The Business Journal

What The Business Journal does

The Business Journal is a privately held regional business publication founded in 1988, headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, and serving the Tri-Cities TN/VA market across Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The publication produces a monthly print magazine and accompanying digital editions covering regional business news, economic analysis, executive interviews, and feature stories on local companies. Its subscriber base of 3,909 paid copies combined with 2,486 strategically placed controlled-distribution copies produces a total circulation of 6,400 and an estimated reach of 23,000+ readers per issue based on 3.5 readers per copy.

The product portfolio is anchored by the core monthly magazine and extended by several recurring annual programs: Healthcare Heroes (a 30+ year-old recognition program honoring regional healthcare professionals), 40 Under Forty (an emerging-leader recognition program), Book of Lists (an annual ranking of regional businesses), and Profiles in Business (an advertising-driven feature section). The underlying technology is a WordPress-based web platform hosted on wpengine.com, with full magazine editions distributed as downloadable PDFs and a searchable editorial archive. The site also integrates NETAR CMLS real estate listings and links to JC News & Neighbor as part of a local media network.

The business model is a hybrid of paid subscriptions and advertising/sponsorship. Subscriptions are sold annually through the website, while advertising revenue is generated via a published media kit (the 2026 edition) plus sponsorships of the Healthcare Heroes, 40 Under Forty, and Book of Lists programs. The target audience skews heavily toward regional business decision-makers: 70.2% of subscribers hold top-management positions, 78% are college graduates, 88% participate in purchasing decisions for their companies, and the average subscriber household income exceeds $150,000, making the publication an attractive vehicle for B2B advertisers seeking access to affluent, influential buyers in the Tri-Cities region.

Name

The Business Journal

Legal name

The Business Journal

Website

https://bjournal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Business Journal is a private regional business publication founded in 1988, serving the Tri-Cities TN/VA market with a monthly print magazine, digital editions, advertising, and annual recognition programs including Healthcare Heroes and 40 Under Forty.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Business Trade Publication

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC)

Keywords

• Regional business news
• Trade publication
• Business magazine
• Executive advertising
• Regional journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Johnson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print and Digital Subscriptions: The publication generates revenue through paid subscriptions including both physical magazine copies and digital editions. Total paid distribution is 3,909 copies with controlled circulation of 2,486 copies, totaling 6,400 circulation.
2. Advertising and Sponsorships: The Business Journal monetizes its audience of 23,000+ readers through advertising placements, media kit offerings, and sponsorship opportunities for special programs including Healthcare Heroes, 40 Under Forty, and Book of Lists.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Business Journal publishes a monthly regional business magazine covering the Tri-Cities TN/VA area, distributed in print (3,909 paid plus 2,486 controlled copies, 6,400 total) and as downloadable digital PDF editions. The publication covers regional business news, economic analysis, executive interviews, and feature stories on local companies, and monetizes its 23,000+ readership through advertising, sponsorship programs (Healthcare Heroes, 40 Under Forty, Book of Lists), and media kit sales to regional advertisers.

Product overview

The Business Journal is a single, unified regional business publication serving the Tri-Cities TN/VA area. The product portfolio consists of its core monthly magazine publication supplemented by several recurring programs including the Healthcare Heroes Partnership (annual healthcare recognition), the 40 Under Forty Program (young professional recognition), and the Book of Lists (annual business rankings). Additional offerings include Profiles in Business (advertising section), Media Kit (advertising sales resources), and subscription services. The publication focuses on regional business news, economic analysis, and community leader interviews delivered through both print and digital channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Business Journal Magazine Monthly regional business magazine distributed in print (3,909 paid and 2,486 controlled circulation copies, totaling 6,400) and as downloadable PDF digital editions, reaching 23,000+ readers in the Tri-Cities TN/VA region. Covers business news, economic analysis, executive interviews, and feature stories on local companies and organizations.
• Subscription Services Paid subscription service providing individuals and companies with monthly access to the magazine in print and digital formats, including the digital PDF edition and access to the article archive on bjournal.com.
• Healthcare Heroes Partnership

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• News & NeighborminorOthersThe publication maintains a link to JC News & Neighbor (jcnewsandneighbor.com) as part of a network of local news publications in the Johnson City area.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Inc. National business magazine and digital media brand focused on entrepreneurs and growing companies. Comparable business-periodical model with subscription and advertising revenue streams serving a similar executive/owner audience.
• American City Business Journals: The largest operator of regional business journals in the U.S., publishing titles across 40+ metros. It is the most direct comparable to The Business Journal, operating the same regional business-newspaper model at national scale.
• IndustryWeek: Established B2B trade publication covering manufacturing and industry. Comparable business-to-business periodical model with subscription plus advertising revenue, but with national industrial rather than regional business scope.
• Forbes: National business publication operating a subscription and advertising model targeting executives. Comparable in business-news periodical format and affluent business readership, though at vastly larger national scale.

Regional players

• Knoxville News Sentinel: Regional daily newspaper serving nearby East Tennessee with a business-news vertical. Comparable in regional business coverage focus and print-digital hybrid model, though operating at larger scale and on a different geographic footprint.
• Bristol Herald Courier: Local daily newspaper serving Bristol and the Southwest Virginia portion of the Tri-Cities market. Comparable regional newsroom with a business-coverage vertical and print-digital distribution.

Direct peers

• Tri-Cities Business News: Direct local competitor covering the same Tri-Cities TN/VA market with a business-news focus. Overlaps entirely on geography, audience, and editorial category with The Business Journal.

Others

• NETAR (Northeast Tennessee Association of Realtors): Regional real estate trade body whose MLS integration appears as a service on The Business Journal's website. Comparable as a regional professional-content channel and potential advertising partner, though not a direct publishing competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bjournaltri
• Facebookfacebook.com/bjournaltnva
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tri-cities-business-journal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Business Journal