Preparing for your first trade show can be intimidating, but if everything goes right trade shows can be highly beneficial for company growth. On the other hand, if you’re poorly prepared and show up with nothing special to offer, you might wind up going home disappointed by the fact that the neighboring booths stole the show while you sat there and watched everybody pass by. There are certain things that people just expect to see when they visit a professional booth, and if your stand is lacking any of those components, it’s going to be difficult to compete. With that said, here are five things every small business should bring to a trade show: