Five thousand?

Inc. Magazine's September 2007 issue will cover the annual Inc. 500, a list of private businesses in a number of industries that grew the fastest in their respective classes.

Meanwhile, Inc. Online boasts an unexpectedly larger list: the company's first Inc. 5000.

The magazine profiles private-sector companies for the knowledge development of other entrepreneurs.

A complete list of the Inc. 5000 can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. Red Ventures out of Charlotte and HydraMedia, Beverly Hills topped charts for the Marketing and Advertising sector.

This October the company also plans to unveil IncBiz.net.com, a site where private enterprises can network and exchange information.

Development of niche professional social networks like this one is building in popularity, per a recent Wall Street Journal article, which noted the blossoming of the following niche networks:

• Sermo.com for medicine
• A Reuters social networking destination for finance
• INmobile.org for wireless
• AdGabber.com for advertising