Guide to Business Publications

Navigating the choppy waters of entrepreneurship takes keen insight. Fortunately, a host of print and online publications aimed at small business owners offer essential tools for survival. Whether you're in startup mode and need to bone up on business basics, you're running a family-owned operation and struggling with succession issues, or you're in a rapidly growing venture and want strategic advice, there's a publication for you.

Business publications cover a vast array of topics, including:

1. News and trends
2. Startup
3. Home-based operations
4. Franchising
5. Management issues
6. Sales and marketing
7. Technology
8. Financing and accounting
9. Profiles of successful entrepreneurs or lucrative industry niches

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Newsstand bestsellers

The most popular business magazines — Fast Company, Inc. and Entrepreneur — are packed with advice. Fast Company focuses on leadership and innovation issues in cutting edge niches. Inc. covers wide-ranging management strategies for growing a business with lots of nuts and bolts tools as well as success stories. Entrepreneur's strength is its how-to guides, articles, tools and resources on franchising.

I recommend: All of these publications have extremely robust Web sites. Visit them at FastCompany.com, Inc.com and Entrepreneur.com.

Off-shoots of big business magazines

Big business magazines have small business spin-offs, but some are light on toolkits.

I recommend: The Web site for BusinessWeek Small Business boasts a cache of tool-box basics on operations, raising capital and doing business online. Forbes.com has a special channel for entrepreneurs that includes helpful industry score cards and company check-ups. Fortune Small Business is adept at covering news and trends. Also check out Business 2.0, which is part of the Money/CNN Web site, for small business trends and reports.

Local business journals

Nearly every major metropolitan area — and many smaller cities — has a newspaper that covers local business. Although not always geared solely to small business, these journals often include features, profiles or advice articles on the subject.

I recommend: Find a print or online edition of a journal near you at American City Business Journals, the nation's largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers.

Online business publications

There's no dearth of small business advice online.

I recommend: For comprehensive articles, resources and tools, visit AllBusiness.com, BusinessTown.com or Business Owners Toolkit. Head to IdeaCafé.com to learn how to make small business fun, and log on to Workz.com or SmallBizResource for tools to help your business grow.

Custom publications

Some companies that serve small business also publish custom magazines for their customers.

I recommend: Business Platinum Ventures from American Express is mailed to business owners who carry the Business Platinum card and includes resource guides and profiles of successful business owners. Priority from Pitney Bowes contains a mix of articles on running a small business and features on Pitney Bowes mailing solutions.

Association publications

Joining an industry, trade or business association may provide a subscription to a magazine as a benefit. These publications often detail industry-specific news and trends that affect your business.

I recommend: The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) publishes MyBusiness, which covers all aspects of running and growing a small business. Review a directory of trade associations to see if any associations in your industry publish magazines.

Start-up ventures

If you're in the early stages of business development, you have several choices for advice and resources.

I recommend: The Wall Street Journal posts articles, podcasts, discussion boards and interactive quizzes at StartUpJournal.com. The startup channels at Inc.com and Entrepreneur.com are packed with how-to guides and resources to help get your business off the ground. Visit StartupNation.com, an online publication, for step-by-step guides, online radio broadcasts, on-demand seminars, podcasts, blogs and more.

Home-based businesses

Each year, thousands of businesses get their start in a home office. To flourish in this environment, consider reviewing the tips and tactics laid out in magazines geared to the home-based entrepreneur.

I recommend: HomeBusinessMag.com focuses on issues and challenges facing home-based businesses. Entrepreneur.com has a channel dedicated to those who run their businesses from a home office.

Women-owned businesses

For insight into how to juggle the tasks associated with running a business and family obligations, check out publications geared to women in business.

I recommend: Enterprising Women tackles business issues related to women business owners.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• The amount of small business information available can be overwhelming. Select a few publications that meet your needs best and stick to them.
• Some publications offer free online training, downloadable forms, calculators and other tools to assist you in starting or growing your business.
• Many publication Web sites include "Ask the Experts" zones, which are helpful when you don't see information on your topic.