connect business magazine

What connect business magazine does

Connect Business Magazine is a regional business publication serving Southern Minnesota, with a concentrated focus on the Mankato area and the broader Region 9 footprint. Founded in 1996, it has operated continuously as a business-news outlet, covering executive profiles, leadership stories, regional business news, and community insights. The publication transitioned from print to a fully digital format and now distributes all content through its website and a free email newsletter.

Its product surface comprises three components: the core Connect Business Magazine (organizing content into News, Profiles — Covers, Features, Leadership, Rising Stars — and Insights — Columns, Publisher Perspective), the Get Deep Podcast (long-form interviews with regional founders, executives, and civic leaders), and the Connect Newsletter (free recurring email digest). The underlying technology is a standard digital publishing platform (WordPress-based, per the "mimbo" theme signatures visible on the site) with no proprietary technical components, AI features, APIs, or integrations disclosed.

The business model is exclusively advertising and sponsorship-based. Monetization is anchored by a tiered partner program — Premier Partners Bolton & Menk and Community Bank, and Supporting Partners Vanderberg Clean, Chankaska Creek, Otto Media Group, and ETS — alongside sponsored content. The magazine is privately held and operates under the umbrella of Otto Media Group (OMG), with Wes Otto serving as publisher. The organization runs with 1–10 employees, has no external institutional funding, and is editorially positioned as an independent regional voice for the Southern Minnesota business community.

Name

connect business magazine

Legal name

Connect Business Magazine

Website

https://connectbiz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Connect Business Magazine is a regional digital business publication covering Southern Minnesota's Mankato area and Region 9, delivering executive profiles, regional business news, and the Get Deep Podcast to local business leaders via an advertising-supported model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Business Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC), Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)

Keywords

• Regional business news
• Executive profiles
• Business journalism
• Podcast media
• Community storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Mankato

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: The magazine operates on an advertising-based model, featuring Premier Partners (Bolton & Menk, Community Bank) and Supporting Partners (Vanderberg Clean, Chankaska Creek, Otto Media Group, ETS) on its platform. The publication also publishes sponsored content and industry highlights.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Connect Business Magazine is a digital-first regional business publication serving Southern Minnesota, particularly the Mankato area and Region 9. It publishes business news, executive profiles, leadership features, and industry insights across editorial categories including Covers, Features, Leadership, Rising Stars, Columns, and Publisher Perspective. The publication is published by OMG | Otto Media Group and distributes content via its website, free email newsletter, and the Get Deep long-form podcast.

Product overview

Connect Business Magazine is a digital-first business publication serving Southern Minnesota's Region 9, covering the Mankato area. The publication centers on business news, executive profiles, leadership stories, and regional insights. Its product portfolio includes the core Connect Business Magazine (covering news, profiles across categories like Covers, Features, Leadership, and Rising Stars), the Get Deep Podcast (long-form in-depth interviews with regional business and civic leaders), and the Connect Newsletter (free email delivery of business news and profiles). The publication is published by OMG | Otto Media Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Get Deep Podcast: Long-form conversations with the people shaping the region, featuring founders, executives, civic leaders, creatives, and community voices across Southern Minnesota.

Products and services

• Connect Business Magazine A digital business magazine providing news, executive profiles, and regional business updates focused on Southern Minnesota, particularly the Mankato area and Region 9 footprint. Editorial categories include Covers, Features, Leadership, Rising Stars, Columns, and Publisher Perspective.
• Get Deep Podcast Long-form podcast conversations featuring founders, executives, civic leaders, creatives, and community voices shaping Southern Minnesota. Available via the magazine's website and standard podcast platforms.
• Connect Newsletter Free email newsletter delivering business news, executive profiles, and regional updates from across Southern Minnesota. Free to join with a confirmation step required for signup.

Quantifiable outcome

• Comprehensive coverage of Southern Minnesota's business community with profiles, features, and insights

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered premier partner, core and supporting partner.

• Bolton & Menkpremier partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerBolton & Menk is listed as a Premier Partner of Connect Business Magazine, indicating a significant advertising or sponsorship relationship with this engineering and consulting firm.
• Community Bankpremier partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Bank (CBFG) is listed as a Premier Partner of Connect Business Magazine, indicating a significant advertising or sponsorship relationship with this financial institution.
• Otto Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOtto Media Group (OMG) is identified as the publisher of Connect Business Magazine. The founder Wes Otto's family also owns Zanz Mexican Restaurant. Otto Media Group represents the core publishing and operational partnership.
• Vanderberg Cleansupporting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerVanderberg Clean is listed as a Supporting Partner of Connect Business Magazine, indicating an advertising or sponsorship relationship.
• Chankaska Creeksupporting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerChankaska Creek Ranch and Winery is listed as a Supporting Partner of Connect Business Magazine, indicating an advertising or sponsorship relationship.
• ETSsupporting partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerETS is listed as a Supporting Partner of Connect Business Magazine, indicating an advertising or sponsorship relationship.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal: The dominant business news outlet for the Twin Cities metro and broader Minnesota. It is comparable to Connect Business Magazine because both serve regional business audiences with news, executive profiles, and advertising, but the Journal operates at a much larger metro scale and serves as a broader incumbent.

Direct peers

• Twin Cities Business Magazine: A monthly regional business magazine covering the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota with executive profiles, industry insights, and advertising-supported content. It is directly comparable to Connect in product format (B2B trade/business magazine), target audience (executives and business owners), and revenue model (advertising).
• Minnesota Business Magazine: A regional business magazine covering Minnesota's business community with executive profiles and industry insights. Directly comparable to Connect as a B2B regional business publication targeting Minnesota executives and serving advertisers in the same addressable market.

Regional players

• Finance & Commerce: A Minnesota-based business newspaper covering commercial real estate, finance, and regional business news. Comparable to Connect in audience (regional business decision-makers) and advertising-supported model, though it focuses more specifically on commercial real estate and finance in the Twin Cities.
• Business North: A regional business publication covering northern and greater Minnesota with business news and features. Comparable in format and audience (regional business readers and advertisers) but serving a different sub-region of the state.
• The Mankato Free Press: The local daily newspaper serving Mankato and Southern Minnesota. It is comparable because it covers the same regional audience and competes for local advertising dollars, though it is a general-interest newspaper rather than a business-specific publication.
• Southern Minnesota Scene: A regional lifestyle and community publication covering Southern Minnesota. It is comparable to Connect in geographic focus and community storytelling, though it is a lifestyle publication rather than a business-focused one.

Others

• Greater Mankato Growth: The economic development organization for the Mankato region. Comparable because it serves the same Southern Minnesota business community and publishes regional business content, but as a chamber/economic development entity rather than a competing publisher.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ConnectBiz_mag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connect-business-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 connect business magazine