Foolish takeaway

Fast business (as opposed to share price) growth tells you something very important: its products or services are increasing relevant to an increasing group of people. That’s a rare and valuable commodity. And, as a result, a very good place to look for a market-beating investment.

Just be careful: price still matters. Even the best company won’t earn you decent returns if the price you pay is way too high. On the flipside, it’s hard to pay too low a price for a poor business. As super-investor Warren Buffett says, “Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre.”