On Growth

Partners: Get Ready for the 2015 RCP Rocket Award

The deadline for this year's award for IT services companies that have shown exceptional growth is May 1.

• By Mike Harvath
• April 27, 2015

Once again we're reaching out to the IT services community to announce the third annual RCP/Rocket Award sponsored by Redmond Channel Partner magazine and Revenue Rocket Consulting Group. 

The award is given out to IT services companies whose innovative business strategies resulted in sustained growth over a three-year period. Last year, the common theme among the three winners -- Minneapolis-based PowerObjects, Columbus, Ohio-based HMB Inc. and Milwaukee-based Concurrency -- was how they reinvented themselves having endured the decline of a key vendor, the retirement of a partner and the loss of a key customer, respectively.

The winners were a testament to resolve in the face of adversity. In order to grow, the companies chose to focus on a select mix of Microsoft technologies and vertical markets, supported by an unwavering commitment to the execution of their growth strategies. The path was different for all three, but the results were the same: sector-leading growth in revenue and profit resulting in all three becoming undisputed leaders in their respective fields. You can read more about these companies and their winning strategies in this October 2014 feature.

As in the past, the 2015 award is open to all U.S.-based IT services companies with annual revenues between $5 million and $75 million that provide a one- to two-page case study describing your business strategies, and how those initiatives have resulted in growth over the past three years. Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2015.

All entries will be evaluated by a panel that includes Scott Bekker, editor in chief, Redmond Channel Partner magazine; Mike Harvath, CEO of Revenue Rocket; and other distinguished guests with hands-on experience in growing an IT services business.

The award will be evaluated on two key criteria:

1. Strategies: What unique combination of strategies did you employ to generate the results you achieved? This section will constitute three-quarters of the evaluation, as we are most interested in understanding what and how various strategies drove success.
2. Results: What did your company achieve over a three-year period in terms of revenue, profit and other relevant metrics you deem appropriate? This will account for one-quarter of the evaluation.

To be considered for the 2015 RCP/Rocket Excellence in Growth Award, please submit an essay, in case study format, that documents and supports your company's growth for 2012, 2013 and 2014.

The format of the case study should include:

1. Company Background: Describe how you're positioned and differentiated in the market in terms of vendor alignment, technology focus, geographic reach, vertical emphasis and so on.
2. Strategic Initiatives: Identify the key strategic initiatives that your company implemented and how they drove your business over this period. This could include mergers and acquisitions, geographic expansion, new service line offerings, sales and marketing programs, key hires, and so on.
3. Performance: Describe your company's performance over this period, including revenue, profit and any other metric that makes your case.
4. Lessons Learned: What have you learned as a result of this effort?

In addition to an award plaque, winners will also be the focus of an article in a future issue of Redmond Channel Partner magazine and have a donation made in their name to a charity of their choice. Send submissions to [email protected]. The winners will be announced during the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in July 2015.

Start thinking about getting your entries ready, and good luck.

Visit the RCP/Rocket Award page here to read about previous years' winners.