Entrepreneurs can learn more from scary movies than they think. Here are six rules to survive in horror movies and as an entrepreneur.

Rule #1 – Don’t split up

The infamous “Let’s split up” is a line in many horror movies. The result of splitting up is always the same — someone dies. There is always one idiot suggesting the split up routine.

Don’t be that idiot! When you’re an entrepreneur, you can’t do everything yourself. You want to, but it’s just not possible. You can only go on for so long doing things on your own, similar to a horror movie. Things are working out great in the movie after splitting up, then all of a sudden…DEAD! Working alone and refusing to seek help is a setting up for failure technique.

Rule #2 -If you fall, get up

Oh no! Josie tripped and fell! The monster is getting close to her. Why is she just laying there watching him get closer?! Get up and run Josie!

We all fall. When Josie fell, everyone was rooting for her to get up. You are going to fall and you are going to have two options: 1. Lay there and die 2. Get up! When something does not work out for you (you lose your biggest client, you are not making enough money), get up and do something about it. Don’t let yourself fail just because it’s the easy way out and it often feels like there are no other options.

Rule #3 – Don’t go into a desolate town looking for help

You know how this one goes. Car breaks down and what do you know?! The people are in a vacant town or right near a mysterious hotel. These places never offer hospitality.

Don’t take the easy way out. Always look for alternatives. Ask yourself whether you are making the right decision.

Rule #4 – Don’t trust strangers

The hitchhiker needs a ride. He looks fine. OR That guy over there said he can help us get where we need to go. Let’s follow him.

Be a leader. You are going to be approached with offers and opportunities. Some will be great, but others are setting you up for failure. Unfortunately in a movie, you can’t really do any research about the stranger, but we’re not in the movies. You can research this deal you are about to make. Just because it sounds good, does not mean it is really going to be good.

Rule #5 – Don’t look back

Here is the scene. Someone is running from the monster. They keep looking back though to see where the monster is, how close it is, or if it is still there.

Don’t have regrets! When you are doing something and you have made the decision, don’t look back. When you look back, you can’t see what is in front of you and just like in the movies, you will fall.

Rule #6 – Think before you act

The people in horror movies are all the same. They are scared and they do things without thinking. It is not till the end, after most of the cast is dead that the people actually start thinking of a way to kill/get away from the guy with the chainsaw.

Always think about what you are doing and what you want to be doing. By not thinking, you are wasting money and time.

GetYourBizSavvy…scary movie style!

Picture courtesy of Flickr user Patrick Theiner

What is it about all those blogs, newspaper articles, and sometimes books that just go on and on and on? Why can’t writers get it down to two paragraphs instead of four or one page instead of three? Now don’t get me wrong, there are many times when there is more content needed to get the point or story across. I am not saying that every long blog post or newspaper article is unnecessary and should be shortened. What I am saying is that very often I read articles that just pull on the little hair that I have. By the end of the article, I often tell myself, “That was a decent read, but WOW that was excessively long!” If it had been more exciting or the point was given in fewer words, then it might have been a great read. Other times I will read an article and I can’t even finish it because it’s just filled with rambling. I’d love to get to the point of the article, but it is just so congested that I give up.

Again, I want everyone to know that there is nothing wrong with a long article. What I would like everyone to get out of this is that if it can be said in fewer words…make it happen. If the content within your article does not relate to what you are trying to explain, then get rid of it. If it needs to be a long article, do something to keep your readers interested.

Here are some quick tips to avoid rambling and unnecessary lengthiness:

Reread what you just wrote. I mean REALLYYY read it. Go through your article and ask yourself whether or not what you wrote made sense or if it really adds value to the article.

It’s okay to ramble. I often find myself rambling in an article and I make myself go back and I realize that information is really not adding value to this post. BUT. Here’s a big but. Many times the rambling that I discover makes a great article. In essence, I have created another article within the one I was just writing. That’s magic right there.

Would you want to read all that? Ask yourself if what you just wrote is really going to keep your reader interested. That is the big issue with long articles. It is easy to lose interest. Make sure your keeping your reader interested throughout the article.

Have someone proofread it. If you’re not sure of an article, ask someone in your circle to read it before publication.

Before I start rambling, I am going to end it right here because I think I got my point across with some solid tips.

What do you think? Can you admit to suffering from Dragged Out Article Syndrome?

The best book I have ever purchased hands down is the Dictionary. I have used the dictionary to expand my vocabulary. Expanding one’s vocabulary builds confidence and deepens conversations. Having a greater vocabulary also enriches my writing by allowing me to be more creative with words.

I used books to reach my goal of becoming an entrepreneur. I was in the employee mindset and learned this mindset as a little girl. You go to school, find a good job and retire happily ever after but deep down I knew I was meant to be an entrepreneur. I hated sitting in the cubical staring at the minute hand on the clock as if it were an inch worm inching a long until five o’clock. I used many self-help books to help pull myself out of this mindset to get me to the place I am today.

One of the first things I learned as an entrepreneur is that to remain successful you must continue to grow and educate yourself. It has been said that those who become voracious readers and continuous learners become and remain successful. Therefore, I always have at least three books a week going ranging from business, self-help and inspirational. Instead of the twenty plus hours of mindless TV I used to watch, I now read and expand my mind.

Books can inspire you to try something new that could evolve into a full-time career. I realized not long ago that I also enjoyed writing and wanted to start doing some freelance writing, so I started reading books on writing. One the most helpful has been The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The book taught me how to open up the creative right side of my brain, while overcoming limiting fears that caused blocks in the creative process.

Books are also a powerful source at helping you see what’s important in life, then setting a plan to meet those personal goals. One of the best books that I found useful in this journey was Success is a Given – Reading the Signs While Re-Inventing Your Life by Marlene Chism. It also re-confirmed that in order to reach my goals that I would have to move out of my comfort zone, which can be, truly scary.

You can also change the way you think by reading books. A couple of the best books out there on this topic are The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and The Answer by John Assaraf and Murray Smith. Your beliefs change your habits, which change your, actions.

Books can also teach you how keeping a positive attitude when something negative happens or the outcome you wanted to happen did not; how to find the positive spin on it. Some times because of the outcome, which you did not plan on, amazingly, something extraordinary happens that would have never happened if the negative incident had not occurred. A delightful book I have read on this issue is If You Don’t Have Big Breast, Put Ribbons on Your Pigtails by Barbara Corcoran.

You can also read your way to fortune. I read not long ago a quote by Darren Hardy, the publisher and editor of the inspirational magazine SUCCESS. He wrote: “More men and woman have been motivated to achieve success because of reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill than by any other book written by a living author. The book teaches techniques that if applied, you will have mastered the secret of true and lasting success. The techniques helped me think differently about success and wealth.

Another great book that has been used by many successful people is The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. I once attended a seminar where the speaker, a millionaire himself, said as a young man he interviewed fifty millionaires. During the interview he asked what one book they would recommend that he read and they all said The Richest Man in Babylon. The book offers an understanding of and solutions to your personal financial problems that if applied will guide you through a lifetime. He said he had to read the book three times before the light bulb went off.

Books can also give you an insight on the changes that are taking place in the current market place helping you stay ahead of the competition. Author Seth Godin has written many books on how to advertise and market your business in today’s climate. He writes that today consumers are bombarded by marketing messages almost everywhere they go. If you want to grab someone’s attention, you first need to get his or her permission with some kind of bait–a free sample, a big discount, a contest, an 800 number, or even just an opinion survey.

Books can also provide tangible insights into what makes great companies, helping entrepreneurs avoid the dreaded pitfalls during their years in business. Books can provide tried-and-true tactics that show you how to navigate through difficult times in both business and life.

I am now a more organized, streamlined person thanks to books. Reading Getting Things Done by David Allen has had a huge impact on what I do, when and how I do it. It fundamentally affected how I prioritize and how I file information. I now keep everything I can on my Blackberry, and keep computer and printed files with names that coordinate across all platforms.

Stop dreaming of your success and start reading to your success. Visit your library or book store. Peruse the different sections for ideas that spark your passion for change and start your journey today.

…

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

World POG Federation

Yea…that was a business.

This is the first article of a weekly series. Every week we will feature a business that is hard to believe was or is in existence. This series is meant to prove that ANYTHING can be made into a business. These articles will prove that.

To start the series we have the World POG Federation. Before we get into their company let’s talk about the history of POGS. For those of you that do not know what POGS are, prepare for the excitement.

What’s a POG?

According to milkcapmania.co.uk, the unbelievable POG concept apparently started in Hawaii. The first POGS were the cardboard lids on juice bottles. The cap was labeled POG, which was an abbreviation for the juice that was inside the container. Kids began using the caps in a game. The goal of the game was to flip the caps over. How do you do that? The kids used slammers, supposedly 3 caps glued together, and threw the slammer at the stack of caps hoping to flip them over. The kids would also draw on the caps to make them more interesting.

(Picture courtesy of Flickr user hkboyee)

The game gained a lot of hype and began to grow from Hawaii to the United States and over to the UK. Once POGS were commercialized, the concept did not really change. POGS were no longer caps, but circular pieces of cardboard printed with pictures on one side. Slammers were sold and came in all different forms: metal, plastic, sharp edged, and more. The interesting part of the game (playing by the official rules) after you ‘slammed’ a stack of POGS, the ones that flipped over, you were meant to keep. So, every time you played the game, you would risk losing your precious POGS.

No Way

Now let’s get to the World POG Federation. A savvy business individual saw the potential in these ‘POGS’ and turned it into a business. What a great idea that was because in only 18 months the World POG Federation had made $25 million. Who would have thunk it?!

The POG fad pretty much faded out, but POGS will never be forgotten. The good news…There is an App for iPhone and iPod users called MilkCaps.  Bring back the memories for $1.99.

Can you believe that the World POG Federation was a business?

What are your thoughts?

(Picture courtesy of David Reber on Flickr)

Are your chores not bringing in enough cash? Maybe Mom and Dad are not supplying you with the money you want for that new XBOX game. Here is a list of seven ways to make money as a kid. No more complaining you can’t afford that game!

Host tournaments

Got an XBOX? Got a popular 2-4 player game? You can have your own tournament! Whether it’s pool, air hockey or video games you can host a tournament. Charge $10 per person. Getting 10 kids should be too hard. It’ll be more difficult to convince your parents to let all the kids in the house.

Landscaping

Cutting lawns is a great way to make money. It’s fast cash. Start with your neighbors and family friends. Tell them to tell others. Go door to door. I remember walking door to door, stopping at all the houses that could use a cut. It’s hard to turn down a kid J. Offer other services as well like raking leaves, laying down mulch, gardening, or even shoveling for anyone that has to deal with snow.

What’s hot in school?

When I was in elementary school, everyone had to have a Charizard. For those of you that do not know Charizard, it was a character in Pokemon. This character happened to be the highest Pokemon card in demand. Pokemon cards were the hottest thing in school. Nearly every kid collected and traded them. Parents were paying lots of money to have their children get the Pokemon card they wanted. I was selling holographic cards (most valuable) for $20-30 each.

Lemonade Stand

I think I had these like once a week. I would set up a table, get my mom or grandma to help me make a batch of iced tea, put up a sign and I was open for business. I charged 50 cents a cup. This is definitely the easiest business. The bonus – you get to drink iced tea/lemonade all day.

Garage Sale

Need some quick cash? Negotiate with your parents to clean out the garage and get rid of all your old stuff. They will ask, “What’s the catch?” Give them a percentage of the profits. Whether you get 100% or 50% of the profits is up to you.

Sell Candy

My buddy used to do this in middle school and high school. I know in some schools it is actually not allowed to sell stuff in school. If that is the case, do it on the bus, before you get inside and after school. The best way to sell candy is to get orders throughout the day and have your fellow students pick up the candy at your house or at a common meeting ground.

Collect Free Stuff, Then Sell It

I used to collect Planet Lunch Ploids, which were points on the back of Lays potato chip bags. There was a website actually dedicated to the program. You could use your Ploids, which you had to remove from the bag, towards lots of cool things. I remember going around and asking kids if I could have their bags when they were done. At the time I was more interested in collecting them and using them for cool stuff than selling them, but people were willing to spend good money on them.

There are usually programs similar to this available – using points to get cool stuff.

Chores

I really hated chores. The thing that I regret most is not understanding the opportunities I had with chores. You get your normal chores every week, but how about picking up some new chores? Think of things you can do around the house to make money. Present the idea to your parents and give them a price.

There you have it: seven ways to make money as a kid. What do you think? Got any other ideas?

David Cole has been in book publishing for almost 30 years. He has been involved in every aspect of the industry including stints in editing, production, publicity, marketing and management. In this interview, learn what David looks for before signing an author to a book deal.

How long have you been in the publishing industry?

Since the mid-1970s.

What is the name of your company?

Bay Tree Publishing

What genres do you publish?

We focus on nonfiction in the areas of business, psychology, health, and the environment. We also work with memoirs and recently published our first work of fiction.

What does a manuscript have to contain to be considered?

We look for intelligent writing that gets beneath the surface of a topic. We are also attracted to works that make difficult subjects more understandable for readers without a specialized background.

Do you work with first time authors?

Yes. For most of our authors, we are publishing a first book, though many have already published other kinds of works such as newspaper and magazine or journal articles.

Do the authors you publish have to meet a certain criteria?

Authors must be committed to marketing their work. A good book proposal should contain a solid, realistic marketing plan. Beyond that, we would like to see evidence that an author is truly committed to following through on that plan. Do you write regularly for a periodical? Do you blog? Do you have an established audience online or in print? These are all indications that you are serious, not just about a particular book, but about communicating with readers.

Do you work with authors directly or must they have an agent?

Since we don’t offer advances, we rarely work with agents.

Do you evaluate the competition to ensure that the manuscript can be marketed and advertised as a unique stand alone title?

Evaluating the competition is an essential component of every publishing decision. If there are already ten or a hundred books established in the market that address an issue or need, bringing out another will only be successful if it is twice as good as those already available. If it is only ten percent better, it is unlikely to gain market share unless the author is either famous or engaged in very aggressive self-promotion.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Good writing is essential, but passion sells. From a publisher’s point of view, the best author is already famous. Since Bay Tree is too small to attract famous authors, we look for those who are on fire to reach an audience and who are already actively pursuing that goal. These are the authors who will most benefit from our expertise and who will be of the greatest value to us.

For more information on David Cole and Bay Tree Publishing visit http://www.baytreepublish.com/

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Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

Underdog!

wordnetweb.princeton.edu defines an underdog as “one at a disadvantage and expected to lose.” We all seem to enjoy cheering for the underdog, unless of course your cheering for the ‘other side’. Underdogs exist mostly in sports, but also in many other ways. Businesses are another form of underdogs.  Look at some of the underdog events, sports underdogs and business underdogs in the past.

History proves that the underdog can overcome!

Underdog events in history

The 1980 USA Men’s Hockey Team

What was considered to be the best hockey team in the World lost to the USA in the 1980 Olympics The USA had defeated Russia for the Gold Medal.

Soviet War in Afghanistan

The Afghanistan people held off the enormous Soviet Army.

The Revolutionary War

The United States gained independence in a war they were supposed to lose.

Underdog movies

Forrest Gump

An individual who grew up physically and mentally disabled is by far one of the most memorable underdogs. He received a Medal of Honor, was a college football superstar, was a national hero for his amazing ping pong skills and started a multimillion dollar shrimping business. Someone who wasn’t expected to do anything accomplished more than most human beings.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Vince Vaughn gets to keep his gym after defeating the physically fit Globo-Gym team.

Underdog businesses

FedEx

Fred Smith got a C on his paper at Yale explaining future business he would open. He proved that overnight shipping was possible and he could compete with the already big dogs; UPS and USPS.

Engadget

Many people thought one tech blog was enough. Engadget didn’t think so.

Twitter

This one goes out to all those haters who refused to believe people would really want to tell everyone what they were doing. Come on, Twitter can’t compete with Facebook…WRONG! This underdog is now ranked 11^th in the World on Alexa.

How does this apply to you?

What kind of business/blog/idea do you have?  It is very likely that something out there already exists, but that does not mean you can’t make it. Underdogs do make it. Dogfish Head is a beer company located in Delaware. Sam Calagione wanted to sell a beer that was different than the beer we see every day on television commercials. Getting into the beer business is nearly impossible because MillerCoors and Anheuser Busch dominate the market muscling all the little guys out. Sam Calagione is a true underdog as he is overcoming the many obstacles of competing with the two big dogs. Calagione could easily give up, but true underdogs triumph.

You can prevail

If you want to prevail, believe in yourself and your idea. Being an underdog does not mean you do not have a chance. GetYourBizSavvy has lots of competition. We could give up now, but what kind of underdog would we be? – One that would not be remembered. If you doubt yourself, either stop immediately and don’t waste your time or gain confidence. Read books, blogs, and magazines. If you need inspiration keep reading our posts! Also, check out TheInfopreneur. James is an inspirational genius.

Are you an underdog? Send in your story and comment about it.

As time goes on, more and more people seem to sense the urgency of caring for the planet and begin embracing a greener lifestyle. It doesn’t seem, however, that businesses are joining this movement as quickly or as frequently, though.

The notion that one person can make a big difference through their small changes is certainly true. By that same logic, businesses have an opportunity to make a huge difference. No matter where your political alliances lie, or what you think about global warming, or how much money you think the government should invest in green energy, no one can argue that simple, easy steps to help keep the planet safe and beautiful are a bad idea.

One of the easiest steps a business can take to become “greener” is simply to recycle. Most companies that collect trash also have a division to collect recycling and will supply the appropriate receptacles, as well. By placing recycling bins in your office or a large recycling dumpster outside, you give employees the opportunity to make a huge reduction in your business’ carbon footprint by recycling. Also, this can be good for employee morale because the feeling of making a difference can make employees feel happier and more satisfied.

A previous office I worked at did not have a recycling program. An avid recycler, I filled large bags with plastic and paper waste from myself and other employees, which I took home to recycle on my own time. I could not bear to see dozens of plastic bottles be thrown away each day in my corner of the office alone. I would have been a much more satisfied employee had my company simply provided recycling bins.

If you are an entrepreneur or small business owner, you face unprecedented opportunities to make your entire office green. If you are just building your office or business, there is almost no excuse left not to build the roof with solar panels. The cost of this is going down as it becomes more prevalent, and you can get a healthy tax credit in most places for installing solar panels. It will also save your business money in the long run. Especially if you work in a sunny climate, you are unlikely to even need a heating unit to be installed. Nature will do all the work. The solar panels also let in more light, in turn reducing the number of lights you need to turn on, thus saving on your electric bills. It really is a win-win situation.

A great way for you to connect with your employees as well as give them a chance to get out of the office and have some fun is to give them some incentive to volunteer or participate in an Earth Day event. With Earth Day coming up next month, this is a great time to start thinking about this. You could offer to pay employees for the hours they volunteer at an Earth Day event, or simply offer them a free day off (without using a vacation day). You could also organize your own company-wide Earth Day event, which could be as simple as planting some extra trees in the company’s backyard or creating an event in the community. You can visit earthday.net to create and register an event in your community. By reaching out to the community and allowing your employees to work together on a common goal, you allow them to reach out across departments, create stronger bonds, and feel a sense of pride in their company they may not have had before. Additionally, it is always good for your business to be well liked and know in your community, and volunteering alongside your entire office can be a great way to foster that.

Once you start thinking green, you will come up with all sorts of ideas to make your business greener. You’ll think of things such as making sure lights get turned off when employees leave, ensuring computers get shut down at night, and sealing cracks in windows to keep the heating bill down in the winter. It just takes the right attitude and mindset, and before you know it, you’ll have a greener office, happier employees, cheaper bills, and a reduced carbon footprint. Those are all things worth getting excited about!

Check out one of our previous articles listing 14 ways to make your business green.

Elaine Bliss is best known for her feminine graphics, illustrations and brand identities; Elaine has been using her artistic ability to create feminine and French inspired designs since she graduated from Lancaster Tech in Pennsylvania, with a certificate in commercial art. In this interview, learn how Elaine utilizes Etsy as an artist to generate more revenue into her business.

What brought you to become an Etsy shop owner?

Probably the same reason I used eBay for a while, the traffic. Their SEO (search engine optimization) is phenomenal. They also cater to artists which very few places do. I love that. I purposely avoid any place that calls artist and designers “Artisans”. It`s just not that same.

How do you market your business?

I mainly twitter and blog. Facebook had just become one of those indispensable tools and I have a fan page. Even though I have my family as friends, I keep it 99% professional. I try not to rant or post my opinions. But I share lots of tidbits to my “art” and home life. It helps humanize you and make sales.

How has social networking helped your business? What have you found works best for your store?

It`s had to “socialize” in order to make the sale. Takes time away from designing at my studio. So I automate my “socializing” with services like Ping.FM, Tweetdeck and Twaitter. Social networking does have the advantage of making your brand so personal; your clients will always know the owner of your store. There is no middle man or any degree of separation. The connections are deeper; therefore you stride harder to make your client happy. They in return, come back and buy. It`s a win-win.

What is your favorite part of being an Etsy store owner?

I would have to say that sense of “small community” even though they are huge. You can always get an email from their support team. It is very organized, so everyone feels like they have a special place.

What are some of the ways that you find Etsy helps in your success as a store owner?

I like how they showcase other artist that have quit their day job and made it on Etsy. They share their tips and motivate you to keep going. Secondly, their seller newsletters are full of information. They even have a manual of Etsy`s best practices and the best ways to sell.

What advice would you give new Etsians just starting out?

Be YOU. Having a unique vision and an unique product makes you money and it`s rewarded. You have no idea how many times I have seen the marketplace get crowded with the same things over and over. Tight competition helps no one. Originality is always the best marketing strategy there is. Also, don`t give up! It took me a few months to get a sale. However, if you are thinking about opening a store, do it just before a holiday. You are almost guaranteed a sale and it gets you motivated to do more.

How did you come up with your shop name?

Well I have three shops, one after my name, which I have to be honest; I was shy about doing the blatant self promotion. 8thLove.etsy.com is the store where I sell the fun stuff I find in my treasure hunts and the name came from the 8 things I love the most, the last or 8th love is paper. Rouge Press is my latest shop and I create letterpress stationery. Rouge is red in French. I am a Francophile and this store paid homage to that. Plus red is a great feng shui color for business!

How do you brand yourself to make your shop unique?

Fortunately, I am my own graphic designer and my own worst client. I change my mind about every six months. I print all my own collateral, so I get to personalize every single detail of my operations. From my twitter account to Etsy avatar, to me it`s important to make sure everything is consistent.

Do you feel a sense of community among the Etsy shop owners?

Yes, many shop owners a willing to share tips and secrets on how they got started. Not just on the forums but by simply asking them.

How do you connect with your buyers?

Besides pretty packaging, I like to add a sample card or some letterpress hang tags. A free something is always appreciated. I also like to write a note by hand in the package or print a Merci Beau Coup note, later mailed to their home with a discount code. The latter is so cute that they always come back.

For more information about Elaine Bliss and her Esty shops visit www.ElaineBiss.Etsy.com, or www.RougePress.Etsy.com. You can also visit her main website at www.ElaineBiss.com, follow her blog at www.ElaineBiss.Blogspot.com, or for more information about her stationary visit www.FashionableStationery.com.

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Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

This is a guest post written by Jordan Maslyn. Jordan Maslyn is a web designer and avid foursquare user.

Have you “checked in” recently? No, I’m not talking about your hotel reservations or telling your significant other where you are so they don’t get worried. I’m talking about foursquare (@foursquare on Twitter). Maybe you’ve already seen people “checking in” via Twitter or Facebook or maybe you haven’t heard a thing about it, but you will be hearing about it soon enough, and here’s why…

Foursquare is all about location, location, location. The tech world is calling it the new Twitter, and for small business entrepreneurs, especially those with restaurants or retail locations, it is imperative to be using foursquare for marketing purposes as more and more people begin to use their service.

foursquare is an essential social media marketing tool, but what is it?

Foursquare is all about checking in where you are using their free iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm, or computer applications, or even via text message. This lets users see where their friends are eating or hanging out and also see what their friends recommend at certain venues. So, if a user happens to be dining at Zenko (one of my favorite local sushi spots with all-you-can-eat sushi for under $25!), then they would want to “check in”. This lets all their friends on foursquare (and Facebook/Twitter if they choose) know that they are there.  Here is Benefit #1 for entrepreneurs; if you are the owner of Zenko Sushi, now everyone in their social circle has been introduced to your restaurant.

But what motivates people to check in regularly?

Well, here is where foursquare has set themselves apart from a lot of the other geolocation services out there. They have made a competitive game of it. First of all, users get rewarded with points every time they check in. Points will set users up on a leaderboard and if they are competitive at all, they want to be as high on that leaderboard as possible. Not only do they get points, but they can earn badges for accomplishing certain things (like the Local badge for checking into the same place 3x in one week, or the Super User badge for checking in 30x in a month) which also promotes regular user activity. And, the last reason people want to check in? Well, that’s Benefit #2 for us entrepreneurs, mayorships! If you are the person most regularly checking in at any given venue, then you become the mayor.

Businesses are already using mayorships as a customer loyalty program. If a customer can show you that they are the mayor of your business, you offer them a reward! If you are a bar, you can offer one free drink per night to your mayor, or if you are a retail store, you can offer a 10% discount to your mayor. You name your reward, and your customers want to keep coming back so that they can remain mayor and keep receiving their reward. This creates a lot of competition between foursquare users, because they have incentive to come to your business more often to become mayor. The greater the reward is for the mayor, the more foursquare users will want to compete for that mayorship by visiting your business.

Customer loyalty is great, but can I capture new business?

Absolutely! Aside from Benefit #1 (your customers already promoting your business to their entire social circle online), foursquare also has Benefit #3; built-in, nearby Tips.  These Tips offer a few benefits to entrepreneurs. Number one, is if a user opens their foursquare app (on their computer, iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, or Android), they can see all the local places around them as well as any Tips that customers have left (like “Go to Boneheads and order the Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa and Grilled Zucchini as your side – all this with rice too for under $10 and less than 400 calories!!!”), which means automatic, free marketing for those businesses!  Even better, this marketing is targeted to people who are close by and can readily visit your business.

Benefit #4 is also derived from the local Tips. Just the other day, I checked in at Pei-Wei Asian Diner, and do you know what popped up? A Tip from foursquare that a fellow foursquare friend enjoyed a nearby cupcake bakery. Without any searching on my part, foursquare knew that I was close to Frostings (the bakery) and that a friend had previously recommended it, so foursquare figured I would be interested (and I was!) so they told me about it.  This is HUGE for entrepreneurs! Not only does foursquare pop up friend’s recommendations, but they have recently been establishing partnerships with various brands and companies and will recommend businesses based on those partnerships. One such partnership is with the Bravo Channel, where they recommend local businesses to foursquare users based on the reviews provided by the stars of their network programs. You can read more info about the Bravo/foursquare par

tnership on foursquare’s website.

And finally, Benefit #5 is the ability to sign up with foursquare as a business so that they will tell users about your mayor offers in their app like the screenshots below. This will draw more attention to your business as users come within range of you, and with special offers, you will be able to entice potential customers to visit your restaurant or storefront that may have not even known about your business!

Foursquare (and geolocation in general) is definitely the next big thing in social media, whether you’re an entrepreneur or an avid consumer of local businesses, or both. So go check it out and talk to your social media expert to see how foursquare fits into your brand and social media strategy.

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This article was written by Jordan Maslyn, Creative Director at Sixth Degree Designs, a web design and social media marketing company. Follow Jordan on Twitter: @jordanmaslyn