The most essential magazine a small business can get is the main trade journal for that particular type of business. Inquire of other business owners, or consult Gale’s Small Business Sourcebook
(see separate review ≈∏) for the best one.
The most helpful general business magazine I’ve found for the small-time operator is In Business, a friendly, low-key bimonthly. It runs feature articles about unusual success stories: it recently featured a family-run dairy, a short-line railroad, and a backwoods bed and breakfast. The magazine has regular how-to
advice on advertising, marketing and the like. I find it a bit too tame, reluctant to be blunt or controversial, but it’s valuable.