Small Business's Best Magazine

A lovely review of my book in Inc.com raises a good question: Where do you get your information about small business? To me, the best source remains Inc. magazine (for disclosure’s sake, a former employee of mine.) More than any other publication, this magazine preaches the soul of the small business, the intimate connection between the folks who run the business and the way in which the business lives or dies. There are two good examples in the current issue. The first instance can be found in Editor George Gendron’s column, in which he discusses his seven-year-old son’s stab at a (virtual) business. Most reporters get cloying or cute when talking about their kids; and most journalists miss the spirit of entrepreneurship when practiced by a kid. This piece nicely avoids both traps. And Mike Hofman’s nice article on creating an emotional brand for your company underscores a crucial point. At a time when technology enables skilled companies to knock off products and services quicker than ever, the biggest source of competitive advantage for good small companies is personal. That is, the more that you animate and differentiate your company with your identity, the greater your chances will be of thriving.