Wednesday 28 October 2026
Reach UK SME business leaders — connect your brand with a powerful audience of company directors, entrepreneurs and decision-makers.
Since 1986 we’ve built unrivalled trust with the SME community — and today we offer partners a direct line to one of the most engaged business audiences in the UK. Using our dominance in the UK SME space we have built an online audience of owners and decision-makers who choose Business Matters as their first choice for news, information and advice.
Our reputation as the UK’s leading SME magazine ensures your brand appears in a respected environment.
A loyal audience of business owners and directors who influence purchasing decisions.
Opportunities across digital, print, email newsletters, podcasts, video and events.
Premium positions across our high-traffic website and newsletters — leaderboards, MPUs, half-pages and billboards.
Thought-leadership and brand-building articles written for impact, clearly labelled in our Business channel.
Feature in the UK’s longest-running and largest SME business magazine — 50,000 copies monthly.
Align your brand with our growing audio platform and showcase your business in front of SME leaders nationwide.
| Issue | Feature | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| January On sale 1 Jan | The 2027 survival map Twelve dates that will define your year | Every SME deadline of 2027, month by month, from the new unfair dismissal rules to the EU AI Act, with the cost and a “do this now” action for each. |
| February On sale 5 Feb | Six months to get it right Hiring under the new rules | Redesigning probation, onboarding and performance management as the unfair dismissal qualifying period falls to six months. Plus: Launch of the Business Workplace Awards 2027 |
| March On sale 5 Mar | Cash is king again Funding growth when money gets dearer | Where to raise money as rates rise, from banks and the British Business Bank to private credit, and what a 60-day payment cap means for cash flow. |
| April On sale 2 Apr | Who gets the business? The great handover | Selling, employee ownership, buy-outs or passing it on, with the tax on each route, as unused pensions enter inheritance tax from 6 April. Plus: Business Champion Awards 2027 winners |
| May On sale 7 May | Female Founders 250 The women building British business, ranked | The UK’s leading female founders ranked from 1 to 250, with profiles and the seven marquee award winners. |
| June On sale 4 Jun | The yellow jersey economy Cashing in on Britain’s summer of sport | A playbook for hospitality, retail, transport and events firms to profit from the Tour de France, the Ashes, Wimbledon and The Open. Plus: Best in Business 2027 winners |
| July On sale 2 Jul | Hire an agent Your first AI employee | AI agents that run whole workflows, from bookkeeping to customer service, with real costs, lessons learned and the governance a small firm needs. |
| August On sale 6 Aug | The defence dividend How small firms win a slice of rearmament | How firms outside defence can win MoD work as it aims to lift its annual spend with SMEs to £7.5bn: registration, accreditation and first contracts. |
| September On sale 3 Sep | The UK’s best places to work Business Workplace Awards 2027: rated by their own staff | Up to 100 UK employers rated highest by their own staff, plus Business Workplace of the Year, and what the best did differently. |
| October On sale 1 Oct | The 20p revolution Getting ready for the circular economy | As deposit return goes live on 1 October, the full green-compliance picture, from packaging fees to the carbon border levy, with typical costs. |
| November On sale 5 Nov | The UK’s Top 50 Most Innovative Companies Business Innovation Awards 2027 | The UK’s 50 most innovative companies and 32 sector and theme top-10 lists, revealed on 4 November. |
| December On sale 3 Dec | The best of rural Britain Rural Business Awards 2027: the winners | All 17 category winners from the 4 November awards night, set against the year’s rural business story. |
The magazine goes on sale on the first Friday of each month. Copy for the January issue is due by 10 December 2026.
Our journalists and editorial staff are committed to producing the best and most informative magazine for the UK SME market, working constantly with our readers to cover the topics they want to read. The Business Matters website builds on the magazine’s editorial with hot-off-the-press news, discussion and video interviews.
With a proven track record and a trusted reputation, Business Matters offers advertisers more than visibility — we deliver connection, influence and results.
Full audience data, formats and rates — or call the commercial team to discuss a bespoke partnership.
Advertising is accepted subject to our standard terms and conditions.