After 6 years of grinding our butts off, we can finally say, we did it. CloudTask has made the prestigious Inc 5000!
The Inc 5000 is a list of privately held American companies who have recorded immense growth over any given year. We are proud to announce that CloudTask has made that list with flying colors.
Debuting in the top 500 of the INC 5000 (#418 to be exact) has us hungry for more. We spoke to our CEO and COO Amir Reiter and Alon Mirkin about what this accolade means for the future of our organization.
What was your initial reaction when you heard the news?
“It was shocking. We’ve been working so hard for the last few months that we didn’t think of the possibility of even getting listed. Then, when we heard we made the list (not where we were going to place) and then to find out we were ranked in the top 500 as the 418th company, that was a great boost of energy that further validated our efforts during this crazy era.”
How does it feel to crack the top 500 in your first year?
“Any time there are organizations other than our clients that recognize our efforts, it’s extremely gratifying, but being among the 500 fastest growing companies brings an added level of pride. Being ranked among organizations built by entrepreneurs chasing their dreams like us, is an amazing feeling. Definitely great results to a job well done by our team over the past few years. But just like everything else, this is when we have to work harder to continue to grow.”
The company has been around for 6 years, how do you manage such quick growth?
“Well, 6 years might not sound like a long time but it sure has felt like it (laughs). You always feel like there is so much to be done but it’s those first 2-3 years when every goal seems to be so distant. I think the key is, to devise a strategy for every goal. No matter how large or how small.
But as far as managing growth, we have a great team. We still have many members that have been with us since the beginning and having a great team with a sense of ownership, allows us to keep growing in the right way. They know where we want to take this and we know our company goals are in line with the personal goals they’ve set aside, that’s where the difference is. Working with a team of individuals that share your vision.”
What has been the most rewarding part of your journey as a business owner?
Amir - “When I first began my career in b2b sales, I wasn’t the best cold caller, I sucked! It was after years of thinking I was never going to be as good as I wished, that I realized I was good at other things as well. I’m passionate about sales. So what was difficult and challenging for many, became fun for me. I read all the books I could about b2b sales, outsourced sales and though my passion for becoming a sales leader is a constant journey of enlightenment, I have a successful company with dozens of sales experts I learn from on a daily basis”.
Now that you’ve made the list and in the top 500, what’s next for CloudTask in the next year?
“Great question! We are always looking for new ways to make sales more efficient but keeping it as personalised as possible at the same time can be challenging. So as far as what’s next? We’ve been doing some great things in the partnerships department as this is going to be a hot topic next year, we’ve put together a decent following for our Cloud9 podcast and continue to open great conversations with thought leaders in every industry. We’ve also been growing our customer success department but most exciting of all is that we have spent months designing and developing a software product that we are looking to bring to market this year. I can’t say much now but I can say that we are happy to diversify our service and product offering.
What advice would you give aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build their business?
I’m not gonna lie, the covid outbreak came at a time for us when we were looking to ramp up or operations and invested in our growth. But through all of that, we pushed ourselves even harder and had the support of our team and have been growing at a substantial pace” considering the situation.
So my advice for young business owners and entrepreneurs looking to embark on their own business venture, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t compete with industry giants or that everything has been done.
You might see a problem that needs to be solved, maybe not now but down the road. Look at Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, I bet he had a ton of friends who thought he was crazy for wanting to go up against Blockbuster and Hollywood Video at a time when they were at their peak. But he saw where the world was headed and today, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t at least sponge off their friend’s Netflix account. So keep pushing, everything can always be improved and don’t let anyone tell you you’re not the one to do it.”
