What are the hallmarks of consistently successful businesses?

What characterises SMEs that grow strongly over a long period of time? Small and medium-sized enterprises that grow quickly in the long term employ university graduates more often, cooperate with other enterprises and research facilities more frequently and have more foreign operations. They pursue a differentiation strategy more often in which they above all rely on innovations. In order to realise their expansion plans, fast-growing enterprises also invest more often and with higher amounts than other SMEs.

What are the hallmarks of consistently successful businesses?(PDF, 138 KB, non-accessible)