Size Matters

Bill Hamm built a large and wildly growing business in the financial planning industry by being rosy while others were gloomy.

“We were willing to invest in bad times,” Hamm says, “because in my mind, that's the time to do it.”

The growth at Hamm's firm, Tampa-based Independent Financial Partners, certainly defies the recession, with bullets like 1,983% three-year revenue growth, from $1.2 million in 2009 to $25 million last year. The long-range plan, however, is to not only boost the bottom line, but also be in position to thrive in an industry going through regulatory upheaval. Indeed, IFP President Jennifer Tanck says size will be the company's biggest asset, regardless of what comes out of Washington, D.C.