10 Magazines Every Small Business Should Read

I got a notice today from United Airlines: My miles are expiring. Not cool. Miles aren't like milk. They don't spoil after spending a week too long in my refrigerator next to the orange juice and the Diet Coke. They're good indefinitely. Or at least they ought to be.

Apparently, though, my miles have an expiration date. So before they curdle and rot, United is giving me the opportunity to cash them in. Not for cross-country travel, but for magazines. Yep. I've spent years flying around the country, from Holiday Inn to Holiday Inn, to earn not a vacation, but rather a subscription to GQ. Go figure.

Luckily, I like magazines. That's why I write for them, and why I even read a few of them every now and then.

The newsstand is full of great stuff — good writing, important lessons, interesting information — just waiting for your eyes to read it and feed it to your brain. Of course, the newsstand's also full of junk. Take the list of magazines that United has given me to choose from, for example. There's everything from Working Mother, a great read for corporate moms, to Maxim, which, let's be honest, isn't exactly great literature.

What you choose to pluck from the newsstand says volumes about you. It says a lot about your business, too, because literature is a lot like food. If you put junk into your body, for example, you'll see it the next day in the mirror, when your size 32 waist is suddenly a size 42. Likewise, if you put junk into your brain, you'll notice it in the quality of your work. If you read garbage, you'll produce garbage.

Here are 10 magazines that I've decided are worthy not only of my miles, but also of the smart small business owner's brain:

• BusinessWeek: This is the businessperson's Bible. It's a good value for the money, as it's got everything you need to know about the business world. As a small business owner, it's easy to live your life in a bubble. BusinessWeek succeeds in popping that bubble so that you can co-exist with the rest of us in the global marketplace. It's a great place to find opinionated business editorials, too. It's only flaw: having too much information.

• Conde Nast Portfolio: This is a newish magazine from the ivory tower of magazine publishers that is Conde Nast, the same folks that publish Vanity Fair and Vogue. It’s not very “small business” — it’s very hoity-toity, as far as business magazines go, and I generally prefer a more down-to-earth read — but I like it nonetheless, despite poor reviews from readers who’ve called it “snobby” and “elitist.”

Admittedly, this is a terrible place to go for grounded business news, but I think it’s a great place to go for high business culture. If you’re interested in finding out how business intersects with art, wealth and entertainment, this is the place to go. The magazine is still finding its voice, and even if that voice isn’t your own, it’s worth checking out. If you can get past the three inches of advertisements, you just might find some interesting insights.

• Entrepreneur: Entrepreneur isn't an especially innovative business magazine, but I liken reading it to treasure hunting. Amid the pages of advertisements is a lot of good information for small start-ups. In fact, if you're a start-up, this is the magazine you should be reading. After all, what may seem like basic, dumbed-down advice for seasoned business owners is actually really invaluable to newbies. My favorite part of this magazine is the front of the book, where I always discover a cool Web site to visit, interesting research to consider or neat products to add to my wish list.

• Fast Company: Fast Company is no Forbes — and that's a good thing. Frankly, business can be boring, but I like Fast Company because it makes it fun. Being the dot-com guy's favorite bathroom reader, this magazine has a bit of an edge to it. It's got attitude. It's not as utilitarian as Entrepreneur or Inc., but it's a heck of an enjoyable read.

• Glamour: Ok. So Glamour isn't exactly a business magazine. But you know what? You should still be reading it. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, either. If you're a business owner, you need to understand your customers. You need to read what they read. And the bottom line is: Women are important consumers. They make up 51 percent of the population and influence at least 80 percent of spending on consumer goods in the United States.

When you read Glamour, which isn't all hair and makeup — it actually has some great articles about smart women doing good things — you'll gain an edge with your female clients. For the same reason, I suggest reading GQ, to get inside men's heads; Out, to discover the gay and lesbian marketplace; and Ebony, to research African-American consumers. America's diverse, and if you want to appeal to diverse customers, you've got to start learning a little bit about them.

• Inc.: Inc. is probably my favorite of the business mags. The reason is that it's easy to read. It's written in a practical, straightforward voice — there's no wasting my time with fluff — it's got a very clean design and it's organized really, really well. Whether I want information on finance, technology or marketing, I can find it because the articles are clearly labeled and well placed. Plus, the magazine includes some really great profiles of real small business owners, and I love learning about other people's struggles and success.

• Men's Health/Women's Health: Men's Health? Yes, Men's Health. Again, this isn't exactly a business rag. But it's good for you, like your vegetables. Men's Health and Women's Health aren't all about biceps, abs and glutes. They're about balance. And if you're a workaholic like I am, you need to learn about balance.

Reading magazines like this will remind you that you need to take a break from making sales calls in order to eat lunch, that you need to turn off the computer to spend some time with your friends or your spouse, and that you've got to get up and stretch every once in a while. These magazines are also a great place to learn about managing stress, setting goals and achieving success. And if you're into protein powder or erectile dysfunction? Well, then I guess you've really hit the jackpot.

• Sports Illustrated: I hate sports. I'm an anomaly among men, I know. But the entrepreneur in me still likes Sports Illustrated. The reason is simple: If you read it, you will learn about hard work, teamwork and personal growth. Go to Fortune to learn about investments, but go to Sports Illustrated to learn about people. I like this magazine for the same reason I liked the movie Rudy in 1993. I don't like football, but I can nonetheless relate to goal-setting — and there's plenty of that in Sports Illustrated, which features some really inspiring stories about athletes who, like business owners, struggle, learn and then finally succeed.

• The Economist: As a small business owner, you really ought to be informed about the world around you. After all, you're doing business in it, and believe it or not, current events affect your bottom line. Rather than reading Time or Newsweek, though, I like reading The Economist. It's a bit political, sure, but it's also balanced. This is a coffee table staple, as it's got fair, well researched, well written coverage of all the world's goings-on. If you want to keep up on current events — and you should — this is what you should be reading.

• Wired: Wired isn't just for tech geeks. It's for forward-thinking business owners, too. And I stress the word "forward" because that's the biggest reason to read this magazine. It's cutting-edge in that it's always a step ahead of other magazines that you might be reading. I recommend reading Wired in order to stay ahead of the small business curve, to find out what's up and coming, to discover what's next. In order to survive into the next century, companies need to be innovative. This is where you'll learn how.

Like a normal person, you'll probably want to use your airline miles for, I don't know, airline tickets. But if you can find a few extra bucks in your budget for something to read on the plane, these magazines are worth it. Consider subscribing to a few of them, as magazine subscriptions are tax deductible for your home office, and you'd be surprised at how useful a library of good articles can be — whether you're doing research for your new start-up, or just need something other than e-mails to read.