CCL is a Dun & Bradstreet Hot 100 Company
Real Business Magazine

CCL is a Dun & Bradstreet Hot 100 company, but what does that mean and how do you get to join this elite club?

• You have to show consistent sales growth
• You have to be profitable
• You must start the Dun & Bradstreet four-year qualifying period with a minimum turnover of £250,000
• You can't be a quoted company
• You can't be a subsidiary
• You have to be actively in business
• You can't have a turnover rise of more than 500% in one year

"Fifty per cent of companies fail within fours years," says Philip Mellor, Dun & Bradstreet. "The companies in the Hot 100 are the most successful of all. They wouldn't have achieved what they have without financial discipline. The reason for the high attrition rate among new companies is down to just that. As a template to follow, financial discipline is the key reason for success - and they way to grow your market share. Sometimes you have to be unpopular and say no.

Looking at the past four years' Hot 100 rankings, they are reflective of the wider economy. We've seen a move from a 50/50 split between service and manufacturing companies to a preponderance of service firms - especially in IT recruitment.

A Final lesson is: you can't do it alone. An individual may be able to take a company to a first stage but, after that it's about delegation."