The intelligence briefing for the 200,000 American businesses too large to be ignored and too small for anyone powerful to care about. Until now.
Because "we followed our process" is not a defense unless someone documented the process. ERISA-defensible audit trails for plan sponsors and OCIOs.
A field guide to distinguishing people who want to invest in your business from people who want to invest in their own lifestyle using your credulity as the vehicle.
Every year, several thousand otherwise sensible American business owners hand money to strangers who promise, in return, to consider whether those same owners deserve more money from them. This is not investing. This is a confidence scheme with a nicer font.
The middle market — companies generating between $10 million and $1 billion in annual revenue — is, by most reasonable measures, the actual engine of the American economy. It is also, by equally reasonable measures, a target-rich environment for people whose primary skill is appearing credible in lobbies.
The Journal has prepared a brief field guide. We are not optimistic that it will reach the people who need it most, but we have found that pessimism rarely improves a publication's circulation.
They run businesses. They control capital. They are not, as a rule, browsing social media when they read this.
Pragmatic metrics for operators who would like to run a responsible business without producing a 60-page report about it annually.
Tax incentives that actually move hiring needles, for owners who prefer outcomes to optics.
Why middle-market owners exit — and why the answer is almost never the one they gave their banker.
How the SBA's cheerful indifference to your personal net worth can be turned to your advantage.
A generation-length argument for why your succession plan should not assume your children are paying attention.
Leadership section readers are, on average, responsible for at least 12 people's mortgages.
"The middle market is too large to be boutique and too small to be systemic. It is, in other words, the most interesting part of the economy — which is why almost no one covers it properly."
— Middle Market Journal Editorial Board, speaking for itselfFrom the Journal's continuing coverage of people who have strong opinions about markets they have never operated in.
Benchmark your business against peers who are, statistically, either better or worse than you at most things. Useful either way.
Confidential opportunities from owners and intermediaries who have, for a variety of excellent reasons, decided that a public auction was not their preferred exit mechanism.
Executive and professional roles at companies that generate revenue through the conventional method of selling things to people who want them.
40,000 subscribers. 91% are decision-makers. The rest are reading for professional development, which is almost as good.
| Item | Type | Submitted | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian Capital — Capital Available | Classified | Apr 13 | |
| CFO Search — Atlas Partners (Chicago, Hybrid) | Hiring | Apr 13 | |
| HVAC Business — $8.2M Revenue | Deal | Apr 12 | |
| ESG Metrics — Rethinking Sustainability | Affiliate | Apr 11 |
| Title | Section | Type | Status | Views |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investors Do Not Charge Due Diligence Fees | Growth & Exit | Affiliate | Live | 9,244 |
| Beware Mamdani — NYC Mayor | Leadership | Editorial | Live | 6,112 |
| Private Markets Access in 401(k) | Private Markets | Sponsored | Live | 4,880 |
| The Lost Boys | Leadership | Podcast | Live | 3,920 |
| Title | Guest | Platform | Sponsor | Plays | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risky Bet: Leadership & Incentives | Jamie Dimon | Spotify | MMJ Council | 4,220 | Live |
| America 2.0 — H-1B Visa | Anuj Christian | Spotify | — | 3,810 | Live |
| The Art of the Exit | MMJ Council Panel | Spotify | Index | 2,940 | Live |
| Private Equity Access Gap | Kenneth Beitler | Direct | Signal | 1,660 | Editing |
| Deal | Sector | Revenue | EBITDA | Tier | Status | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional HVAC — 30yr Track Record | Services | $8.2M | $1.4M | Premium | Pending | |
| SE CPA Firm — Merger Sought | Prof. Svcs | $2.1M | $680K | Featured | Live | |
| Specialty Distributor — Family Exit | Distribution | $22M | $3.1M | Premium | Live |
| Title | Company | City | Mode | Status | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | PE-Backed Portfolio Co. | Chicago, IL | Hybrid | Pending | |
| VP Business Development | Cascade Growth Capital | New York, NY | Remote | Live | |
| M&A Associate | Horizon ESOP Advisors | Dallas, TX | On-Site | Live | |
| Operating Partner | Confidential Fund | Boston, MA | Hybrid | Live |
| Advertiser | Category | Tier | Expires | Impressions | Status | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian Capital Advisors | Capital Available | Premium | May 13 | — | Pending | |
| Summit Business Brokers | Business for Sale | Featured | May 12 | — | Pending | |
| Atlas Search Partners | Talent Search | Standard | Apr 30 | 2,114 | Live | |
| Cascade Growth Capital | Capital Available | Premium | Apr 28 | 4,880 | Live |
| Zone | Advertiser | Rate / Month | Status | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaderboard — Top | Signal Infrastructure | $1,200 | Live | |
| Mid-Page Leaderboard | Competitiveness Index | $980 | Live | |
| Podcast Strip Sponsor | Competitiveness Index | $1,500 | Live | |
| Sidebar Box — Right Rail | MMJ Council Promo | $650 | Live | |
| Footer Leaderboard | Vacant | $800 | Vacant | |
| Between Articles — Mobile | Vacant | $350 | Vacant |
| Partner | Type | Clicks | Conv. | Rate | Revenue MTD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competitiveness Index | Rev Share 20% | 920 | 32 | 3.5% | $1,280 |
| Signal Infrastructure | CPL $45 | 640 | 18 | 2.8% | $810 |
| MMJ Gift Shop | Rev Share 15% | 480 | 24 | 5.0% | $440 |
| SBA Loan Partner | CPC $0.80 | 612 | — | — | $490 |
| Name | Role | Last Active | Status | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tash Salas | ts@tashsalas.com | Owner | Today | Active | |
| Kenneth Beitler | kb@mmj.com | Editor | Yesterday | Active | |
| Advertising Partner | ads@signalallocator.com | Advertiser | Apr 10 | Active | |
| Guest Contributor | contributor@firm.com | Contributor | Apr 8 | Pending |
| Role | Publish Articles | Manage Ads | View Revenue | Approve Listings | Site Config |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Editor | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | — |
| Advertiser | — | Own only | Own only | — | — |
| Contributor | Draft only | — | — | — | — |
One message per line. These scroll across the top of the front page. The wit is in the writing.
Toggle sections on or off. Checked sections appear in the navigation bar.
All changes above apply to the Front Page view in real time — switch to "Front Page" in the top nav to see them live. In a production deployment, these settings would be stored server-side and applied to all visitors. The ticker updates immediately; the tagline and pullquote refresh on page load.
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Formatted in the traditional style of the Journal. Reviewed within one business day. Your readers do not require salesmanship — just information.
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