SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE®

What SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE® does

Small Business Institute® (legal name: Small Business Institute Directors' Association) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1976 and headquartered in Clinton, Mississippi. It serves SBI program directors at colleges and universities across the United States, providing an academic platform that links member institutions with small businesses seeking consulting services. The organization operates with a lean staff of approximately 8 employees and is governed by an elected board of academic officers.

The organization's core offerings comprise three interlocking products: (1) two peer-reviewed journals — the Journal of Small Business Strategy and the Small Business Institute Journal — published electronically on a twice-yearly cadence; (2) an annual national conference with keynote speakers, paper presentations, workshops, and student consulting competitions (Project of the Year and Pitch Competition); and (3) a referral program matching small businesses in need of consulting services with junior, senior, and graduate students at member universities under faculty supervision. Sponsorship tiers range from $500 basic exhibitor to $3,000 Gold, and conference registration is priced at $300-$595 depending on tier and timing. The Small Business Institute Journal was transitioned in 2026 to management by Metropolitan State University of Denver under Dr. Andrew Holt as editor.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across membership dues (subscription recurring), conference registration fees (one-time), and sponsorships (transactional). Go-to-market is community-led: member universities serve as distribution channels, the annual conference functions as the primary networking and professional development event, and scholarly journals provide publishing outlets for entrepreneurship and small business research. The organization spans all major US regions and has documented Canadian members, indicating a measured cross-border footprint.

Name

SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE®

Legal name

Small Business Institute Directors' Association

Website

https://smallbusinessinstitute.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Small Business Institute® is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1976 that links SBI program directors at US colleges and universities, offering peer-reviewed journals, an annual conference, and a referral program matching small businesses with student consultants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA), Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Academic membership organization
• Small business consulting
• Scholarly journal publishing
• Annual conference services

Headquarters

HQ city

Clinton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for academic professionals and institutions
2. Conference Revenue: Registration fees from annual conferences; early bird registration around $550, regular registration $595
3. Sponsorship & Exhibits: Gold sponsors $3,000, Silver sponsors $2,000, Bronze sponsors $1,000, Basic exhibitor/sponsor $500; educators influence student-entrepreneur purchases of $500,000 to $1,000,000 per academic year

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Small Business Institute® is a nonprofit professional association that supports faculty and program directors at U.S. colleges and universities running field-based small business consulting programs. Its sellable offerings include institutional and individual membership, an annual conference, two peer-reviewed journals (Journal of Small Business Strategy and Small Business Institute Journal), the Project of the Year student consulting competition, and a referral program matching small businesses with student consultants at member institutions.

Product overview

SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE® is a professional association operating as a platform offering publications, events, and programs. The organization publishes two journals (Journal of Small Business Strategy and Small Business Institute Journal), operates an annual conference, runs a POY consulting project competition, and manages a referral program connecting small businesses with student consultants. Membership provides access to professional development resources including a syllabus exchange.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Journal of Small Business Strategy (JSBS): A practically-oriented journal that publishes high-quality, applied research on topics related to entrepreneurship and small business operations, stressing strategy in all functional areas
• Small Business Institute® Journal (SBIJ)

Products and services

• SBI Membership Program Annual membership program for academic professionals and institutions running SBI field-consulting programs, providing access to journals, conference participation, professional development resources, syllabus exchange, and networking with SBI Directors and faculty at member institutions.
• SBI Annual Conference Annual professional development conference featuring keynote speakers, workshops, paper presentations, Student Consulting Project of the Year (POY) workshops and competition, teaching and curriculum development workshops, and networking events for SBI faculty and members. Registration tiers include Full Conference ($550 early bird, $595 regular), Emeritus ($350/$395), and Student/Guest ($300/$350).
• Journal of Small Business Strategy (JSBS) Practically-oriented peer-reviewed journal publishing high-quality, applied research on entrepreneurship and small business operations, with emphasis on strategy in all functional areas. Distributed electronically to members, small business owners, entrepreneurs, government officials, and researchers.
• Small Business Institute® Journal (SBIJ) Peer-reviewed journal publishing scholarly research articles and cases in small business management, entrepreneurship, and field-based learning, published twice yearly electronically (April and October). Now managed by Metropolitan State University of Denver under Dr. Andrew Holt as editor.
• SBI Referral Program Referral program matching small businesses and organizations in need of consulting services with SBI member college and university students (junior/senior undergraduate or graduate level) under faculty supervision. Delivers hands-on learning experiences for students while providing clients with business consulting, technical assistance, and business/feasibility plan development.
• Project of the Year (POY) Competition Annual student competition recognizing outstanding consulting projects completed through the SBI program, with submission deadlines, judging criteria, and separate undergraduate and graduate categories including comprehensive, specialized, and business plan/feasibility study tracks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides consulting services at low cost or free to qualifying small businesses
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Metropolitan State University of DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan State University of Denver now manages one of SBI's signature journals, the Small Business Institute Journal (SBIJ). Dr. Andrew Holt, Professor of Accounting at MSUD, has been appointed as the journal's editor. This partnership advances the journal's mission to publish scholarly research in small business management, entrepreneurship, and field-based learning.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• America's SBDC (Small Business Development Centers): National network providing consulting and technical assistance to small businesses, frequently partnering with universities. Shares the small business advisory mission and university partnership model, though funded and structured differently.
• USASBE (United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship): The leading academic professional association focused on entrepreneurship education at US universities. Like SBI, it serves faculty, publishes journals, and hosts an annual conference — the most direct comparable organization in the niche.
• NACCE (National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship): Membership organization supporting entrepreneurship education at community and technical colleges. Directly comparable mission of advancing entrepreneurship in higher education, with similar faculty and program director audience.
• SCORE Association: Non-profit that provides mentoring and consulting to small business owners through a volunteer network. Operates a similar nonprofit model connecting expertise with small business needs, with comparable scale and longevity.

Others

• Kauffman Foundation: Major philanthropic foundation funding entrepreneurship education and research, including academic programs. Adjacent player that shapes the field SBI operates in through grants and research funding rather than direct competition.

Broad incumbents

• AACSB International: The dominant global accreditor for business schools. Operates broadly in the same higher-education business ecosystem as SBI but serves all business school functions, not just entrepreneurship/SBI program directors.
• ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs): Business school accreditation body overlapping with SBI's member institutions. Broader in scope (all business programs) but operates in the same professional association space serving similar institutional members.

Emerging players

• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global membership community for entrepreneurs that includes learning and education programming for founders. Indirect overlap through entrepreneurship education, though it primarily serves founders rather than faculty.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/small-business-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 SMALL BUSINESS INSTITUTE®