Smart Business

What Smart Business does

Smart Business Network Inc. is a Cleveland-headquartered regional business media company founded in 1989 by Fred Koury, operating print and digital magazines across four anchor markets — Northeast Ohio, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh — while building a national footprint through its Dealmakers Conference series in more than 20 U.S. cities, three branded podcasts (Smart Leaders, Smart Business Insights, Smart Business Dealmakers), and a portfolio of recurring award and recognition programs (Smart 50, Pillar, Family Business Awards, Smart Women Breakfast, AI Impact Forum, Evolution of Manufacturing).

The underlying platform is a web-based content management system with podcast distribution infrastructure and dedicated event management capabilities. Smart Business had earlier expanded into adjacent content marketing services through SBN Interactive, rebranded Convero in 2016, which operates as an affiliated brand focused on measurable customer engagement and retention. The company's content archive references more than 27,000 CEOs featured across its publication history, including national figures such as Ted Turner, Mark Cuban, Wayne Huizenga, Bill Ford Jr., and Les Wexner, supporting an editorial franchise that has accumulated multiple state-level journalism awards since 2004.

Commercially, Smart Business generates revenue through advertising and magazine subscriptions across regional markets, sponsored events and conferences, awards program participation, a book publishing line, and affiliated content marketing services via Convero. The defined customer base is C-level executives and business leaders at middle-market companies with 20 to 1,000 employees — a segment the company deliberately targeted in the late 1990s as an underserved niche relative to large-enterprise-oriented business publications. Following its October 22, 2025 acquisition by Vistage, Smart Business continues to operate as a subsidiary under its existing brand within Vistage's CEO advisory platform.

Name

Smart Business

Legal name

Smart Business Network Inc.

Website

https://www.sbnonline.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Smart Business is a Cleveland-based regional business media company publishing magazines, podcasts, awards, and the Dealmakers Conference series in 20+ U.S. cities for C-level executives and middle-market companies with 20–1,000 employees, now operating as a subsidiary of Vistage following its October 2025 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Media and Events

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Business publications
• Trade magazines
• Executive events
• Business podcasts
• B2B media

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions and Advertising: Magazine subscriptions and advertising sales across regional business publications targeting C-level executives and business leaders.
2. Events and Conferences: Revenue from hosting business events, conferences, and award programs including Dealmakers conferences, Smart 50 Awards, Pillar Awards, and other networking events.
3. Books Division: Books division that brings stories of CEOs to life, creating additional revenue through publishing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Smart Business (operating as Smart Business Network, Inc.) is a Cleveland-based business media company that publishes regional business management journals covering the Cincinnati, Columbus, Northeast Ohio, and Pittsburgh markets, produces three branded podcasts (Smart Leaders, Smart Business Insights, Dealmakers), and runs a portfolio of business events and award programs including the Dealmakers Conference series in 20+ U.S. cities, Smart 50 Awards, Pillar Award, Family Business Awards, Smart Women Breakfast, AI Impact Forum, and Evolution of Manufacturing. The company also operates the affiliated Convero content marketing and customer engagement platform.

Product overview

Smart Business (Smart Business Network/SBN) is a business media company operating as a platform-plus-products architecture. The core offering consists of Smart Business Magazine, a national chain of regional business management journals covering Cincinnati, Columbus, Northeast Ohio, and Pittsburgh markets. The portfolio includes three branded podcasts: Smart Leaders (executive interviews), Smart Business Insights (business best practices), and Dealmakers (M&A/transactions). Events include the Dealmakers Conference series across 20+ U.S. cities, Smart 50 Awards, Pillar Award for Community Service, Family Business Awards, Smart Women Breakfast, AI Impact Forum, and Evolution of Manufacturing. An affiliated brand, Convero, provides content marketing and customer engagement solutions. Digital magazine editions complement the print publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smart Business Magazine: National chain of business management journals offering insight, advice and strategy for C-level executives
• Smart Business Dealmakers
• Smart Leaders Podcast
• Smart Business Insights Podcast
• Smart 50 Awards
• Pillar Award
• Family Business Awards
• Smart Women Breakfast
• AI Impact Forum

Products and services

• Smart Business Magazine A national chain of regional business management journals offering insight, advice and strategy for C-level executives, with regional editions covering Cincinnati, Columbus, Northeast Ohio, and Pittsburgh markets.
• Smart Leaders Podcast Podcast featuring interviews with successful executives driving growth and innovation, distributed on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn.
• Smart Business Insights Podcast Podcast providing CEOs and business executives with best practices, advice and strategies for managing companies.
• Smart Business Dealmakers Podcast Podcast featuring interviews with dealmakers and executives focused on mergers, acquisitions, and middle-market transactions.
• Dealmakers Conferences Regional conference series on middle-market dealmaking held in more than 20 U.S. cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Central Florida, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, D.C. Capital Region, Denver, Detroit, Houston, New York, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and South Florida.
• Smart 50 Awards Regional awards program recognizing top companies for leadership and innovation, with editions for Northeast Ohio, Columbus, and Pittsburgh markets.
• Pillar Award for Community Service Annual awards program recognizing companies for community service and impact in Northeast Ohio, Columbus, and Greater Cincinnati markets.
• Family Business Awards Awards program honoring family-owned businesses for leadership and business excellence.
• Smart Women Breakfast Networking event series for female business leaders.
• AI Impact Forum Forum focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on business operations.
• Evolution of Manufacturing Event series focused on manufacturing industry trends and innovation.
• Business Growth Awards Awards program recognizing companies for strategic growth achievements.
• Convero Content marketing and customer engagement platform that helps organizations engage in measurable conversations with customers, members and employees to improve retention and business performance; operates the Convero Voice program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured over 27,000 of the nation's top CEOs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VistagecoreOthers · 22 October 2025Vistage acquired Smart Business Network (SBN) in October 2025. The acquisition aims to enhance Vistage's support for CEOs in managing complex transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, and financing, and to strengthen its presence in local communities. SBN provides business publications and events including the Smart Business Dealmakers Conference.
• ConverocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Convero (formerly SBN Interactive) was created by Smart Business Network in 2012 as a content marketing company. In 2016, it was spun off but maintains a close affiliation with Smart Business. Convero helps organizations engage in measurable conversations with customers, members and employees to improve retention and business performance. The company's Convero Voice program drives meaningful engagement by combining insight, strategy, content and ongoing measurement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American City Business Journals (The Business Journals): Operates a national network of regional business publications targeting local business leaders, with events and digital platforms — the closest analog to Smart Business's regional magazine-plus-events model across 40+ U.S. markets.
• Crain's Cleveland Business: Regional business publication serving the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio market with weekly journalism, events, and awards — directly competes with Smart Business in its flagship Northeast Ohio territory.
• Crain's Chicago Business: Crain's flagship regional business title serving Chicago executives with journalism, events, and awards — analogous to SBN's regional publication plus events model, but anchored in a larger metro.
• IndustryWeek: B2B trade publication and event brand covering manufacturing leadership and operations; comparable to SBN's Evolution of Manufacturing event and executive audience in industrial middle-market companies.
• Chief Executive Magazine / ChiefExecutive.net: Media brand and peer community dedicated to CEO-level content, awards, and events — directly mirrors SBN's C-suite executive target audience and award-driven engagement model.
• Mergers & Acquisitions: The Dealmaker's Journal: Long-running M&A trade publication and event brand targeting middle-market dealmakers — comparable to Smart Business Dealmakers' editorial focus on middle-market transactions and conferences.
• Columbus Business First: Regional business journal covering Columbus, Ohio — a direct head-to-head competitor with Smart Business's Columbus edition in advertising, events, and audience.
• Pittsburgh Business Times: Regional business journal serving Pittsburgh executives — competes directly with SBN's Pittsburgh edition for advertisers, award nominations, and event sponsorships.

Broad incumbents

• Inc. Magazine (Mansueto Ventures): Nationally recognized business media brand covering growing companies and entrepreneurs; overlaps with SBN's middle-market and growth-stage company audience but operates at national scale with broader content.
• Forbes Media: Global business media brand with executive profiles, lists, events, and awards — competes with SBN for C-suite audience attention and advertiser spend but at a much larger national/international scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/smart_business
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SmartBusinessNetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmartBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-business-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart Business