SBA Study Shows that Successful Small Business Owners Attend Trade Shows and Subscribe to Trade Publications

Year’s ago a business mentor of mine gave me some good advice. She said “If you want to be a successful small business, then you can best help yourself by finding other successful businesses, and behave as they do.” Now years later I have to agree that there are definitely similarities to the behaviors of successful small business owners. For example, did you know that there is research to show that successful small business owners (1) attend trade shows, and (2) subscribe to trade magazines? In 1991 the SBA contracted with the University of West Florida to combine evidence, data, and research from 530 colleges and universities on small businesses, and the elements that make them successful. Roughly 150 business management elements were identified for successful small businesses, including attendance of trade shows and subscription to trade publications. (SBA report: “Audit Checklist for the Growing Business”)