Inc. Magazine Site Provides Useful Tool for Comparing Financial Numbers

A common perception that data on how well closely held companies perform is hard to obtain is more myth than reality. But it can be hard to know where to find it. Inc. Magazine's Web site now has a very helpful tool that makes that information readily available (http://www.inc.com/profitability-report/). Using data from industry professionals and surveys by Sageworks, the site provides data on 24 key financial measures, such as current and quick ratios, profit margins (EBITDA, gross margin, and net margin), return on equity, inventory days, debt-to-equity, profit per employee, and more. Aside from its use in corporate planning, the tool can be a very useful way to help employees understand how their company measures up to the competition on critical measures.