Heat WaveWhich new businesses are on the fast track to success? The companies in <i>Entrepreneur</i> and D&B's 10th Annual Hot 100 listing are blazing their way to the top.

The companies on our annual Hot 100 list of America'sfastest-growing new entrepreneurial companies are proof that niceguys do finish first. But more on that in a moment. Here's acloser look at what's new in our 10th Annual Hot 100 listing.(To view the listing now, please clickhere.)

Overall, the companies in this year's listing are slightlymore mature, with an average of 37 months in business compared tolast year's 29 months. They're also making more money, withcombined sales of $1.1 billion-a substantial increase from lastyear's total of $923.5 million. And they're getting bigger,with an average of 48.5 employees each, up from an average of 31.6last year. What's more, they're doing it all with less:This year's average Hot 100 company launched with $416,000 instartup capital, compared with an average of $565,000 lastyear.