the company's name, headquarters address, phone number, capsule business description, CEO, Web site URL, and revenue growth figures. This listing will also appear online, with a direct link to the company's web site.

17. How is the growth percentage calculated?

We divide FY2009 net sales revenue by FY2008 net sales revenue, subtract 1 and multiply the result by 100.

For example, say FY2009 net sales revenue totalled $10,000,000 and FY2008 net sales revenue totaled $5,000,000.

$10,000,000/$5,000,000=2
2-1=1
1X100=100
Growth is 100%.

18. Will appearing in the Fast 50 reveal information about my company to competitors?

Your competitors probably already know more about you than what we'll be printing in the Fast 50: Company name, location, FY2009 net sales revenue, growth rate, phone number, capsule business description, CEO and web site. The US CRN polled its 2004 Fast Growth 100 alumni (on which the Fast 50 is based), and not one of them reported a negative experience with being published in the Fast Growth 100. In fact, 89 percent reported a noticeably positive effect, usually in terms of increased sales, a higher profile among vendors, better access to CRN reporters and boosts to employee morale. The remaining 11 percent simply noticed no effect.

19.What if I have another question or problem?

Please contact Sholto Macpherson, smacpherson@crn.com.au

20. How do I apply?

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Criteria

The winner of the CRN Fast50 must:
  • sell, resell, recommend, design or implement IT products and/or services to business end users;
  • have net sales revenue of at least $250,000 in financial year 2007-2008;
  • be based in Australia;
  • be established and have traded before 1 July, 2007.
Vendors ("manufacturers") and distributors are NOT eligible for the list.
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How To Enter

Submission Guidelines

Please click on the entry kit to your right to download the Submission Guidelines.

Entries must be submitted using the online forms provided. Final entries must be submitted no later than the extended deadline of Wednesday 14th October 2009.

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Prize

The winner of the inaugural CRN Fast50 will receive an amazing prize package valued at $75,000 designed to ensure 2010 is an even better year than 2009.

The winner's package consists of:

  1. $60,000 advertising campaign across Haymarket Media's online business IT portfolio of iTnews, Secure Computing and PC Authority Business. The tailored campaign will consist of advertising units, EDM activity and relevant sponsorship across the portfolio, including design by the Haymarket team. The campaign will run in the first six months of 2010 following the announcement of the winners by CRN in December 2009.

    This targeted and tailored advertising campaign will deliver leads to help the winning company begin 2010 with a bang. It will also build the winner's profile among Haymarket's community of over 300,000 IT decision makers.
  2. A four day custom-designed consulting and training package worth $15,000 delivered by Carpe Diem Consulting. This bespoke package will aim to take the winner's already successful business to the next level.

    Carpe Diem Consulting is a leading sales, marketing and strategy consulting firm well known for assisting Microsoft and its partners throughout Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia to improve their sales and marketing effectiveness.

    The package will identify roadblocks in the next phase of your growth strategy and provide practical sales and marketing training to ensure ALL of your team are fully prepared to take you the next stage of your journey.

Depending on a thorough analysis of your current situation and needs, the package could include:

  • a branding review;
  • development of marketing strategy;
  • a marketing effectiveness audit;
  • customer satisfaction research and improvement program;
  • execution of demand generation programs;
  • a sales effectiveness audit;
  • coaching technical personnel to spot opportunities;
  • sales training;
  • general workshop and facilitation services.

Please note - there are no cash equivalents for these prizes


iTnewsPC AuthoritySC ComputingHaymarket MediaCarpe Diem Consulting


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Contact

For submission enquiries, please contact:

Sholto Macpherson
02 8908 2207
smacpherson@crn.com.au

For sponsorship enquiries, please contact:

Claire Wallbank
02 8399 7639
cwallbank@crn.com.au

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Sponsors