Full list: Hot 100 fastest growing companies

The 2013 Investec Hot 100 ranking of the UK's fastest-growing private companies provides rich insight into entrepreneurial business management, and where long-term economic prosperity lies

Where would you meet Led Zeppelin’s first sound man and the UK’s first sushi business together in the same place?

That’s right, Phil Dudderidge’s audio business and Dong Kim’s Wasabi chain both feature in this year’s ranking of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies, measured by a testing four-year average annual growth in (profitable) sales turnover.

Anyone interested in Britain’s medium-term economic prosperity should study the 2013 ranking carefully. Business leaders will find a wealth of insight about where seams of business opportunity lie.

For the past 15 years, and now published with Investec, Real Business has produced its Hot 100 ranking, based on company information provided by Jordans. This year's Hot 100 project is also supported by media partner, the Independent.

Read the full analysis, sector and geographical breakdowns.

Watch the video announcement of the Hot 100.

Read about the Hot 100 history: 1997–2013

Okay, some of our 100 companies have been in the right place at the right time. Commodity prices have boosted gold traders; government subsidies have favoured solar energy providers; financial services is a well established source of growth in the UK.

But entrepreneurship is always partly about good luck and timing. Dig more deeply, and

you discover some eternal truths about market positioning and brilliant management within the Investec Hot 100. IT services is a long-term boom sector, but it is also hyper-competitive. What our Hot 100 IT companies do is endlessly strive to “stay relevant” in a changing market.

As businesses grow, it’s all too easy to become detached from your marketplace and your own people. It’s notable how many of our 100 talk about keeping the customer as the focus in their business. And, of the millions of words ever penned about the importance of people in business, are there any wiser than Sun Mark founder Dr Rami Ranger: “look after your staff. Money doesn’t make money; people make money.”

The Hot 100 2013

Potensial

Alternergy

Baird Investments

Smartway

Liberty Group Investments

ActivTrades

Troy Asset Management

Perspective Financial Group

Miroma International

Parabis

Ekwienox

World First UK

The Real Return Group

ANS Group

State Oil

Ruffer Management

Waxman Group

Arrowedge

GCI Telecom Group

Chain Reaction Cycles

Echo Sourcing

Forelle Estates Holdings

Kelway

Ceuta Healthcare

Hughes and Salvidge

Focusrite Audio Engineering

Firesource

Seetec Business Technology Centre

Severn & Wye Smokery

Test Equipment Asset Management

Europa Support Service

Sun Mark

Wasabi

AH Worth and Company

British Harlequin

Longfield Chemicals

Cornwall Holdings

Zonal Retail Data Systems

Moortown Construction

TBA

Durbin

AWC Industries

Bet365 Group

ITMSoil Group

UKFast.net

Aston Manor Brewery

Holyhead Boatyard

Vital Holdings

Westbridge Food Group

Kingdom Security

Appsense Holdings

Neptune Investment Management

S. Sacker

Gamesys

99p Stores

Gaia Technologies

Maple Syrup Media

Cameron Mackintosh

Fircroft Engineering Services

The ID Group

D.H. Mansfield

Winvic Group

Innovise

Octopus Capital

Control Circle

Crabco

MedTrade Products

Melrob

Speciality Drinks

The Reflex Group

Baas Construction

Thunderhead

Minster Law Group

Benefit Express

Lighthouse Healthcare

Boost Drinks

Acora Holdings

Fine & Rare Wines

Portgrade

Exponential-e

Investigo

Hills Prospect

Polar Group

Lexington Catering

Freeworld Trading

Argus Media

Sertec

Cuddy Demolition & Dismantling

Buckingham Group Contracting

Colchester Global Investors

Sinemaster Motor Factors

G. O’Brien & Sons

Amorartis

Corpacq

Opus Energy Group

The SAS Group of Companies

Softcat

Tyler Capital

Phipps & Company

City & Country Group

Visit: http://realbusiness.co.uk/p/20078