Press ReleasesIntelliswift Ranks No. 3900 on the 2011 Inc. 500|5000 with Three-Year Sales Growth of 35%![]() NEW YORK, August 23, 2011Inc. magazine today ranked Intelliswift NO. 3900 on its fifth annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs. Online retailer ideeli tops this year’s list. Intelliswift joins Spirit Airlines, television maker Vizio, Honest Tea, Dunkin Donuts and Metrokane, makers of the Rabbit corkscrew, among other prominent brands featured on this year’s list. More about Intelliswift’s ranking can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000/profile/intelliswift In a stagnant economic environment, median growth rate of 2011 Inc. 500|5000 companies remains an impressive 94 percent. The companies on this year’s list report having created 350,000 jobs in the past three years, and aggregate revenue among the honorees reached $366 billion, up 14 percent from last year. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/5000. "Now, more than ever, we depend on Inc. 500/5000 companies to spur innovation, provide jobs, and drive the economy forward. Growth companies, not large corporations, are where the action is,” says Inc. magazine Editor Jane Berentson. Close
SmartBusiness Magazine interviews Intelliswift CEO, Pat PatelBy Matt McClellan
Trust is very important to Pat Patel, and it is one of the keys to his leadership of Intelliswift Software Inc. Patel puts a lot of trust in the members of his senior management staff, and he empowers them with the authority to make decisions. The founder, president and CEO of Intelliswift says entrusting his employees with information and responsibility shows them that the company values their work. Intelliswift, which specializes in software services and systems integration, has grown its revenue 367 percent from 2003 to 2006. Smart Business spoke with Patel about why hierarchies can be bad for business and why you have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Q: How involved should a leader be in the day-to-day operations? All the people in the company should be involved in the day-to-day operations as much as the leader is. Now, ‘day-to-day operations’ doesn’t necessarily mean diving down into the nitty-gritty or micromanaging. But at the same time, for a fast-growing start-up, the leader needs to be involved in the operations side. Now, once you grow the organization, the leader doesn’t really need to go out and get the business, but there are a lot of operational issues. Even though we have senior people who really do take care of the operations, most people look up to the leaders. When I say leaders, it’s not just me; it’s the leaders I’ve delegated. People look up to the leaders and expect them to know what’s going on with the company, what’s going on with the employees, what’s going on with the products. At any given point in time, the leader needs to know what’s going on in each department. If there are areas of weaknesses or strengths, leaders should be aware of highlighting those or bringing up the weaknesses and helping in those areas. Q: How do you manage growth? That’s an area I’ve always believed you should be ahead of the game. Instead of doing it as a reactive process, do it as a proactive process. So, if we see we are headed for major growth in the next two quarters, then we end up hiring more people on the operations side first. Rather than thinking, ‘Let’s first make the money, then add more people to operations,’ we always think ahead of the process to keep it running smooth. At the same time, for a fast-growing start-up, the financials play a key role. When you’re growing too fast, your operations have to run at the same speed as your growth and so do your finances. If the leader is not able to really envision the financial growth or put together the right processes and finances in place, eventually, the same growth can crumble the company. Q: How do you empower your employees? Take people at a low level and start giving them autonomy. Let them put together their own teams, run their own projects in their area. It affects them in a very positive way. People with two or three years of experience do have the maturity, and if you give them the autonomy, then they are really excited to run with it. They are so excited because of the autonomy that it starts reflecting on the people who work for them. It has helped us retain the excitement; the commitment flows automatically, and the trust gets built up. Q: How do you create an atmosphere of trust? Anybody can have access to any organization without going through the hierarchies. There’s always the case where you have to talk to your manager first, but that doesn’t mean everything has to be documented and flow through the hierarchy, which takes a long time. We are a very nimble company, a very fast-growing start-up. If I try to put hierarchies in place, then things start taking their own sweet time. People have access to all levels. They can tap into different groups in the company, so it’s more like a flat structure. They don’t have to set up appointments or get approvals from multiple levels. Access to different groups keeps a healthy team spirit within the organization. People don’t feel intimidated by not being able to have access to specific areas. Q: What are some pitfalls a CEO should avoid? Most companies fail because there’s not a vision during the growth phase. Market conditions can change; financial conditions change. If things are going good, that’s not always going to be the case. So, you have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. At the same time, you have to have a vision of where the markets are headed. Keep abreast of what’s out there. Always keep a close eye on your competition. You can pretty much avoid the pitfalls of a down market if you plan in advance. Like IBM says, ‘Planning is half the job done.’ Close
IndUS Buisness Journal interviews Pat Patel, Intelliswift's CEO about the firm's swift growth.Issue Date: December 15, 2006, Posted On: 12/14/2006 FREMONT, Calif. — Ask Pat Patel of Intelliswift Software Inc., and he'll tell you that it's the people, just as much as the product, which has been responsible for his company's astounding growth since its opening in 2001. About Indus Business Times: The IndUS Business Journal aims at showcasing the drive, determination and innovation that have made South Asian/Asian Indian professionals and entrepreneurs in the United States a successful segment within corporate America. The fortnightly is published out of Waltham, Massachusetts. Close
Intelliswift ranked No.2 by the IndUS Business Journal![]() Fremont, CA, Nov 6 2006: Intelliswift Software Inc was ranked number two by the Indus Business Journal in its list of fastest growing South Asian private companies and the first in its Industry. The list was published in the October 15th issue of the reputed magazine. The journal included the top 25 private companies that were founded or managed by executives of South Asian origin and that are headquartered in the United States. The firms are ranked by their three-year compound growth rate between 2002 and 2005. To qualify the firms had to have a minimum revenue of $500,000 in 2002. About Indus Business Times: The IndUS Business Journal aims at showcasing the drive, determination and innovation that have made South Asian/Asian Indian professionals and entrepreneurs in the United States a successful segment within corporate America. The fortnightly is published out of Waltham, Massachusetts. Close
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