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

Madden 2010 just got a new roster. Unfortunately, the team is not cut out to play football. Continue Reading

Conveniently scan a document with a device slightly bigger than that of a normal pen. In business, being on the go is commonplace. The problem of course with being on the go is the lack of resources.  When you are in a business involved with contracts, reading documents, or just meeting regularly with clients the DocuPen X05 is  good for you. Planon calls it “Office in a Pocket” and it better be with the current price sticker of $369.99 The sidekick to the DocuPen, which is not a requirement, is the Printstik PS905 ME. The Printstik comes with a 20 page roll of paper. Talk about portable, it’s only 11 inches long. The world’s smallest mobile printer goes for $299.99.

What you get

The DocuPen comes with the scanner, a case, the usb cable and the installation cd. The PrintStick package includes the printer, a case, the usb cable, an installation cd, and 4 power outlet adapters.

Design

The design is really nothing special. Four buttons and an LCD screen comprise the device. See the picture for details.

How these devices work

The DocuPen

It’s pretty simple. First set the pen to the mode you want it to be in (Printstik, black and white tif, gray jpg, color, or black and white png). Turn on the device and slowly glide it down the item you want to scan. As you scan the document, it will say on the LCD that it is scanning, so you know it’s working. During the scan, it’s really important to go at a relatively slow pace or else the DocuPen will explain that you are going to fast and it cannot read it.  It is also important to stay steady through the scan. This will give you the best outcome. When you are finished, the scan then saves to the pen.

The Printstik

Printing from the pen is extremely easy. After testing, the printing took approximately 90 seconds. Just power the Printstik on and after scanning something in Printstik mode, the DocuPen will ask if you want to print it. It connects via Bluetooth and boom, your printing. You can hook the Printstik up to your computer as well so you can print at any hotel from your laptop (as long as it’s a PC). The printing quality is not the best in the world, but you can’t expect more from an 11 inch device.

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What’s really great about the DocuPen is that it has Bluetooth connection. You can connect via Bluetooth to your computer, Printstik or Blackberry. Unfortuntely, I did not have a Blackberry to test this feature, but from what I understand, the DocuPen connects to the phone and the scan is loaded to your phone. This makes it perfect to quickly save the scan and/or email it. I hope they do this for all smart phones.

Problems

Mac: I began the review using a Mac. The box states that the software is Mac compatible, but I could not find any downloadable files.

Installation: I must say that this was a fairly complicated install. You have to install three different things just for the DocuPen: USB Driver, PaperPort, and DocuPen Applciation.

Recognizing Pen: Once I got everything installed, I was excited to see my scan, but it was not detecting the pen on the computer.

The sticker price: Planon definitely feels it is a luxury to have their products.

Conclusion

The DocuPen and Printstik are products that solve a problem. They do need to do something about the sticker price if they want to keep up with the competition. The iPhone is offering a few apps that do what the DocuPen does: DocScanner for $5.99, JotNot for $4.99 and Scanner Pro for $6.99.

Get your hands on a DocuPen X05 and Printstik PS905 ME.

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What does everyone think? Would you buy them? Is there a demand?

Joel Gotler  is a literary manager in Los Angeles who has been instrumental in numerous publishing, book to film, and TV deals. Joel has worked with James Ellroy, Dennis Lahane, Michael Connelly, and Sue Grafton. Many of his clients have won a National Book Award, Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize, and Academy Awards. In this interview, learn what Joel looks for when deciding to work with an author.

How long have you been in the publishing industry?

I have been a literary agent since 1976 and sold my first book to Rodale Press. Then it was called ‘Circadian Rhythms’ a non-fiction book about how the body changes during air flight.

What is the name of your company?

Intellectual Property Group.

What genres do you publish?

We agent fiction and non-fiction.

What does a manuscript have to contain to be considered?

The manuscript has to be formatted professionally and must have a real voice and must be commercial in our opinion, so that we can also market the book to film.

Do you work with first time authors?

Yes, but we get too many queries to deal with everyone who asks.

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

No criteria, but that their covering letter should grab our attention if it is not a writer who has been recommended.

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

We work directly with authors as the agent or literary manager.

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

Yes, we are on top of the market place on a daily basis here and abroad (We get the reports of what is being developed and at what stage the project is at), and in terms of what the Hollywood studios are looking for. For instance, at lunch today three executives from a major Hollywood studio said to me in unison, “No dramas!”

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Hollywood and publishing are hard, tough nuts to crack these days as there are fewer slots for new movies although there is still film development; and, the publishers don’t accept slush pile material, and they have a real economic problem dealing with first timers as well as bucking the electronic publishing trend at the same time, so how do you break in? Get your stuff read by the right person. I am a frequent guest at USC and UCLA to discuss this issue.

Some of our film clients include James Ellroy, Dennis Lahane, Michael Connelly, Sue Grafton, The Estates of John O’ Hara, James Cain, and so on. We have about 150 clients all of a status and many having won National Book Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, Nobel Prizes, Academy Awards, etc.

For more information about Joel Gotler and Intellectual Property Group visit http://www.stonevillagepictures.com/ipg/

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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

I am listening to this wonderful song as I write (it’s keeping the love flowing).

Music is an amazing inspirational tool. One of the songs that stands out the most for me and is what I call “The Entrepreneur’s Anthem” is “All You Need is Love” by the Beatles. A group that revolutionized music created some of the best music in our history. I recently read a post by Jason Markow on The Think (Here) Blog. Jason wrote a series of articles titled: “How to be an Olympic Entrepreneur”. In the second article of the series Jason spoke about doing it for love: “If you are trying to be the best at something, you better make damn sure you are doing it for the right reason.  Make sure you are doing it for the LOVE of it.”

This line right here made me instantly think of “The Entrepreneur’s Anthem”.
Here it begins:

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done.

And then it goes:

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

Four letters, one word: LOVE. That is what keeps me going.

What does all this love mean? When they say “All you need is love”, I see it as a guide to your own definition of success. To reach your goals, you need love. The Beatles song is a reminder to everyone who is sitting in the cubicle, sulking in an office, or miserable doing what they are doing. There is an alternative and that is doing what you love. Figure out what you love if you don’t already love and do it. Live it! This life only gives you one chance. Why waste it doing something you dislike?

What songs inspire you? Please comment

Please check out Jason Markow’s article that inspired me to write this.

It started with Napster and Metallica got angry. Then came Kazaa and Limewire. Many of us download copyrighted material and did not think twice about it. Something had to be done about all this illegal activity. Maybe a business could find an answer. That is exactly what Pandora and Grooveshark did (Check out our interview with Tim Westergren, the founder of Pandora here). They found a way to offer people copyrighted music for free. That is what you call innovation!

The New Generation

Ages 20-25 specifically and everyone younger is in a generation seeking free content. I am in the category and I will admit that I do not like the idea of paying for content, except for books. Today on the internet there is a plethora of information. It seems endless as blogs publish new and exciting stories each day. Newspapers are online and so are the major television networks. We can enjoy all these things by just paying for internet monthly. No more newspaper subscriptions or cable bills.

How is anyone going to make money?

Innovate, Reinvent, and Create. Going back to Pandora: Really? It’s hard to believe someone came up with such an interesting concept. Pandora is everywhere to and continuing to grow. They are the best example of a company that took a change in the world and addressed it. Free content is here and it looks like it is here to stay. Instead of thinking of it as a problem, think of it as an opportunity.

An interesting consideration, what about Bloggers?

Reading about charging to use blogs was very interesting. Recently on the web, blogger Jonathan Fields asked the question: “Whose Blog Would You Pay to Read?” Seth at Bloggusion wrote an article: “Is Premium Content Really a Big Myth?” He expressed his doubt in people paying to view content on blogs.

Blogs need to be free! Being free is what drives traffic. Free is the reason you have readers. You can make money blogging in other ways which you can find out from blogs like John Chow’s blog. Many blogs prove you can make a living blogging, but charging people to read the daily content is not going to do it for you. Anyone disagree?

Innovation is the key to the future and it always has been. Something that may seem unbelievable may actually be a great idea.

One of the most important things an employer can do is to make sure their employees are happy. Employee happiness helps to raise productivity, increase motivation, generate new ideas, and ensure timely deadline meeting. Despite all of its advantages, many employers do not have a clear understanding of how to make their employees happy. Many do not even try.

Think of the movie Office Space. We’ve all seen it, we’ve all been able to relate. The office boss, Bill Lumburgh, is disliked by most of the employees, who all seem to be miserable with their job. Bill may try to do small things that would appear to be geared towards employee happiness, such as Hawaiian shirt Friday and birthday cakes (of which there is never enough to go around). However, it is clear that Bill Lumburgh is like many bosses, lost without a clear idea of how to create employee happiness, stuck with an office full of miserable and unproductive employees, who, as Peter notes in an interview, “do only about 15 minutes of actual work in any given week.”

How do employers avoid situations like this? How do they ensure employee happiness?

First, I would note the importance of working environment. For employees to feel happy at work, it is a good idea to create an office they enjoy coming to, one that fosters happiness and productivity. A good way to make an office better is to add greenery and live plants. Something alive in the middle of an office, bringing some life into an otherwise dead space, can have a big impact on employee moods. Also, if the office has windows, it is immensely helpful to open the blinds and let the sunlight in. It has been proven that sunlight releases chemicals in the brain causing the feeling of happiness, so take advantage of this natural cure, and let the light in! Also, it is important that the office be kept clean and in good order. Dirty bathrooms, broken lights, and stained carpets will do nothing to contribute to employee happiness. So take the time to do some spring cleaning and get your office into shape. You will be surprised at the difference it makes in employee happiness.

Secondly, it is of the utmost importance to listen to your employees. Friendly employee and boss relations make employees feel more secure, thus happier. Take time out to talk to your employees individually if your office is small enough, or set up a suggestion box. Ask employees to respond to the question “What could I do to help make you happier and more productive at work?” In order for this to work, you have to respond. Some employees might want something simple, such as an expresso machine, or an extra microwave to take care of lunchtime lines. Others may suggest modifying work times, which could be something you consider for a few weeks before responding to. The main thing that makes your employees happier, though, will not be the fancy new coffee maker, but the feeling that they are important to their boss and the knowledge that their ideas will be listened to. This will improve communication, which is a huge step towards creating a happy, healthy, and productive working environment.

[ Offering incentives might not hurt either ]

I watched Undercover Boss for the first time and I assure you, I will be watching the previous episodes and continuing to watch the rest of the season. Here is a brief summary with the highlights and why you should watch it.

7 Eleven has over 36,000 stores worldwide and Joe DePinto is in charge of all of them.  “My role is to make sure that this business is moving forward and is profitable,” explains DePinto. He was in the military and graduated from West Point. What he learned there is similar to his work ethic at 7 Eleven. Through the efforts of Undercover Boss, DePinto was sent to spend a week working ‘undercover’.  ”

Why he went undercover

“I’m going to see what we’re not doing and why,” states DePinto.

Danny Rossi is his undercover name

DePinto: “I used to be in real estate, I’m out of work and I’m looking for new opportunities…I will be telling my coworkers that a camera crew will be documenting my journey as I try out entry level jobs at some of the biggest businesses in America.”

His Journey

Day 1: Working with Doloros on the morning shift at one of the most popular 7 Eleven’s.  Dolores yelled “Danny!” throughout his first day.  He could not keep up with the high volume of customers!

Delores was an inspiration in this episode. She works extremely hard each day. She has five kids, only has one kidney and goes for Dialysis two days a week. That is what you call perseverance. Danny explains that Dolores is the reason they sell so much coffee.

Day 2: DePinto heads to a bakery where he works with Phil and struggles to handle the job pace.

Day 3: The graveyard shift with Waqas. Waqas does not see himself staying at 7 Eleven.He thinks his job is a “dead end”. DePinto explains the problem with this mentality: “We cannot win the battle without great soliders.”

Day 4: DePinto works as an associate during the day at another popular store. He performs daily activities.

Day 5: Working on a delivery truck. Working with Igor who is actually from where Borat is. His cover almost gets blown as they travel to a store located in the town he lives in. Along their ride, DePinto asks Igor how he stays motivated. Igor replies, “America is the best country in the world. You guys don’t really know how blessed you are…You take it for granted.”

That quote by Igor is really understandable. People complain and forget to think about the struggles other individuals face across the world. Igor is a great reminder to everyone who forgets all the opportunities they are surrounded by in “The Land of Opportunity”.

DePinto discovers some problems while undercover

• 7 Eleven is throwing away lots of food.
• An employee thinks he has a dead end job.
• Maintenance issues are not addressed in an efficient and effective manner.

When DePinto tells his co-workers he is actually the CEO

(Do not read this if you have not watched the episode and do not want to ruin the ending)

Waqas: DePinto tells him that there are actually opportunities to move up in company and that he will be his mentor. He also offers help to return back to his home country of Pakistan someday.

Phil: DePinto offers him an opportunity to do freelance artwork in the marketing department at 7- Eleven to build up his portfolio.

Igor: DePinto sends him and his wife to a resort for a vacation. At the end of the show, we also  find out DePinto offered Igor a franchise. He took the offer and is living the “American Dream” he came here for.

Dolores: DePinto creates a donor awareness program.

Why watch?

This show is wonderful because it does more than just point out to the CEO flaws in the company and things that need to be done for improvement. It shows how valuable each and every employee is within a company. Watch this show to see the importance of playing a role in the lives of everyone in your company. Working behind a desk does not equal success. It is going out there, interacting, and really finding out what goes on and what employees are thinking. Hopefully this show will help executives see the importance of this.

Watch the episode at CBS.com/primetime/undercover_boss

If you enjoyed this article, share it with your friends.

Anyone else have any thoughts on Joe DePinto’s undercover experience at 7-Eleven?

With so much information out on the super highway known as the Internet the importance of research to determine the validity of facts has become increasingly important. The loosely defined term research is the collection and evaluation of information on a subject. Research can be done in many ways. They can include but are not limited to the Internet, library, books, statistical analysis, and interviews with sources that are knowledgeable on the subject you are researching.

Here are three rules to follow that will increase your chances of producing factual and reliable research.

• Rule # 1

Remember that hearsay is just that. Hearsay! Just because you hear something from your best friend, then hear it again from a second and third friend does not mean it is true. Since much of what we hear is a twisted version of the truth, you must verify what you hear.

• Rule # 2

Remember just because you read it in print that does not mean it is true. Our natural tendency is to trust what we read, specifically if we are reading a well-respected publication.

• Rule # 3

Things are always changing. What may be a fact today may not be tomorrow.  It is vital to keep up-to-date with any changes so that your research is correct.

By understanding the importance of accurate analysis and following the three rules of research you will avoid the common mishaps of shoddy research.

• • •

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passions of entrepreneurship, women’s issues, and holistic health and wellness. 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

Jay Adelson is the man in charge of number 98 on Alexa.com, Digg. Continue Reading