by: Joanne Meehl

I frequently get the question, "How do I spot the next [insert name of great company] before everyone else finds out?" Here are four ways:

See who the leaders are -- if they have been successful before with starting and running great companies, they are likely to be so again. So see what new companies they've started or funded, that aren't yet in the headlines.
Find out who's taking on new commercial space. Local business journals or the online business section of the area newspaper will list these transactions. Research the names you see.
Top 25 lists: See who's moving up from #25 to #15, etc. Everyone makes the mistake of focusing only on the top few. Instead, look at the movers.
Talk with people at successful companies, and ask them: who are your brash, new competitors?
It won't take long to develop a list and target some companies on it as your next employer!