2013 Fast50: Who they are

Super staffing

Revenue per headcount is one of the best indicators of business strength. This year’s CRN Fast50 companies delivered average revenue per employee of $256,472, but there were some huge variances within the list. 

PCS Australia (14th), for instance, generated more than $6 million per employee, largely due to a newly established structure (see box overleaf). Most companies were clustered between $150,000 and $260,000, and there were three companies who generated less than $100,000 per employee.

The majority of Fast50 companies had between 11 and 50 employees, although – as one might guess from the lower overall revenue – this year saw a larger percentage of smaller  υ companies with one to 10 employees. There were no companies with more 100 staff.

State by state

Around the country, NSW provided the most Fast50 companies at 21. Victoria grew from 11 in 2012 to 14 entrants this year, at the expense of Queensland, which dropped three. The ACT has the fastest growing companies on average, but sometimes averages are the enemy of analysis.

There were only two entrants from the Capital Territory and one of them – CTO Group (5th) – achieved growth in excess of 170 percent.

Taking that into account, Victoria once again stood out. Its 14 Fast50 companies grew at an average of 69 percent and the state also punched above its weight in dollar terms, capturing 34 percent of Fast50 revenues with only 28 percent of the companies.

Victoria is the home of first- and third-fastest growing companies. NGage grew at 264 percent and Outware Mobile clocked over at 201 percent. This year’s smallest company, Paradyne (8th), also hailed from the state and came within half a point of being Victoria’s third centurion on the list.

The average age of Fast50 leaders was 39 and the youngest was Richard Stafford from last year’s first-placed company, LeetGeek, at 27.  This is also reflected in the age of the companies in the Fast50. Two-thirds were less than 10 years old and four of the companies were founded only two years ago. Only six companies had personal experience of the Y2K bug.