Entrepreneur - December 2010

THE 2011 TRENDS ISSUE

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DECEMBER 2010 | ENTREPRENEUR.COM

START STRONG 10 business tips for the new year SOCIAL MEDIA How it’s changing everything

WHAT’S GONE FOREVER coffee carts, mailroom dudes & personal assistants By Seth Godin

NEW RULES of ENGAGEMENT

LESSONS ON WHAT’S NEXT FROM FOURSQUARE, TWITTER AND ZAPPOS

DENNIS CROWLEY OF FOURSQUARE

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PROPERLY SECURE ALL CARGO.

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A day in the life of

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©2010 HTC Corporation. All rights reserved. The HTC logo, the HTC Merge, the HTC quietly brilliant logo, YOU and the YOU logo are the trademarks of HTC Corporation. ©2010 Verizon Wireless. The names and logos of other companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Screen images simulated.

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HTC Merge

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You want a work phone that’s updated for your life. You want to unite your spreadsheets from work with your videos from home. You want to multitask in HD. And then, you want to tweet about it, and connect that tweet to your Facebook status while checking emails from your client. Everything that matters to you, together at last, all on one global-ready phone. This is HTC Merge. Everything your work phone couldn’t do. Now made possible by HTC.

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TEARING DOWN THE WALLS How social media is changing everything about the way we do business.

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CHANGE.

Entrepreneurr explores the innovation behind three companies—Foursquare, Square and Zappos—thatt are reinventing the customer experience, and business itself.

By Jason Daley

By Brian Solis

THE DISRUPTERS From crowdsourced shopping to mancessories to new ways to get green: The 10 trends that will define opportunity next year.

By Jennifer Wangg and d Kara Ohngren

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OPEN FOR BUSINESS Entrepreneurs who run n theirr business from m theirr home face a stickyy situation n when n clients need to visit. Some tips on n how w to maintain n professionalism.

By Jonathan Blum

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THE NEW WATERING HOLE Forgett aboutt bellyingg up to the hotel bar. Wine countryy mayy be justt outside yourr door. Cheers!

By Bruce Schoenfeld

10 STEPS YOUR BUSINESS SHOULD TAKE NOW TO

THRIVE IN 2011 Don’t wait for the economy to heat up. Make the right moves today. By Rosalind d Resnick

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HERE’S THE RUB Expensive day spas are being pummeled by the recession, but franchised spas and massage centers are growing fast.

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TOP 10 FRANCHISE TRENDS FOR 2011 From pets to moving and storage services, the top 10 franchise industries you should know about.

PHOTO© DAVID J OHNSON

By Jason Daley

By Tracy Stapp

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December 2010

ON THE COVER: DENNIS CROWLEY OF FOURSQUARE. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAVID JOHNSON. BACON PHOTO© VEER INC./BRETT MULCAHY

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trust the future to the young. they have longer to live in it.

Jacob Colker – United States Transforming volunteering for the 21st century

For more than 30 years, the Rolex Awards for Enterprise have been an incubator for groundbreaking, world-changing ideas. This year is slightly different, although just as rewarding, thanks to an expansion of the Rolex Awards. Limiting entry to those aged 18 to 30 for the first time, the Young Laureates Programme

Bruktawit Tigabu – Ethiopia

has unearthed a rich, new seam of innovative

Producing TV programs to improve children’s health

thinking. The five winners all have a healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo and an infinite capacity to reinvent the world. These five outstanding Laureates each receive $50,000 to implement and expand their projects. And invent a better future for all of us in the process. Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu – Nigeria Developing interactive radio to promote sustainable farming

YOUNG . ROLEXAWARDS . COM

Piyush Tewari – India Training volunteers to provide rapid care to road accident victims

Reese Fernandez – Philippines Enabling impoverished women to create eco-ethical fashion goods

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EDITOR’S NOTE The economy is the whatever-you-want-to-call-it economy. And ’treps will define it in 2011. By Amy C. Cosper

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FEEDBACK Our online readers respond: What happened to America’s entrepreneurial spirit?

GOING FORWARD: YOU SHOULD KNOW Dr. Doom, aka Nouriel Roubini, chairman of Roubini Global Economics consultancy.

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CAN’T LIVE WITH IT, CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT Two entrepreneurs speak out about Omniture, a website analytics tool.

SETTING SALE ON SMARTPHONES mShopper’s mobile storefront solution ushers even the smallest retailers into the growing world of m-commerce.

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TIME ON THE RUN Mobile apps that’ll track your billable hours.

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USB 3.0 HAS YOUR BACK It takes the pace of business data management and backup to a whole new level.

ONLINE IDEAS: WEBSITE TO WATCH Gist offers business users the chance to find a new social media order.

THE MOB SCENE Online resources that can make crowdsourcing work for your business.

ASK A PRO Everyone’s in a holding pattern but I’m ready to move. Am I crazy?

@GET’EM Three experts share the perfect moment to tweet 140 characters (or less).

MASTERS OF THE TWEET Ben Parr of Mashable.com lists the 10 most influential entrepreneurs he follows on Twitter.

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NUSUAL BUSINESS U malianOne man’s mam s are inspired design dustry. changing an in

TECH: SHINY OBJECT The BlackBerry Torch 9800 fires up the smartphone showdown with a functionality that’s all business. FRANK FISH: HOOKED ON WHALEPOWER.

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LET’S MAKE FENG’S WASHING EVEN CLEANER. LET’S GO. What at’s ’ss the thee seccreet to a cle lean aneer wash? h? It cou o ld d be nat atur u al ur a ga ass. When hen u use sed se d to to gen e erate elec el ectr ec tric iccitity, it’ t s the h cleean anes estt-burning fos osssi sill fuel. Shell is hellpi ping ng g to delliv i err naturall gas a to morre count coun un ntriees ttha han ha n any any ny oth ther er ene er nerg rg gy com mpa pany. This includees Chiina a, wh heere r the fas aststt gr g owin owin ow ng econ onom on omyy needs om ds ccle lean a err energ gy. It’ t’ss anoth her er examp mp ple l of how ow we’ e’re r trying to bui uild ld d a bette ett te ter er ener en erg gy fut gy utur ure. e LLet e. et’ss go. o www ww.s .sshe h ll ll.u .us/ s/le ets tsgo go

contents//12.2010 By Mikall E. Belicove

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LINKED Want to improve your attention span? Cut down on screen time and turn offf your phone.

By Chris Brogan

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WACKY IDEA: THE PEDALPUB Not your typical pub crawler: a bar on wheels powered by brew-pounding pedalers.

START IT UP: COLLEGE STARTUP Duke Chung was tempted by a buyout offer. But he knew that his company was worth much more. (He was right.) By Joell Holland

LEAD GEN Engaging and acquiring customers is no longer as simple as using directt mail. Entrepreneur’s new w lead generation columnistt takes a look at whatt works now.

STARTUP FINANCE Two new websites b it help h l entrepreneurs sidestep the traps of equity fund-raising.

By Brian Quinton

By Kate Lister

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FRANCHISE INK With his chain off storefronts, one wine lover lets anyone become a vintner.

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OPPORTUNITIES A home-care provider says people are happier to see her now than when she was an underunder cover police officer.

DOING GOOD A spirit brand is turning happy hour into a charitable act.

MONEY: WHO’S GOT VC With an emphasis on preventive care, a social network promotes healthier living through group supportt and motivation.

SCAMS, FAKES AND CHEATS Fraud is rising in both coupon use and return off items, but business owners can avoid being duped.

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YOUR MONEY How to steer clear off an

IRS audit.

By Rosalind d Resnick

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December 2010

STROKES OF GENIUS

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BACK PAGE Now that the office has gone mobile, there are some things we won’t miss at all. By Seth Godin

PHOTO© JEFF CLARK

BUILD A WEBSITE To save time and money, address the five Ws before a project begins.

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*Av *A Avva A Avail aiiilabl ail ab ble on upfi p tts s cos cos co stin ting $1,2 1 200 or 1, or mor mo o e (exc e llud uding in ng fa facto cto cto orryy-instal ins ns stal a led ed d op o tio tio on ns) s) fo forr the pu pur urccha u ha ase e or o lea le ease se of se of any an nyy ne n w vvehi new eh ehi hicle hi e. M Must ust ta ust akke en new ew re ew re etai ta tai aiil a de ive del de ve eryy fro rom deal rom deal ea e aler al e sto ock k bet betwee ween 10/2 0/20/1 0/ 0/1 /1 10 and and 1/3 1/ 1/ /3/11 1 . Rest 11. Re est stric s rictio tions tio ns s app apply. ap ly To ly ly. ob be ee eligi igg b blle ble e fo for up tto o $700 70 up pfit fit as assis sisttan sis tancce e on n Transi Tra Tr Tra ansi ns sitt Co on onn n ect c , un nitt mus u t con us conttain in a shi h p-t p thru phr cco ode e of of 31D 3 o orr 31C 31 3 1C and and d upfi up pfit mus must cost ost $2 os $ 00 0 orr morre (exc exx llud ud ding in fa facto toryto y ins instal talle ta tal led ed e d op options) ttio iions). ns ns) s)). See s ee dea e ler le er for fo or comp m let le ete deta ete deta t ils ta ils s.

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Co Co omm mm m mer e ci c al al Tru ruck ck Se ea asso o on n is you our be our best estt cha hanc nce e to o sav ave on ave o som ome me o off the e mos ost ve ersat rsat rs a ili e an and ca capa pabl ble bl e trruccks on th he ro road ad. Now ad ad. Now ge No get up up to $7 $700 00 in up 00 upfi fitt asssi fi sist stan a ce ce on Tra ansit nssit i C Con o ne on ect ct, up up tto o $1 $1,5 1,5 500 0 on EE-Se E-Se Seri r ess van ans, and n up to o $2, 2 50 00 on on F-6 -650 50 50 and Fand an F-75 50 ch chas hassi asssi siss ca cabs bs* . Nob obod ody sse ody od elllls more mo ore re com mme merc rcia rc iall tr ia t uc ucks ks ttha ks han Fo ha Ford rd — rd 25 yea 25 earss and n co ou unt ntin ing. in ng. g See ee wha hat we w can do ffo or yo you at at co comm mtr truc uck.fo uc k..ffo k ord rd.c .com com om.

OFFER ENDS 1/3/11. worldmags

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MOM-PRENEUR

CENTER

Entrepreneur.com Check out this month’s online exclusives:

Read about balancing business with family, women-led businesses and more at Entrepreneur .com’s Mompreneur Center. entrepreneur.com/mompreneur

RICHARD BRANSON The Virgin Group founder shares his views on entrepreneurship, leadership and winning in business and in life. entrepreneur.com/columnists/richardbranson

MEET THE INNOVATORS Read about revolutionaries like Tony Hawk who are driving the new entrepreneurial economy. Learn from their stories. entrepreneur.com/innovators

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ENTMAGAZINE

VIDEO: THRILLIST’S ADAM RICH

CONNECT LIVE Entrepreneurr is hostingg live online events on n ourr small-business social network, Entrepreneurr Connect. Sign n on n now w to submitt yourr questions to be answered d by y a number off business experts. Watch h pastt webisodes: econnect.entrepreneur.com/askent.php

FORMNET Save time and money with these free, downloadable and customizable business documents—performance evaluation forms and daily time sheets. entrepreneur.com/formnet/index.html

With so many unknowns in life, my career isn’t one of them.

BECOME A STATE FARM® AGENT. statefarm.com/careers

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK.COM /ENTMAGAZINE WANT TO KNOW WHAT OTHER ENTREPRENEURS ARE THINKING? FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION, PARTICIPATE IN OUR LATEST POLLS AND SEE THE RESULTS.

ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE’S GROWTH CONFERENCE Get your hands on real-world tactics, ideas and solutions designed to keep your business growing. Jan. 20, 2011 in Atlanta. Presented by The UPS Store. entrepreneur.com /growthconference

Marcus, State Farm Agent 12 E Entrepreneur ntrepreneur trepreneu

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December 2010

State Farm, Bloomington, IL • An Equal Opportunity Employer

PHOTO© VEER INC/OJO IMAG ES PHOTOGRAPHY

Male shoppers are one off the hottest trends for 2011. The co-founder off the popular digital lifestyle publication Thrillist talks about how you can put your company in front off its audience off young, well-educated, affluent men. entrepreneur.com/video

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Count on it. Life has no guarantees, but in business, I knew exactly what I wanted. A company that gave me the start-up help I needed, freedom to make my own decisions … plus the chance to earn a great living. With so many unknowns in life, my career isn’t one of them. I can count on that.

BECOME A STATE FARM® AGENT. statefarm.com/careers

Rebecca LaFevers Agent – Sapulpa, Oklahoma

State Farm • Bloomington, IL

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An Equal Opportunity Employer

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VICE PRESIDENT/EDITOR IN CHIEF Amy C. Cosper EXECUTIVE EDITOR Michalene Busico EDITORS AT LARGE Jason Meyers, John Montorio CREATIVE DIRECTOR Megan Roy EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE EDITOR Brenda Wong STAFF WRITER Jennifer Wang SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Tracy Stapp EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Michelle Juergen EDITORIAL INTERNS Kelly Comilliac, Arshi Khan, JoAnna Mitchell ART & DESIGN DESIGN DIRECTOR Richard R. Olson ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Corey Hollister CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR Nancy Roy CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jason Ankeny, Mikal E. Belicove, Julie Bennett, Jonathan Blum, Leslie Brenner, Chris Brogan, Ericka Chickowski, Jason Daley, Seth Godin, Joel Holland, Kate Lister, Gwen Moran, Kara Ohngren, Brian Quinton, Rosalind Resnick, Bruce Schoenfeld, Brian Solis, Matt Villano ENTREPRENEUR.COM VICE PRESIDENT, SITE DEVELOPMENT David Pomije EXECUTIVE EDITOR Laura Lorber EDITOR, WOMENENTREPRENEUR.COM Eve Gumpel SR. CHANNEL EDITOR, TECH AND E-BUSINESS Justin Petruccelli CHANNEL EDITOR, STARTUP/FINANCE/MANAGEMENT Kimberlee Morrison COMMUNITY EDITOR Kara Ohngren CHANNEL EDITOR, SALES/MARKETING/GROW Tanya Payne IT DIRECTOR Patrick Freeman SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS ADMINISTRATOR Christina Andonov AD OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Michael Frazier TRAFFIC COORDINATOR Jose Paolo Dy ONLINE AD TRAFFIC COORDINATOR Madison Bui ONLINE SYNDICATION EDITOR Petya Yordanova DIRECTOR, SITE OPERATIONS Jake Hudson SENIOR WEB DESIGNER Veronica DeLuca WEB DESIGN SPECIALIST Wilkins PRODUCTION ASSOCIATES Kevin Murray, Nicholas Jennes SENIOR APPLICATION DEVELOPER Norris WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPER Mahendran Arullendran L.A.M.P. DEVELOPER Cindy Sheek MARKETING VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING Lisa Murray SENIOR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Lucy Gekchyan MARKETING SPECIALIST Brenda Mendez ONLINE MARKETING MANAGER Landin Gee MARKETING AND PR SPECIALIST Narez ART DIRECTOR Jane Maramba GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrew Chang

BACK ISSUES (800) 304-6388, (845) 457-4693 REPRINTS Scoop Reprint Source, (800) 767-3263, Ext. 307 SUBSCRIPTIONS (800) 274-6229, (850) 682-7644, [email protected] ENTREPRENEUR 2445 McCabe Way, Ste. 400, Irvine, CA 92614,

BUSINESS PRESIDENT/CORPORATE PUBLISHER Ryan Shea Koenigsberger DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES ENTREPRENEUR MEDIA NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES New York City (212) 563-8080 REGIONAL SALES MANAGERS Jefff Chau, Randy Mills EASTERN ONLINE SALES MANAGERS Meyerson, Chophel Namgyal OFFICE MANAGER/EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Elviraa Perez Chicago (312) 923-0818 MIDWEST ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Morley Sesto MIDWEST ONLINE SALES MANAGER Wendy Hidenrick SALES ASSISTANT Erin Seramur Detroit (248) 644-2786 MIDWEST ADVERTISING DIRECTOR K. Flynn SALES ASSISTANT Lisa Whalen Dallas (972) 383-1375 SOUTHERN ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Glen Harn San Francisco (415) 433-0441 WESTERN SALES DIRECTOR Kristian Kilfoil NORTHWEST ADVERTISING MANAGER Kate Stoodley SALES ASSISTANT Mandy Tripp Irvine (949) 622-7169 LOS ANGELES ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Eric Rucker SOUTHWEST ONLINE SALES MANAGER Jeffrey Rinna FRANCHISE & BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ADVERTISING SALES ADVERTISING MANAGER/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Fishback ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Tim Evans, Brent Davis, Simran Toor, Michael Ginty (949) 261-2325, fax: (949) 752-1180 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RPI Classifieds (727) 507-7505, fax: (727) 507-7506 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ADVERTISING Direct Action Media, (800) 938-4660 ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Mona Rifkin ONLINE ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Monica Santana EXECUTIVE STAFF CHAIRMAN/CEO Peter J. Shea SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Mike Ludlum SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/CFO Goodman DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Charles Muselli SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Rayy Widjaja STAFF ACCOUNTANT Janee Otsubo ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE MANAGER Lynn Van Winkle VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING Mark J. Tavarozzi FULFILLMENT MANAGER Marian O’Reilly CONSUMER MARKETING ASSISTANT Shirley Samsudin PUBLISHER, BOOKS Jere Calmes DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, BOOKS Leanne Harvey MARKETING SPECIALIST Jillian McTigue IT DIRECTOR Michael LaLonde MIS ASSISTANT Jamie Town CORPORATE COUNSEL Ronald d L. Young LEGAL ASSISTANT Susan n J. Howell FACILITY ADMINISTRATOR Rudy Gusyen EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Yvette Madrid

(949) 261-2325, fax: (949) 752-1180, entrepreneur.com Printed in the USA GST File #r129677027 Vol. 38, No. 12. Entrepreneur (ISSN 0163-3341) is published monthly by Entrepreneur Media Inc., 2445 McCabe Way, Ste. 400, Irvine, CA 92614. Periodical postage paid at Irvine, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Entrepreneur, P.O. Box 8542, Red Oak, IA, 51591-1542. One year subscription rates in U.S.: $19.97; in Canada: $39.97; all other countries: $39.97; payable in U.S. funds only. Please mail all subscription orders and changes to Entrepreneur, Subscription Department, P.O. Box 8542, Red Oak, IA, 51591-1542, or call (800) 274-6229 or (515) 362-7461, or log on to entrepreneur.com. For change of address, please give both old and new addresses and include most recent mailing label. Entrepreneur considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorneys and/or financial professionals. Entrepreneur is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not rendering legal services or financial advice. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Entrepreneur Media Inc., nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. Advertising Sales (949) 261-2325. Entrepreneur is printed in the USA and all rights are reserved. ©2010 by Entrepreneur Media Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All letters sent to Entrepreneur will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication or brochure, and are subject to Entrepreneur’s unrestricted right to edit and comment.

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December 2010

Copyright © 2010 United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

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SUPPLIERS

The new logistics transforms your supply chain. Say you supply handlebars across your hemisphere. With UPS, you can have greater visibility not just between you and your retailers, but also within your own company. That means you can tell what’s coming and going, when to staff up, how to better manage your inventory. It means you can manage your resources better. It means you take your supply chain and turn it into a competitive advantage. thenewlogistics.com

editor’s note 2

CONTRIBUTORS

010. What a big, beautiful, round, even number for such a defining, ironic, iconic and odd year. We’ve witnessed the rise off the rebel, the crash off the titans, the birth off boundless thinking, the uprising off customer as brand manager and the emergence off the social network. We’ve watched as the recession gives way to the “not a double dip, but not yet out off the recession non-recession, where-the-hell-is-the-bottom” economy. And this year, the very naming of the economy became sport: In short order, the economy was called the entrepreneur economy (OK, we started that one), the engagement economy, the attention economy, the social economy, the network economy, the halo economy, the iEconomy, the whateveryou-want-to-call-it economy. Everyone’s got a name for it, because everything—even the name off the economy—is up for grabs in the powerful new community economy. (See what I mean?) In this issue, we take a look at what

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awaits business in the new year and what to expect as we get deeper into the new—still unnamed—economy. We tapped brilliant minds like Dennis Crowley, Jack Dorsey, Tony Hsieh and Seth Godin to get a sense off what’s next (and in the case off Godin’s Back Page editorial, what’s gone and never coming back). And “The Disrupters” (Page 64) looks at powerful trends that will shape 2011. Social media, not surprisingly, weaves its way through each one. The biggest trend for next year? Entrepreneurs continue to defy the recession and create innovative ways off tackling impossible challenges. And in the process, define the economy.

Amy C. A C Cosper C Editor in chief Follow me on Twitter @EntMagazineAmy

Seth Godin is a bestselling autho or, blogger, speaker and found der of the online publishing platform p and community squid doo.com. He blogs at sethg godin.com.

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THE SOCIAL SAUCE

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ou may want to roll your eyes when someone asks, “What’s your social media strategy?” It’s become the business equivalent to “Hey, what’s your sign?” Social media certainly is meaningful for your business, but can it change the way a company performs? Entrepreneurr decided to put it to the test. We assembled a team of the most creative thinkers in digital marketing and PR from two companies—LeeReedy/Xylem Digital and CSG-PR, both in Denver—to help us take a local business, Big Papa’s Barbeque, from zero social presence to big-time social network strategist. The biggest challenge? Zero budget. Follow our documentary on Facebook (facebook.com/EntMagazine) and Twitter (#socialsauce) starting this month as we chart each step of the strategy during a 30-day period, asking the community to weigh in at various stages. Will social media help make Big Papa’s even bigger?

Brian Quinton is executive editor of Chieff Marketer magazine (chiefmarketer .com), a trade publication for marketing executives. Despite covering web marketing, analytics and technology for years, he still doesn’t get the point of Twitter. But you can follow him at @bquinton.

PHOTO© BRIAN BLOOM PH OTOGRAPH Y PHOTO© JEFF CLARK

Thee fill-inthe-blank economy

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Copyright © 2010 United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

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RETAILERS

The new logistics puts your business in a higher gear. You may have started out selling only bikes but now you’re also selling helmets, gadgets and apparel. UPS can help you manage this increasing complexity with technology that integrates right into your website. You can prepare shipments easily; customers get e-mail alerts automatically; the wheels of commerce spin more swiftly. thenewlogistics.com

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feedback

the Aw-shucks entrepreneurial spirit? A

A

recent study by the Small Business Administration showed that the U.S. had dropped to third place from first when it comes to fostering entrepreneurial creativity and zeal. We now rank behind Denmark and—brace yourself—Canada. So what are we doing wrong? Here are some unvarnished answers from our Facebook page. Listen up, America!

LUKE THOMAS — Complacency. DAWN BOYER — The costt off insurance, licensing, small-business taxes and d hiring employees is astronomical. Mostt mom-and-pop businesses are on n a shoestringg budget. ALANA WEAVER — Americans are nott developing new w technologies to sell on the global market. We need to slow w down our consuming and increase production in order to exportt more goods. TIMOTHY ERICSON — By y the time young g executives gett outt off studentt loan n debt, they y are att a pointt in n theirr lives where itt is hard d to take the risk k off entrepreneurship. There are studentt loan n forgiveness programs forr teachers. Why y nott forr entrepreneurs? JC CRELLIN — Running a business is like balancing on a log in the water: Fancy footwork will keep you up, but it takes bulldog tenacity to stay there. With so much negativity, undermining and unpatriotic chin-wag, it discourages honest, hard-working people from giving it a go. REBECCA MATTESON-CASON — The education system is our main problem. There are no programs readily available to foster entrepreneurial spirit. CARMEN LANE — Bureaucracy.

’TREP OF THE MONTH

lthough I do spend time on your site every now and then, I just wanted to drop a line and share how much I love your magazine. I picked it up at a bookstore a year ago and fell in love with it and subscribed right away. I'm not even an entrepreneur, not even sure I am a wannabe entrepreneur, but your content is so great, very reality-based and handson. The magazine gives me a fuller sense of the things people are doing than most other national business publications do. Your design is pretty great, too. Keep it all up! Emily Mercier Philadelphia

I

began reading Entrepreneur about a year ago. From your ideas, articles and tips, I started a social media marketing company in Evansville, Ind. With the things I have read and learned from your magazine, I have grown my business into eight offices nationwide in only eight months, with 12 more in the works. Keep up the good work. You are a great asset for any business owner. Brian Bennett Social Life Marketing, LLC [email protected]

Jon “LT” Theis, founder of SquidWheelies, a freestyle sport bike stunt-performing team in Saint Cloud, Minn., sent us this photo of him popping a wheelie while catching up on the latest issue of our favorite magazine.

TELL US ABOUT IT

There’s a whole world of Entrepreneur online, and our Facebook fans, Twitter followers and discussion groups are buzzing 24/7 about what matters to entrepreneurs most. Come join the conversation with our editors and readers: • Become our fan on Facebook: facebook.com/EntMagazine • Follow us on Twitter: @EntMagazine and @EntMagazineAmy • Join our online community: econnect.entrepreneur.com 18 Entrepreneur

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SHARE YOUR COMMENTS Write to Letters, Entrepreneur, 2445 McCabe Way, Ste. 400, Irvine, Calif. 92614; fax (949) 261-0234, or e-mail entmag@entrepreneur .com. Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity.

worldmags Copyright © 2010 United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

CUSTOMERS

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The new logistics delivers joy. Your customers can be confident that if they order, say, a bike helmet for their daredevil 13-year-old, we’ll get it there in time for his birthday. Even if it’s the next day—no problem. What’s more, UPS offers mobile applications so they can track their packages anytime, anywhere. Happy birthdays for all. Loyal customers for you. thenewlogistics.com

going forward

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BUSI NESS

UNUSUAL

A Fish story How one mammal spawned an entire industry

TALE OF A TAIL: FRANK FISH OF WHALEPOWER.

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December 2010

PHOTOS© NATALIE BRASINGTON

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t all started with a whale and a man named Fish. As the story goes, Frank Fish was on vacation with his fiancée in Boston when he spotted a fine-art sculpture off a humpback whale in Quincy Market. On closer inspection, he noticed the flippers had bumps on the edges.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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45% Percentage of mobile professionals who said they don't miss anything when working outside the office. Source: Egnyte

29% Percentage of Gen Yers who think meetings are “very efficient” for making a decision on a course of action (compared with 45% of boomers 55 and over). Source: Citrix Forrester Research

YOU SHOULD

KNOW “II thoughtt ‘The artistt gott this all wrong,’” he recalls with h greatt clarityy despite the passage of almostt 30 years. “Butt when n the store manager pulled d outt a picture off the real deal, itt had prominences, too. I was blown n away.” Fish, a plain-spoken and affable biology professor att Westt Chester Universityy in West Chester, Penn., had always assumed these winglike extremities worked like other straight-edge airfoils, such as airplane wings. Butt then he realized thatt he had been wrong. And thatt fateful revelation changed his life forever. Like a modern-day Ahab, Fish became obsessed with these bumps. He wanted to find out exactly how they worked in water and what their advantages were. To do this, he even went so far as to obtain a 10-footlong humpback flipper from the New Jersey Marine Mammal Stranding Center and distributed by the Smithsonian for research purposes. He created dozens off mathematical models to prove how the bumps must reduce drag, suggesting a new approach to the science off fluid dynamics. Then in 2004, Fish and three co-authors published their results, which later appeared in Science and Nature. The scientific community embraced them. Not long after, the articles caught the attention off Stephen Dewar, a Toronto entrepreneur and selfproclaimed physics nut, who tracked down Fish in early 2005 to learn more about the intriguing work. They discussed the commercial possibilities for applying flipper-inspired designs to boat keels, airplane wings and industrial turbines. Later that year, they filed patents and leveraged roughly $500,000 from private investors to form WhalePower, based in Toronto. “We knew it was a huge risk at the time,” Dewar says. “Considering how widespread traditional airfoils are in today’s world, people weren’t exactly eager to accept that there could be a better approach.” So Fish set out to develop more scientific backing. Through additional trials, he also determined that airfoils with this new design could operate as much as 13 percent more efficiently than those with edges that are flat. Because these bumps technically are known as “tubercles,” Fish dubbed the concept Tubercle Technology. This forms the basis of designs that WhalePower is licensing to manufacturers in the industrial fan industry.

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The firstt machines—24-foot-diameterr fans developed d forr Envira-North h Systems in n Seaforth, Ontario—hitt the markett in n Mayy 2009. Accordingg to Envira-North, these fans are 25 percent more aerodynamicallyy efficientt than n theirr predecessors, consume 20 percentt less powerr and create significantlyy less noise. And d Envira-North also maintains thatt its customers are savingg as much h as 25 percentt on n theirr energy y costs.

The company is privately held and is reluctant to release specific financial data. But Dewar says that WhalePower “is growing at a significant double-digit rate despite the economy.” And he anticipates accelerating that growth over the next year. WhalePowerr is negotiating g licenses forr its Tubercle Technologyy to manufacturers who incorporate fans into computers, servers, appliances and d heating g ventilation n and d air-conditioning units. “We expectt to land d several majorr customers in n the nextt 12 months,” Dewarr adds. Fish also envisions applying the mammalianinspired design to blades on windmills that harvestt wind energyy and says itt somedayy might revolutionizee thee aircraftt industry, too. “Thee possibilities aree limitless,” hee says. “To think: It’s been n rightt in n frontt off us alll thesee years.” Ahab would d bee proud. —MATT VILLANO

NOURIEL ROUBINI

[ ] AGE 51

DR. DOOM Chairman of Roubini Global Economics consultancy

T

he housing bust caught a lot of people—bankers, economists, spendthrifts, you name it—with their pants down. Not Nouriel Roubini. Way back in 2005, the New York University economics professor warned that heavy debt in the housing market, along with oil shocks and declining consumer confidence, would sink the U.S. economy into a deep recession. Roubini was heralded as a sage when it all came to pass, and he is now worth his weight in panic-inflated gold on the conference and lecture circuit. All that success hasn’t made his predictions any cheerier. He’s living up to his Dr. Doom moniker, declaring a 40 percent chance of a double-dip recession, unemployment near 10 percent in 2011 and continued risk of big financial crises. Still, you have to respect a guy who can say “I told you so,” to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. Memorable quote: “We’re living beyond our means … and we have to get our act together.”—J.W.

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going forward

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@get’em g What’s the best time to tweet? Three experts p reveal the perfect moment to post 140 characters (or less).

Mark Renshaw, executive vice president and digital strategy director, Leo Burnett, Chicago Timing is everything. Take the GaztroWagon, for example—a startup business in Chicago thatt sells gourmett food from a truck. Each time the truck goes out,

a tweett is sentt outt to followers letting them know w where itt will be parked. Then updates are tweeted when they've arrived, when they y are selling outt of things and when they’ve sold outt and are closing up shop. They y are using Twitter to spur immediate demand. A significantt driver off e-commerce is timely y tweets thatt give people small windows to seize an opportunity. Leigh Fatzinger, CEO of Nology Media, Seattle The time off day y thatt tweets are published should d be determined d byy the industry, job function, time zone and d age off the targett audience. Employees att larger companies tend d to check k before work, at lunch h and d laterr in n the evening. Independentt professionals tend d to scan n Twitter

Facebook or Twitter? LinkedIn or Meetup? You’ll have a better chance of reaching your customers if you know their social media habits.

Brian Basilico, founder and president of B2b Interactive Marketing Inc., Aurora, Ill. Tweet timing matters just as much as e-mail broadcast timing, but it depends on the audience and the content. Just like Google searches, people treat the first page as most relevant so you want to time your posts at peak times for your audience. People are more likely to check Twitter at peak-free times— usually before work, during lunch and after work—unless it’s part off their job.

For businesses targeting new customers—that is, every business—refining the message and targeting the audience are key. Now a study of 1,500 consumers by ExactTarget, an e-mail and digital marketing company in Indianapolis, is offering help with half of the equation, by identifying the personas of common social media users. Entrepreneurs, meet your audience:

INNER CIRCLE

CAUTIOUS

INFO SEEKER

ENTHUSIAST

47 percent of online consumers

33 percent of online consumers

33 percent of online consumers

32 percent of online consumers

This segment has a heavy focus on family and close friends, making it tough for marketers to connect with them. They’re more likely to be female (59 percent) and are frequent e-mail and Facebook users. Fifty-seven percent of teens ages 15 to 17 and 61 percent of seniors fall in the Inner Circle.

These people are very careful about what they share. They may be concerned about privacy and online security (Gen X and boomer men) or physical security (teenage girls), and may follow Twitter feeds anonymously even though they don’t have their own accounts. It takes nurturing, work and privacy assurances to win over these prospects.

Give them intel—and plenty of it. These are usually men (56 percent) who go online to get the facts. They’re not interested in conversations or content creation. They want rich content, deals and updates. If you can make them feel like you’re giving them value in the content you provide, you’ll win their loyalty.

They y are looking forr information and discussions about theirr interests and hobbies. They y tend to be younger, more affluent and sans children. E-mail is theirr medium off choice forr complex x messages, but they y follow favorite brands on Facebook k and Twitter. To get theirr interest, you have to prove yourr worth quickly. Iff they y view you as anything less than a trustworthy y and enlightened source, they y will ignore you. —G.M.

22 Entrepreneur

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more consistentlyy through h the day. For consumers, usage tends to be laterr in n the evening, depending g on n the time zone. The “usable” life off a tweett is often n debated butt is generally y considered d to be between eightt and d 10 minutes.

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December 2010

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/H ERKISI

S

ocial media types have become obsessed with optimum Twitter timing—so much so that there’s even a website, tweetoclock .com, that gives the best times to reach specific people, based on their Twitter usage patterns. OK, that may be a little too obsessive. But the question off when to best reach your audience is an important one for entrepreneurs. We asked three ad agency execs to weigh in:

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going forward

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ASK

A PRO

Good to go Q: A:

KEVIN O’CONNOR: IT’S TIME TO MOVE.

24 Entrepreneur

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Nah. If you have the means, now is the time to hire or expand, says Kevin O’Connor, founder and CEO of FindTheBest.com and a serial entrepreneur who has successfully brought companies through three recessions, including DoubleClick.com (that one he eventually sold to Google for $3.1 billion). “People go into holding patterns because they’re scared of running out of capital,” he says. “And standards are much higher for VC money and at banks.” Where does that leave you? In one of two scenarios: The nature of a business cycle means recessions come and go, so if you’re flush with cash, you now have the opportunity to buy things cheaply. The companies in the best positions are the ones that have raised money all along—not just when they needed it—and stockpiled reserves. Lucky them. Most likely, you’re in Scenario 2: low on cash, and scraping. “I was a VC for a while, and most of the good stuff was by people who scraped,” O’Connor says, adding that many startups are still launched with an initial investment of $25,000 to $50,000. “If you can get your product to a prototype state and hook some customers, you’re still on the right track, no matter how gloomy the projections are.” O’Connor is practicing cash-flow savvy at FindTheBest.com, a comparison engine, by working out of a garage in Santa Barbara, Calif., looking for workers who will accept equity over a high salary, hiring interns (he has 10, plus 15 full-timers), asking employees to supply their own computers and cell phones and using cloud computing services to scale. “Be flexible,” he advises, “and don’t lock into anything right now.” Times may suck, but here’s the thing: “You’ve done stuff to be smarter. You’ve been forced to be really productive and cut back on what you don’t need. You are now an incredibly lean fighting group that knows how to handle the rough spots,” he says. “And when you make it through, you’ll have your best days ever.” And sitting on your hands? That may really drive you crazy. —JENNIFER WANG

PHOTO© J EFF CLARK

Everyone’s in a holding pattern but I’m ready to move. Am I crazy?

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"Running a small business is a learning process; protecting one shouldn’t be."

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- Prof. Nathaniel Burke

As a small business owner, you have enough on your mind without having to worry about what happens to your business if disaster strikes. Farmers agents have been trained to help you find coverage that fits your business and your bottom line. They learn these skills at the University of Farmers,R an educational institution whose humble mission is to produce insurance agents of the very highest caliber. Talk to a local Farmers agent and learn how you can protect your business in the event of a disaster, an accident, or a worker’s compensation claim. To set up a consultation with an agent near you, head to farmers.com.

We Are Insurance. We Are Farmers.S auto

I

home

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Insurance underwritten by Farmers Insurance Exchange and other affiliated companies. Visit farmers.com for a complete listing of companies. Coverage not available in all states. ©2010 Farmers Group, Inc.

going forward

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MASTERS OF THE TWEET You might have heard of @BenParr, editor of Mashable.com, the influential social media blog. He’s got more than 19,000 followers, but who does he follow? We ask him whom he considers the 10 most influential entrepreneurs on Twitter. @Caterina (Caterina Fake): An indispensable resource for women in business by the co-founder of Flickr. @loic (Loic Le Meur of Seesmic): A live focus group at the ready.

Meett yourr mentor

@GuyKawasaki: Gatekeeper of links, from the wonderfully wacky to the commonsensical.

N

@jasonfried (of 37signals): A mentor for tweeple with big ideas but little cash.

jargon 26 Entrepreneur

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THUMB TRIBE

@Jesse (Jesse Stay): The web developers’ guru. @leila_c (Leila C. Janah and Stacey Monk, @StaceyMonk): Where doing good is good business. @markbao: The Justin Bieber of aspiring entrepreneurs. @ev (Biz Stone, @biz, and Evan Williams of Twitter): But, of course.

Definition: Dexterous individuals who text better (an nd faster) than they talk. Usage: Most of her classmates decorated their lockers with Glee cast photos; but Norah, one of the Tri-State area’s thumb tribe elite, went with South Korean teenagers Ha Mok-min n and Bae Yeong-ho—the first Mobile Worldcup champions, wh ho achieved glory with a record-setting pace of 356.974 strokes per minute.

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MAMMAMAART PHOTO© ISTOCKPH OTO.COM/JONYA

eed a mentor? Want to be a mentor? MicroMentor.org is a free online service that connects small-business owners with volunteer business mentors run by Mercy Corps, a nonprofit humanitarian agency. To find a mentor, go to the website, create a brieff profile and a specific mentoring request. The request is then listed in the mentoring opportunity database, where volunteer mentors can offer to help (you can also request help from specific mentors). The site has more than 3,500 entrepreneurs and 2,600 business mentors enrolled, and it has made more than 2,250 matches. It also offers advice and information on mentoring relationships and how to make them most effective, as well as a number off success stories. Volunteer mentors can also sign up on the website—and there are dividends. MicroMentor reports that participating businesses had a 75 percent increase in median annual business sales and an 87 percent survival rate year over year. “This is a way for small-business owners to get meaningful advice,” says Andrea Long, spokeswoman for MicroMentor.org. “And because you can have more than one mentor, you can create a virtual advisory board. That gives smallbusiness owners the tools they need for success.” —G.M.

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innovator

CHECKING IN: FOURSQUARE’S DENNIS CROWLEY. 28 Entrepreneur

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Change. Today’s consumer is more discerning, more informed, more connected. Customer fulfillmentt in this new w realityy requires a new w kind off brilliance— in idea creation, in execution, in the ongoing operation off the business. Entrepreneurr explores the innovation behind three companies to help reinventt the customer experience—and business itself. By Brian Solis Photography by David Johnson

Entrepreneur

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29

innovator The days off great companies, products and services naturally finding their markets are long gone. The advent off social connectivity means consumers are shaping strategies and influencing brands like never before. Old notions off demand are out. Experiences—good, bad or indifferent— count for everything. The importance off innovation isn’t just the development off brilliant ideas, products or services. How business infrastructures evolve to support them is also mission critical. Modern theories off business management and product development cycles are suddenly old and dusty. The new leaders not only understand the influence off social media on their business, they also embrace it, even exploit it, to succeed. They adapt their strategies to fit how customers move, think and decide. In this special report, Entrepreneur profiles three off today’s mostt innovative thinkers who share a vision for a radicallyy differentt customer experience and a more fulfilled social consumer. Their ambition and ingenuityy demonstrate how w the business leaders off the social age are rewriting business theory.

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“Foursquare gave everyday people, venues and local merchants a voice. It opened the doors for businesses to see a whole new way of seeing their customer.” —Dennis Crowley

DENNIS CROWLEY

CO-FOUN O-FOUND DER AND AND CEO FOURSQUARE

T

o Dennis Crowley, customer engagement is all a game—and has been for a decade. Crowley advocated the concept of geo-location for social networks and the idea off using mobile technology to “check in” at physical locations in 2000, before Twitter and even Facebook enchanted the world with their approach to social networking. That year, Crowley and his New York University classmate Alex Rainert co-founded Dodgeball to turn mobile devices into platforms where users could text their location to reveal friends, friends off friends and interesting venues nearby.

At the time, Crowley was an analyst at JupiterResearch in New York and Dodgeball was his thesis project at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. The platform generated significant underground buzz and caught the attention off Google, which acquired the startup and its founding team in 2005. But Dodgeball was unable to engage day-to-day mobile users. Crowley left Google in 2007, and Google officially deflated Dodgeball in February 2009. Ahead off its time, Dodgeball revealed a new w kind off social network. Early y on, Crowleyy introduced a working archetype for consumer empowermentt and customer engagement. He also created

a channel where customers develop a community y around each business. In March 2009, Crowley and software developer Naveen Selvadurai founded Foursquare, a kind off Dodgeball 2.0. “The inspiration behind Dodgeball was based on the idea off carrying a map in your pocket that shows everything about where your friends are and where they’re going,” Crowley says. “With Foursquare, the question now was ‘Iff you have this map, how can you crowdsource everything a city has to offer—taking the experiences off your friends in an offline world and bring them online so other people can discover them?’ ” The Foursquare experience starts when users check in to a location via a mobile phone using the free Foursquare app. Users share their location with friends and see who’s nearby. Foursquare players “shout” out to one another to share experiences and observations. Check-ins and shouts can also link to Twitter and Facebook. Foursquare’s reward system coaxes active and deeper participation from users, who earn points for actions like check-ins. Players receive badges for checking in to locations and earn the title off mayor iff they check in to an establishment more than anyone else. Foursquare’s innovation is addictive. In its first year, the app attracted 1 million users. In just a year and a half, Foursquare skyrocketed to nearly 4 million users, with more than 20,000 new users checking in every day. It also made the act off checking in ubiquitous, as competitive social services like Yelp, Gowalla and even Facebook also offered users the ability to check in to places within their respective networks. Foursquare redefined the role off the patron and the relationship between businesses and customers. “The network started to take on a life of its own,” Crowley says. “Foursquare

How to Boom: Use an American Express OPEN Plum Card to purchase all your supplies and inventory.

Then pay it off quickly and you’ll get an early pay discount on just about every dollar you spend. Then you can turn that money into more inventory or supplies for your business.

30 E Entrepreneur ntrepreneur trepreneu

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December 2010

©2010 American Express Company. All rights reserved.

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Booming is

turning a 1.5% early pay discount into over $1,000,000. All by buying lots of toys and millions of diapers. For Diapers.com co-founder Marc Lore, Booming is making more money on his money. Marc sells everything from toys to baby food to, naturally, diapers. Supplying the needs of more than half a million parents and counting. Marc and his team purchase inventory using the Plum Card from American Express OPEN, and the best part is Diapers.com earns an early pay discount on nearly every purchase. Which, as Marc found out, can really pile up. Get your business Booming at open.com. Pay your balance in full within 10 days of the statement closing date and get a 1.5% discount on virtually all purchases made that month. The discount will appear as a credit on the following billing statement. Visit plumcard.com for details. Diapers.com accumulated the early pay discount over the course of two years.

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1%6'036) (-%4)67'31 1)1&)67-2')

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WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH IT? WHAT CAN’T YOU DO WITH IT? THE FIRST-EVER SIERRA DENALI HD.

We didn’t simply engineer the most powerful Sierra HD ever. We engineered the first Denali HD ever. It offers plenty of capability, with up to 2,908 lbs of payload* and up to 17,200 lbs of fifth-wheel trailering.** And it comes with the chrome grille and uplevel interior you expect in a Denali. The new Sierra Denali HD from GMC. WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE. GMC.COM /SIERRA With available Duramax Diesel engine on 2WD 2500 Denali HD. *Maximum payload capacity includes weight of driver, passengers, optional equipment and cargo. **Maximum trailer ratings are calculated assuming a properly equipped base vehicle, plus driver. See dealer for details. ©2010 General Motors. All rights reserved. Denali® Duramax® GMC ® Sierra® WE ARE PROFESSIONAL GRADE®

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innovator gave everyday people, venues and local merchants a voice. It opened the doors for businesses to see a whole new way off seeing their customer.” And with people earning points, leaving tips, winning mayorships or simply checking in, business owners became aware off a vibrantt and still-growing customer base thatt now w expects their participation and attention. Essentially, Crowleyy handed business owners the keys to open the doors to social media and fresh opportunities. “Foursquare is about improving relationships, making cities easier and more fascinating to experience,” Crowley says, “and making the world a more interesting place to explore.”

JACK DORSEY CO-FOUNDER SQUARE

M

aybe you have to have helped conceive Twitter to be bold enough to take on a change-resistant industry like the financial sector. That’s what Jack Dorsey, a cofounder off the ubiquitous 140-character phenom, is doing with his newest endeavor, Square. It aims to transform any mobile device into a credit card reader, allowing any business to accept credit cards and process transactions in less than 10 seconds. Dorsey’s simple vision is to make payment systems more accessible. “The financial world has long been missing immediacy, transparency and approachability,” he says. “This is what’s needed now.” Systems that streamline and report have always interested Dorsey. Before Twitter, he developed dispatch software to track ambulances and taxis. That concept evolved to people: He wanted to better understand where his friends were and what they were doing. He wanted to capture and share experiences in the moment—thus the birth off the tweet. “Twitter is about simplicity,” Dorsey says. “The constraint off 140 characters is easy to approach and consume, without a great deal of barriers to entry. One message and suddenly the whole world has access to that tweet.” Like Twitter, the innovation of Square is also simple. Dorsey’s partner 34 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

The financial world needs “immediacy, transparency and approachability.” —Jack Dorsey and Square co-founder, Jim McKelvey, is an accomplished glass artist. But McKelvey could not accept credit cards because off the complexity and cost, and he was unable to sell his work to as broad off an audience. So Dorsey worked on developing a solution for people who run businesses of varying sizes and scopes. He looked to Apple’s in-store payment network, which allowed customers to swipe a card right at the moment off decision rather than be forced to stand in line behind a cash register. Square’s product is the size and shape off a sugar cube and features a small opening that can read a card when it is swiped. The cube includes a plug that resembles one from a regular pair off headphones and plugs directly into the headphone jack off a mobile device or tablet computer. Combined with the Square software app, smartphones and iPads become mini cardprocessing centers. Quick and easy payments are just the beginning. Dorsey and the Square team foresee them as catalysts for social interactions. “When you get home, the receipt could serve as an ingredient list to discover the blends that went into your espresso, to see how many times you’ve been to that particular location, used a loyalty or rewards system, click into a merchant’s Twitter or website, forward the receipt for expenses,” Dorsey says, “and see, through a beautiful visual, where the transaction took place.”

TONY HSIEH CEO ZAPPOS

T

o Tony Hsieh, it doesn’t really matter what’s being sold. What matters is the experience off selling it—and, off course, the customer’s

experience off buying it. Hsieh, CEO off online shoe store /e-commerce powerhouse Zappos, believes that experience is as important for the employee as it is for the customer. So for the 10 years, he has devoted himselff to fostering a company culture that would produce a new standard off customer satisfaction. “We never really paid much attention to what other companies were doing,” Hsieh says. “We never knew that the decisions we made were in direct contrast to those off our competitors.” For customers, the Zappos experience is about being with Zappos from the get-go. The company keeps its own inventory so that it can control the order and fulfillment process end to end. Customer service representatives are renowned for going out off the way for customers—even referring them to competitors iff Zappos doesn’t have a particular shoe in their size, Hsieh says. For employees, it’s about development. Zappos offers more than 40 classes to help boost morale and career advancement. Employees are evaluated regularly for promotion, about every six months. It’s all part off what Hsieh calls “the science off happiness.” “Customer service is about making customers happy. Company culture is about making employees happy,” he says. “So let’s just simplify it and, at the same time, amplify our vision for our customers, employees, vendors and peers.” Itt works. The e-tailer hitt the $1 billion revenue mark byy 2008 and ended 2009 with $1.2 billion in sales. Amazon acquired the companyy in a deal thatt ultimately y was valued att $1.2 billion when itt closed in November 2009. Zappos also seeks to spread its happiness externally, sharing its culture and service to help other companies to

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business

SM

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ON HIS HAPPY BUS: TONY HSIEH OF ZAPPOS.

reinvent their businesses. Its Insights program offers immersion workshops on happiness, culture and service. Zappos created a workforce thatt is nott onlyy happyy butt also evangelical, thanks to social networks like Facebook and Twitter thatt pervasivelyy commu36 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

nicate the company’s mission, purpose and culture. Att lastt count, 499 Zappos employees off more than 2,400 employees use Twitter, including Hsieh, who himselff has 1.7 7 million followers. “Your culture is your brand,” he says. “Customer service shouldn’t

just be a department—it should be the entire company.” BRIAN SOLIS IS PRINCIPAL OF THE NEW MEDIA MARKETING FIRM FUTUREWORKS AND AUTHOR OF ENGAGE! HE BLOGS AT BRIANSOLIS.COM.

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your music?

Bose QuietComfort 15 ®

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Welcome to a quieter world. Whether you want to clearly hear the nuances in your music or quietly relax in peace, slip on the QC®15 headphones. These are our best headphones, and significant advances in the noise reduction make them our quietest ever. No other headphones offer you the same combination of less noise, lifelike audio, lasting quality and comfortable fit. Seth Porges of Popular Mechanics reports, “Compared to the competition… the QC15s are vastly superior.” We invite you to hear the difference these award-winning headphones make on planes, at home and in the office for 30 days, risk free. When you call, ask about making 12 easy payments, with no interest charges from Bose.* We’re so sure you’ll be delighted, we’ll even pay to ship them to your door.

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1-800-729-2073, ext. Q8068 or visit Bose.com/QC *Bose payment plan available on orders of $299-$1500 paid by major credit card. Separate financing offers may be available for select products. See website for details. Down payment is 1/12 the product price plus applicable tax and shipping charges, charged when your order is shipped. Then, your credit card will be billed for 11 equal monthly installments beginning approximately one month from the date your order is shipped, with 0% APR and no interest charges from Bose. Credit card rules and interest may apply. U.S. residents only. Limit one active financing program per customer. ©2010 Bose Corporation. Patent rights issued and/or pending. The distinctive design of the headphone oval ring is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation. Financing and free shipping offers not to be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases, and subject to change without notice. Risk free refers to 30-day trial only, requires product purchase and does not include return shipping. Delivery is subject to product availability. Quote reprinted with permission.

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SHINY

OBJECT

technology apesearch in Motion ed tir parently is getting le sty e th l of giving up al s ne ho iP e th points to e s of the world. Th id ro D d an ’s M RI is 00 98 h rc BlackBerry To allsm e th in ant attempt to stay relev scussion. di ne business smartpho nces and an At less than 6 ou ck of cards, de a an inch taller th er” (the qwerty this so-called “slid behind the keyboard slides in er 3 inches) ov st screen that’s ju friendly Blackfeatures the appsystem. Berry 6 operating can’t, well, Though the unit or Motorola’s 4 ne touch the iPho based interactivDroid for touchyboard-based ity, it’s great for ke d the interAn work like e-mail. a, multier m ca face, controls, i and bati-F W , ns tio media func . nt tery life are excelle with a two-year 9 19 ($ h rc To e Th comes installed plan from AT&T) App World with the BlackBerry ich offers a few access software, wh apps—not ity hundred productiv th the Apple wi e ttl enough to do ba oid Market. App Store or Andr t Exchange users But—and Microsof w gives away its take note—RIM no press software Enterprise Server Ex ny website, letting tool on the compa one to their deskusers sync their ph Express allows top for free. Server llaboration for for small-group co ail, calendar and companies that e-m the Microsoft Excollaborate within alone makes the change world. That siness contender. phone a serious bu small groups Bottom line: For on a phone looking to work the Torch is a , with a keyboard n. Plus, it looks high-quality optio ming out of pretty darn nice co NATHAN BLUM your pocket. —JO

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PHOTO© DAVID JOH NSON

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NOBODY’S

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*EPA-estimated 41 city/36 hwy/39 combined mpg. Actual mileage will vary. Excludes diesels.

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FOOL.

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Don’t let anyone tell you “luxury,” “41 miles per gallon in the city,”* and “reasonably priced” are contradictions in terms.

It’s not just luxury. It’s smarter than that. Learn more about the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, the most fuel-efficient luxury car in America, at

worldmags

technology Analyze y this

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

CAN’T CAN’T

B

Omniture,, a website analytics y tool,, has legions g off fans who use it to understand user behavior metrics and site stats. p y also have a lot off companies But its cost and complexity evaluating free alternatives. —ERICKA CHICKOWSKI

LIVE WITH IT

LIVE WITHOUT IT

ERIC FULWILER, PARTNER, ZAC DIGITAL AGENCY, A DIGITAL MARKETING AND STRATEGY FIRM IN NEW YORK CITY

RANDY PAYNTER, CEO, CARE2, AN ONLINE CAUSE MARKETING FIRM IN REDWOOD CITY, CALIF.

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are2’s mission is to connect people with online communities that promote nonprofitbacked causes such as green living, women’s rights, animal welfare and more. The firm depends on its web properties to inform people about their hot-button issues and relies on online analytics to track their progress. “We need to be a data-driven company,” says founder and CEO Randy Paynter. “We need to be able to understand and learn from our traffic.” Paynter, a longtime Omniture user, says he checks his dashboard at least five times a day to monitor hourly traffic peaks and valleys. Those metrics help him decide how and where to make changes to Care2’s site and how to adjust strategies in communicating with consumers and advertisers. Omniture’s flexibility and level of customization are big attractions for him. “We like the ability to get really granular, the ability to look at different elements on the site and to tag different actions we want to understand,” Paynter says. He likes it so much that he has assigned one of his 50 employees to Omniture. “We have somebody whose responsibility is to manage the system and to work with our engineering team to add tags and pull reports from it,” he says. “I’m a big enough believer that I think it is important to have that person dedicated to the system.”

ric Fulwiler is busy with all things online—from advertising and e-mail marketing to social networking and digital PR. But he deems Omniture too powerful to be useful for a busy web professional. “It’s a great service if you need it and you know how to use it, but most people don’t need 90 percent of the power that it offers—and you can’t even handle it sometimes,” he says. “You can get lost in Omniture just looking for a simple data point and spend two hours trying to find it.” ZAC depends on analytics to determine how well its small-business hospitality industry clients are managing their digital presence. Fulwiler prefers simpler tools that won’t hit his bottom line. “All the campaigns we run and all the different services we offer all come back to analytics,” Fulwiler says. “Some might be more interested in just getting people to their website, whereas some might be more interested in getting mentioned on big media sites.” Fulwiler says Google Analytics gives him the data he needs without his being “drowned” by a torrent of data. “Omniture gave me the data I needed eventually—it was just a question of how much time it took me to use it. And, of course, it costs money, whereas Google Analytics doesn’t,” he says. “I need a much lighter, more easy-to-use tool.” 42 Entrepreneur

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OUTSOURCING IT FUNCTIONS TO A PRO CAN LIFT A HEAVY BURDEN. HERE’S HOW TO PICK THE RIGHT PRO.

usinesses that depend on technology but are led by non-technologists are frequently surprised by IT’s costs long after capital has been spent on big purchases. “The hidden cost is not in the object or device itself, it’s in the maintenance,” says Charles Weaver, co-founder and president off MSPAlliance, an industry association for managed service providers. ““And, unfortunately, most people in the small- and medium-business market do not budget for those costs.” Small businesses increasingly are depending on managed service providers to take care of those issues, Weaver says. For a recurring fee, MSPs bundle up all the costs of running a small business’s IT functions—everything from hardware and software to service and maintenance—freeing entrepreneurs to focus on building the business. Weaver suggests the following guidelines for finding and retaining the best MSP for your business. • Do a background check. Listen to what the MSP says about how it works with its clients on a day-today basis. Ask for specifics in how it is applying technology to advance customer business goals. • Know their credentials. Certifications can go a long way toward proving your potential MSP’s knowhow to you, even iff you don’t know a motherboard from a monitor. • Get to know them. “You really have to spend some time not just figuring out pricing, but also how much you trust that business partner,” Weaver says. • Enjoy the silence: If your MSP is running IT quietly without incident, that well may be a testament to its effectiveness. —E.C.

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MOVING PRODUCT: CAROLINA RUSTICA’S RICHARD SEXTON.

Setting g sale on smartphones mShopper’s pp p mobile storefront solution ushers even the smallest retailers into the growing world off m-commerce

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arolina Rustica is no stranger to virtual commerce. The Concord, N.C.-based retailer specializing in handcrafted iron and wood furniture went online in 2000. Between 85 percent and 90 percent of current sales originate via the web, says founder and president Richard Sexton, with the average order exceeding $1,000. Now Carolina Rustica is moving its showroom to the smartphone—and though dining room tables and four-poster beds may seem at odds with the digital impulse purchases typically synonymous with mobile commerce, Sexton says that keeping up with the competition makes mobile a necessary evolution. “We’re going up againstt the big outfits, like [home décor powerhouse] CSN Stores—they’re nott an 800-pound gorilla butt a 2,000-pound gorilla, so it’s importantt to keep pace with whatt they’re doing,” he says. “You can’tt exclude mobile commerce. People are doing everything on their smartphones, including shopping.” Amazon.com m can n vouch h forr mobile commerce’s potential: In n July, the company y said its customers spentt more than n $1 billion n usingg theirr phones duringg the previous year. But Amazon is Amazon. Hopping on the m-commerce bandwagon is exponentially more challenging for smaller retailers. “It’s very difficult to launch a mobile presence,” says mShopper founder and

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$119 billion: ABI Research projection for 2015 mobile commerce spending 8 percent: Portion of global e-commerce spend that figure represents

CEO David Gould, citing the lack of uniform mobile web standards and the broad array off devices. “You’ve got to rethink your entire page layout for mobile because off the tiny screens. The context is also a challenge—you’re trying to reach a user who’s on the go and whose needs are different.” Carolina Rustica launched d its fledgling g mobile website in n partnership with Boulder, Colo.-based d mShopper, which h in Septemberr introduced d Mobile Commerce Platform. With h it, merchants off all sizes can n build d customized d smartphone storefronts, orr “mStores.” Included d are design tools, built-in n merchandisingg mechanisms and d SEO resources, as well as an analytics dashboard d to measure traffic and d sales. Everyy orderr generated d byy a client’s mStore is inputt directlyy into the retailer’s existingg shoppingg cart, ensuring thatt standard d orderr and d customerr service processes still apply. Retailers simplyy upload d theirr product data feed d and d design n theirr mStore, guided by y mShopper’s videos. Once it’s live, merchants also can n leverage mShopper’s GetFirstDibs mobile marketingg program, which h transmits text-based d discounts and promotions to customers on n the retailer’s mobile mailingg list. “We’re here to help generate buzz and awareness and to drive traffic to your homepage,” Gould says. “We only make money when merchants do.” mShopper charges retailers a monthly licensing fee ranging from $99 to $999, depending on website traffic. The firm collects a commission off at least 5 percent off the sale, or the store’s published standard affiliate rates. Along g with h Carolina Rustica, more than n 10 otherr retailers signed d on n with mShopperr duringg Mobile Commerce Platform’s firstt few w weeks online. And mShopperr expects to have 50 to 100 payingg customers byy the end d off the year. “Thee obviouss question n iss whyy you should d createe an n mStoree when n customers can n browsee yourr websitee on n a smartphone,” Sexton n says. “Thee answerr iss that peoplee need d to o startt seeingg yourr products rightt away. You u can’tt worryy about download d times orr screen n sizes. You u can’t keep yourr websitee likee itt is and d hopee itt all resolves on n a phone.” —JASON ANKENY

PHOTO© DAVID LANG

technology

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MOBILE

TECH

Time on the run The days y off keeping p g track off hours out in the field on scraps p off paper, p , old receipts p and business cards are done. Mobile apps pp make it p possible to track hours and make sure no billable minute ggoes unlogged. Here are five tools that offer road-weary business owners efficient ways to track time. —E.C. Application Features

What it’s good for

Price

Where to find it

Billbull

Created by y a lawstaffing agency, this app tracks time or allows manual entry off time against your phone’s contact list and lets you export a CSV V file to a spreadsheet program for central tracking.

iPhone, iPod Touch T and iPad

99 cents

exparte-staffing. com

TimeDroid

This straightforward time tracker—with timer and manual entry—is designed for FreshBooks users on the road with Android devices.

Android

Free

appoxy.com

Exgis Time Tracker

This time tracker gives BlackBerry users the power to manage clients and track billable hours and export to spreadsheets.

BlackBerry

$4.99

exgis.com

Minute7

This cloud-based time- and expensetracking software-asa-service solution for QuickBooks shops is particularly good for organizations that need to manage timekeeping among multiple employees in the field.

All major platforms

$4 per user/month

minute7.com

Timewerks

A comprehensive time-tracking and invoice tool, this app not only allows for creation off time sheets and invoices, it also has integration with a credit card acceptance app to speed up payment.

iPhone, iPod Touch T and iPad

$9.99

sorth.com/ timewerks

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has yourr back The newestt version off the USB standard takes the p pace off business data managementt and backup to a whole new w level

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he nickname says it all: USB 3.0, the hottest thing in connecting peripherals and moving business data around is dubbed SuperSpeed USB in geek circles. USB 3.0 will connectt digital printers, cameras and hard drives to computers as much as 10 times faster than the current version. With earlyy products, thatt means the saving off 25GB off active work files will take justt four minutes instead off the

14 thatt USB 2.0 takes. USB 3.0 devices also are more energyy efficient. “USB 3.0 is mostly y aboutt speed, butt it is also aboutt powerr consumption,” says Brian n O’Rourke, principal analystt for In-Stat, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based d research firm. “USB 3.0 reduces the amountt of polling g thatt hosts mustt do to determine the numberr off connected d USB devices. This does reduce powerr consumption.” Mostt electronics still run n the older

USB 2.0 spec, so priceyy add-on n computer cards and d cablingg are required d (see our adapterr recommendation n below). Businesses will benefitt from m fasterr hard d drives forr backup and d storage—we review wa couple off good d options here. Expectt USB 3.0 to come standard d on n PCs, cameras and d mobile phones byy earlyy nextt year. So take a look at your options and buckle up. Backing up is about to get fast—very fast. —J.B.

Asus U3S6 USB/Serial ATA Combo Adapter ($30)

Western Digital My Book 3.0 (1TB, $190)

Billed by Western Digital as its fastest external drive ever, My Book 3.0 packs a wallop: It offers a full terabyte of storage— that’s 200,000 digital photos and hundreds of thousands of average files. Deployed properly, this small device can legitimately be your firm’s single source of backup.

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There’s nothing like a little price war to lower the cost of new technology. Asus has adopted a “take-no-prisoners” attitude on entrylevel USB 3.0 add-on cards. The company is shipping an inexpensive add-on card that will turn even the most sluggish PC into a rippin’ fast USB 3.0 monster. It’s this simple: For $30, you can’t go wrong.

Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (1TB, $109)

If you’re looking to test the USB 3.0 waters with a small hard drive that offers fast performance, good looks and USB 2.0 compatibility at a decent price, start here. The Iomega eGo can store all the personal material you could want and significantly speed backup times. Tired of waiting 20 minutes for your iPod to sync? The eGo is for you.

Seagate BlackArmor PS 110 USB 3.0 Performance Kit ($185) Seagate solves the USB 3.0 adapter/cable issue by combining a decent USB 3.0 PC card adapter, 500GB hard drive and needed cabling into one package at a fair price. Expect about a three times bump in performance here, with features like a nice slim form and preloaded backup and restore software. —J.B.

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Epic screen. Epic 4G speeds. Epic theater in the palm of your hand. With a brilliant Super AMOLED screen and lightning-fast downloading, the Samsung Epic™ 4G is made for movies. Download titles from the Media Hub and watch them on the go at 4G speeds. It can even transform into a mobile hotspot for up to five Wi-Fi devices. Another amazing first from Sprint, the Now Network.™ Get the phone. See Epic Mini Movies. sprint.com/epic 1-800-SPRINT-1 (1-800-777-4681)

The smartphone ranked #1 by PCWorld. September 9, 2010

May require up to a $36 activation fee/line, credit approval and deposit. Up to a $200 early termination fee/line applies. While supplies last. HD Video: Records and plays back at 720p at 30fps. Sprint Mobile Hotspot: Optional $29.99 add-on for sharing access to Wi-Fi. No discounts apply. Uses data allowance within your base service plan. Connectivity dependent upon compatibility. Other Terms: Coverage is not available everywhere. The Nationwide Sprint Network reaches over 275 million people. The Sprint 4G Network reaches over 50 markets and counting, on select devices. The Sprint 3G Network reaches over 266 million people. See sprint.com for details. Not all services are available on 4G, and coverage may default to 3G/separate network where 4G is unavailable. Offers not available in all markets/retail locations or for all phones/networks. Pricing, offer terms, fees and features may vary for existing customers not eligible for upgrade. Other restrictions apply. See store or sprint.com for details. ©2010 Sprint. Sprint worldmags and the logo are trademarks of Sprint. Android, Google, the Google logo and Google Search are trademarks of Google Inc. Other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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WEBSITE

TO WATCH

Organized chaos

Gist offers business users the chance to find a new social media order

ORGANIZE

CONTEXTUALIZE

PERSONALIZE

Gist integrates with each user’s preferred messaging platforms (including Outlook and Gmail) and business software tools (e.g., Lotus Notes and Salesforce.com), and even extends from the desktop to smartphones like Apple’s iPhone and devices running Google’s Android. Once all relevant information is aggregated into a single access point, Gist leverages more than 60,000 news sources, 20 million blogs and content feeds from social networks like Twitter and Facebook to constantly update users on their contacts’ professional and personal progress. “We connect you to all the places where your contacts live,” McCann says, adding that Gist also ranks and organizes relationships, applying multiple metrics and user behaviors to establish the relative strength and importance of each connection.

Gist now boasts more than 100 million “social business” profiles—but it only assembles and supplies information. It’s up to you to decide what you do with it. Savvy users can catch up on the latest company news before a meeting and track subsequent moves to identify follow-up opportunities. Gist also uncovers points of interest, targeting potential icebreakers and conversation starters. The service is free for now, but future upgrades will introduce premium features that bring in information from paid databases like Hoovers. “You can see exactly what your contacts care about at this moment and contextualize that information to help secure their business,” McCann says. “It’s about building relationships—and isn’t that what business is all about?”—JASON ANKENY

PHOTO© JEF F CLARK

Are you buried under a landslide of e-mail, status updates, blog entries and tweets? Help is on the way. Gist.com creates customized social networks for business users, aggregating contacts from across multiple inboxes, address books and social media websites to build integrated profiles that keep you abreast of all that’s going on with your colleagues, clients and collaborators. And Gist does it all automatically, sans invitations or friend requests. “So many people complain about their inboxes—the amount of messages they receive is overwhelming, and it’s difficult to get the information they want,” says T.A. McCann, Gist CEO and a former Microsoft exec, who founded the Seattle-based startup in 2008. “We built a system to help you understand who you’re communicating with.”

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Intuit QuickBooks. The simpler way to know exactly where your business stands. It keeps your books, crunches the numbers and helps you plan ahead. We do the legwork so you can do what you love. intuit.com

Support plans vary; fees may apply. See quickbooks.com/support for details.

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CROWDSPRING.COM: This online marketplace for creative services allows users to post the parameters off their design or writing project and name the price they want to pay. Creatives then work on spec, submitting their ideas, and the user chooses the one he or she likes best. Any agreed-upon fees are paid upfront along with a $39 posting fee and a 15 percent commission. LEADVINE.COM: Companies can n post the types off sales leads they’re seeking (e.g., a tech-sectorr publicc relations consultantt can n requestt leads forr prospects who meett certain n criteria). Afterr a transaction closes, users payy theirr stated d referral fee to the person n who provided d the lead. CHAORDIX.COM: A spinofff of tech crowdsourcing leader Cambrian House, this platform connects business with consumers, employees, partners or other resources. Need new product ideas? Done. Unsure about that marketing concept? Use their crowds to test it. Looking for funding? You might find sources here. Usage fees are based on a subscription model, which includes the planning and management off your own community. They start around $1,200 and go up from there, depending on how large and complex your project is.

How can crowdsourcingg work for yyour business? A look at some online resources that stand out from the crowd.

I

n 2006, writer Jefff Howe coined the term “crowdsourcing” to mean replacing an employee’s efforts with the contributions off a crowd off people. Since then, crowdsourcing has helped companies improve products and develop creative concepts. BP even tried it in an attempt to find solutions in this spring’s disastrous Gulff Coast oil spill. “Crowdsourcing was typically for the generation off content or concept, but now we see it used in many ways,” says Michael Michalowicz, founder of Obsidian Launch, a Boonton, N.J.-based small-business consultancy that uses crowdsourcing to launch ventures. Small businesses can turn to crowds to help develop ideas for products, for product testing and feedback and to find providers off various services, to name a few. But where do you find them? A cottage industry off crowdsourcing businesses has sprung up to provide crowd resources for a variety off applications. Here’s a look at some off the best.

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You need to be comfortable releasing information aboutt your company, strategies and goals to these crowds, which means competitors could gett access to thatt intel. “You need to trustt your instincts [aboutt whatt to share],” Michalowicz says, “butt the power off crowds is something thatt mostt small businesses can use.” —GWEN MORAN

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ MBBIRDY

mob scene

PONOKO.COM: Here, a crowd d of designers, craftspeople and d others can make you u a prototype orr sample. Just describe whatt you u wantt created d and d say how w much h you’re willingg to payy forr it. Designers will respond d with h sketches and, iff necessary, revised d pricing g (especiallyy if the fee you u named d was too low). Designers are paid d directlyy while Pokono is paid forr the creation n off the item(s).

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Intuit Payroll. The simpler way to get everyone paid. Run paychecks and calculate payroll taxes, effortlessly. We do the legwork so you can do what you love. intuit.com

The inside scoop Save time and money y on your y next website by first answering the who, what, when, where and why off your project

B

efore you hire a web programmer, graphic designer or agencyy to build your website, assume the persona off an investigative journalistt and gather information critical to the success off your project. The bestt reporters know w thatt the mostt importantt building block off anyy factual news story is the use off the five Ws. Taking time to uncover the who, what, when, where and why y off your web projectt saves you and your company y time, money y and, perhaps, even unnecessaryy heartache. Startt byy identifying who is involved d in n the website’s developmentt and d to whatt extentt each h person’s participation n is required. Typical website projects rarelyy involve justt one orr two people. From m writingg copy, snapping photos, configuring g servers, securingg domain n names and communicating g the site’s launch h plan, plenty y off people in n yourr organization n playy a role in n the project’s success. Identify y everyone beforehand, clearlyy communicate expectations and d gett the supportt you u need d earlyy and d often. Determine whatt is being done. A clearly y written requestt for proposal thatt outlines all areas off the site, how w they y work and to whatt end they y serve provides focus and gets everyone involved on the same page before even one line off code is written. Off course, nothing associated with your website project is likely to happen unless you first identify milestones for when everything must be completed. Creating and communicating a detailed schedule keeps everyone on track and accountable and ensures a timely launch. Beware, though: As with home improvement projects, delays will occur. Expect the initial schedule to slip by as much as 20 percent because off competing resources and unexpected interruptions and setbacks. Where your site is built can have major ramifications on schedule and workflow. For example, iff you choose to offshore the project, responses to requests for modifications or updates may be delayed. And the added cost off inconsistent communication may mean you’d be better offf working with someone closer to home. Why is perhaps most important. A clear and compelling business case must drive the project. A website directly related to the company’s mission and bottom line always stands a better chance off success than sites built simply because someone determines it’s a modern-day business necessity. —MIKAL E. BELICOVE MIKAL E. BELICOVE IS A MARKET POSITIONING, SOCIAL MEDIA AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT SPECIALIZING IN WEBSITE USABILITY AND BUSINESS BLOGGING. HIS LATEST BOOK, THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO FACEBOOK, IS NOW AVAILABLE AT BOOKSTORES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT MIKALBELICOVE.COM.

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BUILD A

WEBSITE

HOW TO BE LIKED

Y

ou see your Facebook friends using the ubiquitous “Like” button to share everything from news stories to blogs. How can you get them to Like your website, too? It’s pretty simple. Facebook provides the code you need for the button at developers.facebook. com. Add the code to your website and modify it as directed, indicating the destination for the button (or, have your programmer do so). Any time a Facebook user clicks the Like button, your site will appear in the News Feeds of that user’s friends, along with a link to your site, allowing you to share your content with a wider audience. — G.W.

PHOTO© ISTOCKPH OTO.COM/KPARIS

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FAST INTERNET MAKES OUR BUSINESS FASTER Catch us if you can

With Comcast Business Class, we get reliable Internet that’s up to 33 times faster than DSL and a T1 line. We have phone service that’s rated #1 in call clarity and our own dedicated local account team that provides support 24/7. Now we’re not a small business, we’re a fast business.

800-391-3000 | business.comcast.com Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Speed comparison between Comcast Business Class Deluxe 50 Mbps Internet service and standard 1.5 Mbps DSL and T1 service (downloads only). Actual speeds vary and are not guaranteed. Call for details. Call clarity claim based on Keynote independent study dated November 2008, Wave 6 study. Comcast © 2010. All rights reserved. worldmags

SM

WE’LL CUSTOMIZE THE RIGHT PLAN FOR YOU

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YELLOWBOOK DIRECTORY The go-to source for local businesses

YELLOWBOOK.COM Advertise online where millions search

SOCIAL MEDIA See what your customers are saying

DIRECT MARKETING Customize the message for your target

Hit the links

Create a link-building campaign for your business and watch your traffic soar

WEBSITE PACKAGES Build a website and have it seen

SEARCH MARKETING Advertise on major search engines

METRICS REPORTS Track your performance with data

www.yellowbook360.com 1.800.YB.YELLOW © 2010 Yellow Book USA, Inc. All rights reserved. Yellowbook® is a registered trademark and Yellowbook360SM and Beyond YellowSM are service marks of Yellow Book USA, Inc. 54 Entrepreneur

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f you’ve ever received a spam-like request to exchange website links from a company or individual unrelated to anything your business does, you may think that link-building campaigns are scams. Not so, says SEO consultant Justilien Gaspard, who specializes in building custom link marketing campaigns for small to mid-sized businesses. Link-building campaigns can boost search engine rankings and increase traffic, he says. The key is to have a strategy for building the link collection. “When a business works with a company that doesn’t have a custom focus in link-building, they’re not going to be effective. The links they generate will be the same links that their competitors have,” Gaspard says. He offers these tips to create an effective link-building campaign: LiNk with oLdeR sites. When sites are established and have been around awhile, their links are valued more by search engine algorithms. Look foR hiGh tRaffic. “Pretend search engines don’t exist and you’re trying to get just raw traffic to your site. Where would you get the links from?” he says. “Those tend to be the links that search engines are going to trust the most.” fiNd a “ReaL” PeRsoN—aNd seLL yoURseLf. Contact the company and find out the names of

the people who work on the website. Write a thoughtful correspondence about the benefits of a link exchange. Use PR tactics. You can offer to guest blog for a high-profile site, submit content to a website, or use more-traditional publicity tactics to get your name out there and generate a link back to your site. Gaspard advises his clients to think about the various sites and affiliations that make sense for their businesses and create a wish list of links. Then, begin targeting them thoughtfully and regularly for best results. —G.M.

Photo© istockPh oto.coM/doMin_doMin

EXPERT ADVICE Consult with those in-the-know

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worldmags

THIS IS WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE FOR BELLA ITALIA. Yellowbook used a full spectrum of marketing tools to find the right solution for Bella Italia. Our marketing consultant assessed their business fully, then created a website with a strong search engine presence, print, online, and video ads, and provided transparent reporting to track the campaign’s success. To discover all the colorful new tools from Yellowbook, visit yellowbook360.com.

YELLOWBOOK DIRECTORY

YELLOWBOOK .COM

SOCIAL MEDIA

DIRECT MARKETING

EXPERT ADVICE

WEBSITE PACKAGES

SEARCH MARKETING

METRICS REPORTS

© 2010 Yellow Book USA, Inc. All rights reserved. Yellowbook® is a registered trademark and Yellowbook360SM and Beyond YellowSM are service marks of Yellow Book USA, Inc.

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TEARING DOW

/

BY PH JAS O O DA TO N D GR AL VI D JO APH EY HN Y B SO Y N

HO EV W S W ERY OC E D T IA O HIN L M BU G ED SIN AB IA ES OU IS S T T CH HE AN WA GIN Y G

THE WALLS

Y

ou may or may not work in a cube farm, but chances are you live in a silo. That’s geek speak for the parts off our businesses and personal lives that are walled offf from one another, intentionally or not—the marketing department exists in a separate silo from the product development team, which is isolated from the executive floor. Clients and their valuable opinions are walled offf within customer service. We’ve become great at collecting information. But when it comes to sharing, the walls are still pretty thick. Entrepreneur

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hatever you think about the currentt iteration off social media—whether you consider itt a time suck, a marketing fad or the second coming— it’s impossible to denyy thatt itt has begun breaking down the silos for businesses thatt have adopted it. Social media allows companies and their clients to communicate directlyy and frequently, forming strong relationships and even allowing them to collaborate on projects. Businesses adoptt social applications and see itt topple walls within traditional managementt structures. Up until now, social media has been optional for businesses. But Charlene Li, one off the world’s leading thinkers on social media and co-founder of the Altimeter Group, a research-based advisory firm in San Mateo, Calif., predicts that companies that do not get on the social media bandwagon soon—within three to five years—will not survive. It’s not an overstatement to say social media is transforming every aspect off business. We aren’t talking about a moldy Facebook page updated once a month or sporadic tweets. The change is nothing less than the brink off a new social media ecosystem: one where every corner off an organization is in continuous collaboration and where customers are instantly part off that conversation. In many ways, it’s the destiny off the digital age. Tim Berners-Lee, the MIT professor who created the World Wide Web at CERN laboratory in Switzerland in 1990, always believed the Internet would be more about connecting people and less about housing data. “The Web is more a social creation than a technical one. I designed it for a social effect—to help people work together—and not as a technical toy,” he wrote in his 1999 memoir, Weaving g the Web. It is only recently—with Web 2.0 and its more cautious, business-minded cousin Enterprise 2.0—that BernersLee’s vision off the web as a social, collaborative medium is shaping. As usual when it comes to technology, business is running a couple off years behind the culture at large. Facebook has been around long enough to enter the dictionary as a verb and inspire a Hollywood film, but the business appetite for social media is just warming up.

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4FOOD’S ADAM KIDRON: HAMBURGER MEETS SOCIAL MEDIA.

According to a University off Maryland Smith School off Business poll, in 2009 the percentage off small businesses using social media doubled to 24 percent from 12 percent. It’s likely that the number will double again for 2010. Peter Kim, North American managing director for Dachis Group in Austin, Texas, which helps businesses design their social business strategy, says the coming year is when businesses will truly begin to harness the potential of social applications. “These technologies are beyond the initial hype stage,” he says. “We’ve

had everyone from Fortune 100 companies all the way to small and medium businesses calling us. We started to see an uptick last December as companies began pulling out off the recession. Now as they’re budgeting their social initiatives for 2011, it has the potential to be twice as big.”

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lready, there have been social media marketing homeruns, like the viral videos for Old Spice body wash. Or the Naked Pizza franchise, which derives 20 percent of its sales

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from tweeting. Or Blendtec’s “Will It Blend?” comic videos, showing a “scientist” destroying everything from iPads to BlackBerrys in the company’s high-powered blenders, which have pushed sales up 700 percent. Or Burger King, whose Subservient Chicken and Whopper Sacrifice Facebook application have made the fast-food chain a social media gold standard. For the mostt part, that’s all slick marketing. We have yett to reallyy see how w social media will reshape business—butt we are starting to gett glimpses off thatt future. Adam Kidron, for example, says his Manhattan burger joint, 4food, would nott existt withoutt social media. The health-conscious eatery, which opened in September, is based on customization: The center off the burger is popped outt like a doughnutt hole and customers choose from a varietyy of “scoops” to plug the divott (from cheddar grits to veggie sushi). “Consumers are increasinglyy sophisticated and have veryy diverse palates,” says Kidron, who plans to open 11 more stores in the New w York area before expanding throughoutt the northeast. “We asked ourselves was there a way off creating a better productt thatt was more customizable to the consumer’s taste? Once we’d gone down thatt path, all the social media aspects came in. Iff a consumer creates a new w product, itt has to be saved in a database. Itt has to have a new w name. Then we have to figure out how w to sell itt to other consumers. Really, social media is partt off the fundamentals off the product.” In fact, Kidron and his team have a cradle-to-grave social media strategy for the 4food burger. After customers design a sandwich on one off the iPads placed around the restaurant or on their home computers, they then name their burger and save it in 4food’s custom point-of-service database. If they liked the burger, they can post their creation directly to Twitter or Facebook. Iff they really like their burger, they can create a YouTube commercial, which will display on a 240-square-foot video wall in the store, along with Twitter feeds and other social data. Iff another customer buys their Hawaiian Gorgonzola Explosion or Edamame Stuffed Tsunami, the creator gets a 25-cent credit in 60 Entrepreneur

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their 4food account. 4food’s conceptt mayy seem gimmicky, until you consider Burger King’s “Have itt your way” promise to customers, allowing them to customize a burger from a limited listt off tomato, lettuce and condiments. Social media technology y has helped 4food cater to a range of tastes thatt would be unfathomable in a traditional restaurant. “The idea thatt social media is some kind off fad is ridiculous,” Kidron says. “It’s how w we communicate. New w companies will have social media in their DNA. Some will do itt badly, some will nott be quite right, and some will change the wayy things are done. The mostt importantt thing is to make sure thatt social media has a unique purpose and is not justt an adjunctt or gimmick.”

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uilding a new enterprise from the ground up using social media is much simpler than retrofitting it into a longestablished business culture. “I think what will happen, as companies get increasingly social, structural stuff will have to change. Older companies’ silos haven’t changed for a long time,” says Maggie Fox, CEO and founder off Social Media Group in Toronto, a

full-service social media agency, which has led some off the world’s largest businesses into the social media world. “At the C-level management, they have to plan and understand how it will reshape their business and change their management efforts.” Surprisingly, some off the largest businesses in the world have been quick to adopt social media. After a miserable 2005 and 2006, when bloggers coined the term “Dell Hell” in regard to quality-control issues and videos off self-immolating laptops made the rounds on YouTube, Dell computers began to reach out to consumers on the web. After initially causing an Internet uproar by saying that Dell did not respond to bloggers, the company reversed course. It began its Direct2Dell blog, which gave a human voice to the company, and it even sent out technicians to solve the problems off the most irate bloggers. Dell now is a model off customer engagement. It closely monitors discussions on technology forums and LinkedIn and steps into the conversation to answer questions. Its IdeaStorm website has generated more than 420 customer ideas that have been implemented. Developers of their Dell Mini notebook even fielded design ideas from interested consumers through IdeaStorm and a dedicated Twitter account. Starbucks has earned kudos for a similar program. The MyStarbucksIdea blog connects 50 representatives from around the company with consumers who submit suggestions for improvements. The reps review the ideas, and the best make it into the store, like the Venti-sized travel mug and reusable rubber cup sleeve. Starbucks tries to keep a unified voice and has only one official Twitter account, which it uses to answer questions from 1 million followers in real time. One reason social media has permeated these companies is that employees, and not necessarily IT departments, are powering the agenda. “Social media is driven primarily by a Gen Y tech perspective—if employees don’t find tools to do their jobs at work, they’ll bring them in from the outside,” Fox says. “IT needs to be more nimble and learn to leverage that behavior.”

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SMALL BUSINESS

Let’s say you need to print something. And not just any something. Something important. A bound, double-sided color presentation that will blow a client away. Not a problem. Come in or upload your documents. You can select your binding, your paper stock, how it looks, everything. When you think printing, think The UPS Store . It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s logistics. theupsstore.com/print ®

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German n business softwaree company SAP, onee off thee largestt softwaree companies in n thee world, followed d thatt bottom-up approach h with h greatt success. Its SAP P Community y Network, which h has moree than n2 million n members, is onee off thee corporate world’s mostt robustt and d has been n operating g sincee 2003. Moree than n 5,000 members, including g customers, partners and outsidee developers, blogg on n thee network, creating g a hugee databasee off feedback k for thee company. Seven n hundred d otherr members moderatee tech-focused d conversation threads, coveringg topics from m scripting languages to sustainability. A constant flow w off webinars and d e-learningg materials keeps everyonee in n thee community y up to date. Nott onlyy is thee network k a valuable resourcee forr thee companies, clients and thousands off employees, it’s created d an extended d culture. “People are more passionate about working with SAP. We’ve created a community y off enthusiasts,” says Gail Moody-Byrd, senior director, marketing for SAP community y networks. “And it’s given us the ability y to upsell and crosssell existing customers.” Now the company is stepping in with a small amount off governance for the blooming network, and it also has created an office to help codify the lessons learned from its experience. The idea at this point is not to keep growing the network but to get more community members to engage. Membership numbers aren’t the true measure off a social network, MoodyByrd says, but the number off people who actively contribute. Not only can SAP employees now keep tabs on what other divisions are doing, they also can collaborate on ideas with customers and colleagues through forums and blogs. Internally, SAP uses social networking software to create intranets. Social media integration will be featured in its business products. No part off the company has been untouched. The bottom line: The network has created clientt loyalty y to the SAP brand, and itt also has helped the company generate narrowlyy targeted leads for productt sales, with record results. “Itt used to be organizations could create a brochure and push itt outt and hope people would visitt the website and click and register and then thatt would be followed up byy a salesperson,” Moody62 Entrepreneur

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Byrd says. “Now w we’re unbundling the brochure. Thatt changes the role of marketer from creator to conductor.”

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erhaps the greatestt hesitancy aboutt social media, the one that prevents manyy companies from embracing it, is the fear thatt the technology y will morph overnight—that a new w Twitter will take off, or Facebook will be abandoned for something new. Aaron Strout, CMO off Powered, a social media agency y in Austin, Texas, says the general outline off social media has been drawn butt thatt social media will develop a more open architecture. Instead off having your profile locked into Facebook, an open system would actt more like e-mail, where users own their profiles in the wayy they y own their e-mail addresses and can use them in whatever networks they y choose. He

predicts thatt in the nextt few w years, systems can verify y users’ real-life identities, bolstering confidence in social networks. “There’s so much information out there right now, and no one really knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff,” Strout says. “This does take a leap off faith, especially when lots off CEOs, CTOs and CFOs are not even sold on social media yet.” The tools may come and go, but the concept is so basic, it’s almost hard to imagine the digital world heading in any other direction. As Kim off Dachis Group says, “Being social is fundamental to the nature off human beings. We want to use whatever channels we have to communicate, whether it’s smoke signals or the net.” JASON DALEY IS A FREELANCE WRITER IN MADISON, WIS.

BEYOND FACEBOOK AND LINKEDIN Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the major arteries of the social media world, but there are few options for customizing or managing the massive applications. Literally hundreds of developers have stepped in to help users optimize and keep tabs on their social media investment. Here are some of our favorite tools for transforming your social network from a frustrating black box to an open book. —J.D. HootSuite: This social media dashboard lets you coordinate and keep track of company-wide tweets, monitor mentions of your brand or company on almost any social networking platform and even reports the results of your efforts in real time. HootSuite is free, but HootSuite Pro, which lets you manage unlimited accounts, costs $5.99 per month. hootsuite.com CubeTree: This tool allows you to create a social network within your business. Employees can collaborate on wikis, create polls, monitor status updates and collaborate and comment on social documents. CubeTree is free, though an enterprise service allows 1GB of storage per user and costs $5 per month. cubetree.com CoTweet: This stand-alone application coordinates a team of tweeters writing on one corporate account. Essential for companies that want to speak with a unified voice through a single Twitter handle or companies that want 24/7 social media engagement. Free. cotweet.com UserVoice: This application allows businesses to post customer feedback and ideas on their websites. Other visitors are then allowed to vote the comments and ideas up or down, and site managers are able to reply directly to customer problems. Basic package is free. uservoice.com

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2011 trends

From crowdsourced shopping to mancessories (think bacon-flavored toothpicks) to new ways to get green:

the

THE 10 TRENDS that will define opportunity next year

DIS RUPTERS JENNIFER WANG AND KARA OHNGREN

On the verge A burst of creativity ahead

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ard to believe , but according to the learned folks at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the economy’s been in recovery since June 2009. Unfortunately, a big reason for the stagnation so far has been, well, you. Tons of people—71 percent, says a recent survey by Discover Small Business Watch—are waiting for economic 64 Entrepreneur

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indicators to rise before they’re willing to hire and spend. But waiting around is ill-advised, maintains Eric Jackson, innovation specialist and VP of research and development at Gap International, a global management consulting firm in Philadelphia. “The world is screaming for innovation, and companies can capitalize on the resources they already have to spark the next possibilities.” Which brings us to some good news: Some of you are already on it. Resource constraints are stimulating great business practices, and the survival rate of new ventures in some sectors is on the upswing. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) found that a mere 1.4 percent of minority-owned businesses closed down last year, compared with

2.9 percent in 2008; and Sageworks, a North Carolina-based research firm, says that small-business profit margins are at a five-year high (6.2 percent on every dollar of sales) because of savvy cost-cutting practices. Hiring may have stalled, but guess who’ll be first in line to scoop up new employees when revenues pick up. So forget about the dire predictions about double-dip recession, dismal unemployment and the drop-offs in entrepreneurial activity in favor of this idea: Since the financial crisis laid waste to business as usual, the world is brimming with potential. The economic future will be populated by the movers and shakers, who even now are poised for greatness. Just ask Socrates, who doled out this gem more than two millennia ago: “Let him that would move the world, first move himself.” —J.W.

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Is It’s It boomers (again!)

They age. Opportunities bloom.

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hine all you want, Gen Y, butt boomers are aboutt to steal your spotlight. The 76 million-strong demographic is making headlines for providing a slew w off market opportunities such as construction services thatt make homes more senior-friendly; supermarkets with lower shelves and wheelchair-compatible shopping carts; and sales and tech supportt byy phone for seniors, byy seniors. Would-bee retirees aree taking g overr the workforce, too. A recentt studyy byy thee Center forr Work-Lifee Policyy found d thatt 62 percentt of working g boomers expectt to stayy in n thee labor forcee forr att leastt ninee moree years, and d thatt by 2020, 80 percentt off North h American-born workers willl bee olderr than n 50. Somee experts even n expectt a boom m in n entrepreneurship as healthcaree reform m takes effect. “Whatt this means is that boomers will have a lot off power,” says Stephen Sweet, a lead researcher at Boston College’s Sloan Center on Aging and Work. As boomers age toward retirement, employers will have to consider alternative work arrangements and other ways to accommodate them. The impending takeover is “on everyone’s radar,” he says. Besides, thesee days, beingg old d doesn’t automatically y mean n you u losee cooll points. Last fall, American n Universityy offered d a class on boomers, completee with h a festivall showing movies like Thee Graduatee and Thee Bigg Chill. And d as prooff thatt itt takes moree than n sunshine and d souped-up golff carts to keep retirees happy, Floridaa took k onlyy onee spott in n a recent CNN N listt off Top 25 bestt places to retire. (The top threee weree universityy towns in n North Carolina, New w Hampshiree and d Kentucky.) And the clincher: Hollywood got in on the cool retirees movement with the fall action flick RED, which stars Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman as four retired and extremely dangerous (RED, get it?) exCIA agents—think The Bourne Identity, but funny, and with old people. “Old man, my ass,” Malkovich’s character smirks in one scene, right after taking out a rocket with a single bullet. —J.W.

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Get packing Travel and tourism take off

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ohn D. Rockefeller once declared, “Iff you want to succeed, you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths off accepted success.” Given the flagging rate off economic recovery, perhaps Americans have taken his advice to heart—literally. A plethora off industry reports indicates that travel and tourism are back, and, by the end off 2011, will be better than ever. Revenue is expected to reach nearly $1.4 trillion, a record, says Toon van Beeck, senior analyst at research firm IBISWorld. This means the opportunity in the sector will be “the biggest it has ever been.” No kidding. Just consider this set off glowing forecasts for 2011: International trips will jump 5.5 percent, to 94.7 million; domestic trips will rise 1.2 percent, to 627.4 million; hotel revenues will go up by 4.4 percent, to $114.8 billion; travel agencies will bring in 3.3 percent more revenue, making the total $12 billion; tour operator revenue will grow 5 percent, to $3.7 billion; and even the RV parks and campgrounds industry will experience a 1.5 percent revenue increase, to $4.5 billion. That’s only part off it. As the industry increasingly shifts online, opportunities are emerging. The app market, for instance, has swelled from virtually nothing to billions off dollars in just a few years, and smartphone owners are loving their access to a gaggle off Wi-Fi finders, flight status updaters, local restaurant finders, budget booking assistants, translators and more. Websites offering unique travel-oriented services have made a strong showing, too. They include Wanderfly, a personalized travel recommendation travel engine à la Hunch and Pandora; and Dopplr, a site that allows travelers to share their itineraries and get travel advice within their networks. “This [area] will continue to grow, improving the efficiency off the overall industry and increasing demand for travel,” Van Beeck says. “It will be a good time for new players.” Clearly, Rockefeller was onto something. —J.W. Entrepreneur

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2011 trends

Vital

signs Healthcare’s new life

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early halff off all Americans are now members off at least one social network and spending more money while they’re at it, double from just two years ago. Research shows that social media users spend, on average, one and a halff times more time online than the typical web surfer. In fact, heavy Facebook users spent an average off $67 online during the first quarter off the year—compared with less than $50 for the general netizen, according to recent comScore research. E-commerce has gone social. Gone are the days off one-way, private online shopping. The firstt to reallyy socialize were online flash sale sites, where steep discounts are offered to members for a limited time. Sites like Giltt Groupe, HauteLook, Rue La La and DailyCandy’s Swirl mimic designer sample sales, offering luxury y fashion for a fraction off the price. These sites relyy heavilyy on online conversations to drive sales. Smartlyy so, because a recentt MediaPost studyy revealed thatt 59 percentt off consumers rated “personal advice from friends” as the most influential source off information for their purchase decisions, and 51 percentt off Twitter users reported they y follow w companies, brands or products on social networks. Also going social are collective buying sites—like Groupon and LivingSocial—which are appearing in most urban areas. Each day members are e-mailed a discount offered by a local business. These sites have integrated tools that allow users to easily share deals and recommendations and plan activities with friends on Facebook and Twitter. Companies no longer have total control over their brand’s message. That responsibility now falls in the hands off the social web with a recent surge off consumer product review sites like ThisNext, Viewpoints and Milo. Social shopping startups continue to pop up all the time. One is Swipely.com, which “turns purchases into conversations.” When users swipe their credit or debit card, the transaction shows up on the site—for the community to discuss, off course. —K.O.

Home sweet home Repairs to renovations, wallets open

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s homeowners begin to take care off those leaky roofs and unfinished kitchen remodeling projects put offf during the recession, the home improvement sector is offf and running. It’s already been a good year—up 5 percent from 2009. The value off homeowner improvements is on track to top $117.6 billion in 2010 and $133.7 billion in 2011, according to IBISWorld. Retrofitting existing homes to meet energy-efficient standards should be a boon to business, too. What’s more, the aging population’s desire to “age in place” is fueling an uptick in universal design. More boomers are bypassing assisted living facilities—for their parents and themselves—and renovating their homes to be tastefully functional and accessible. So let the hammering begin. —K.O.

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Click. Chat. Buy.

shopping

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ropelled by recent legislative reform and the ever-aging population, the healthcare industry has never been sprier. Just take a look at the numbers. Healthcare and social assistance had second-quarter revenue of $459.8 billion, up 2.3 percent from the same time last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In fact, 10 off the 20 fastestgrowing occupations are healthcare-related, and the industry will generate 3.2 million new jobs between 2008 and 2018, more than any other industry, according to the U.S. Department off Labor. “With costs on the rise and access to the healthcare system expanded, the technology and services sectors are poised for growth,” says Bob Higgins, Harvard business professor and partner off Highland Capital Partners, a Boston venture capital firm partnering with healthcare entrepreneurs. “We’re aggressively seeking innovative IT solutions that improve quality while decreasing cost.” The home care industry, which employs 1.3 million people now, is expected to increase by a vibrant 50 percent over the next decade. And revenue is expected to surpass $72 billion in 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth is driven by graying boomers and hospitals’ recent push for shorter stays—“24 and out the door.” A lovely euphemism. —K.O.

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your daddy?

Micro green

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ustt outt thee recyclee bins and reusablee packaging. Iff you’ree not thinking g aboutt alll thee ways to go green, you’ree way y behind d the curve. Sure, clean-tech h has been n thee darling off the venture capital community forr a few w years now w (thee sectorr nabbed $424 billion n in n 2009 and d received 17 7 percentt off alll angell investmentt lastt year, up from m 8 percentt in n 2008)—butt something g farr moree relevantt is brewing g on n the ground d level. Namely, the other kind off green. Sustainable profitability y is the catchphrase these days, says Micah Kotch, director off operations off New w York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy. Since launching in Julyy 2009, NYC ACRE E has signed on 10 companies thatt have raised $8 million and created 60 new w jobs, and a few w off them are already y generating revenue. “The climate piece is secondary,” he says. “The bottom line drives business decisions, and the recentt rise off green business accelerators illustrates this phenomenon.” Best off all, plenty off clean-tech companies are trying to make money by saving other businesses money. ThinkEco, one off ACRE’s tenants, has devised an energy-efficiency “modlet” to regulate outlet power and shave as much as 20 percent offf energy bills (it should pay for itselff in six months). ClearEdge Power offers a fuel-cell powered energy system that benefits smaller commercial establishments (one hotelier has lowered utility costs by 25 percent, and carbon dioxide emissions by 36 percent). Even corporations and the governmentt are in on it. Chili’s restaurants, for instance, are installing LED lighting to save an estimated $3.7 7 million annually; and federal agencies will spend $19 billion byy 2015 on technologies like cloud computing and green hardware to reduce energyy consumption. “When things change, there are opportunities and investments to be made—and jobs created,” says Kotch, channeling his inner Captain Planet. Indeed, the power is totally y yours. —J.W.

The age of man

he “mancession” hit guy-dominated industries pretty hard, but the men’s lifestyle market is stronger than ever, bolstered by everything from bacon-flavored toothpicks and shape wear to streamline beer bellies and “moobs” to handmade machinist shirts and “men-only” RVs with an inflatable blowup doll (it comes standard, according to Trend Hunter online magazine). Dudes are really loving it. Online newsletters and websites like UrbanDaddy and Thrillist, which feature products and services that cater to this youngish, educated, more affluent demographic, are a hit with readers. UrbanDaddy is closing in on 2 million subscribers, and Thrillist is already at 2.25 million. Advertisers are equally charmed. “We should easily break $10 million in revenue by the end off the year,” says Thrillist co-founder Adam Rich. “Growth is actually accelerating—even female readership.” His theory is that a broader “man’s position” has become accepted, and guys want to embrace things that reflect more diverse interests—not just steak houses, Rich says, but also projects like the Urban Forest Map, which maps urban trees and their financial effect on water savings. The market opportunities are only going to increase with e-commerce sites like Etsy, which allow individuals to open businesses with very little overhead. “You used to need a big company to turn the ship, but now cottage craftspeople can see something that’d be cool to have and create it. Then, you’ve got sites like Thrillist to draw attention to the best off them. It’s very synergistic,” Rich says. So get ready: Mancessorizing is the wave off the future. —J.W.

PHOTO© VEER INC/CORB IS PH OTOGRAPH Y

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Energy efficient goes small

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Great expectations Craving affordable luxuries

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here’s no doubt that the recession has created a more selective, value-conscious consumer. And retailers, hungry for sales, have fostered that by conditioning shoppers to expect great products and services at reasonable prices. Those expectations will remain. Francisco Gimenez recognized shoppers’ desire for high-end beauty y att an affordable price when he launched his online salon-quality, at-home hair color business, eSalon. Every y order is custom-blended byy an expertt colorist, bottled att a Los Angeles color lab and then shipped directlyy to the client—all for only y $22. Larger corporations are capitalizing on the emergence of moderately priced luxury. Many budget hotels are pouring money into renovations and added amenities. Motel 6 recently hired a London-based design firm to help revamp many of its properties. It added crisp new linens, plasma-screen TVs, brightly colored walls and modern furniture. By the end of this year, Holiday Inn franchisees who haven’t signed on to a billion-dollar overhaul—which includes new signage, business traveler-friendly rooms, comfy bedding and ramped-up customer service—no longer will be able to use the hotel’s name. So far, the improvements seem to be working: Holiday Inn customer satisfaction is at its highest since 2005, a J.D. Power and Associates survey found in June. Super 8 and Red Roof Inn also have announced plans for sweeping upgrades. More fashion designers are now offering “bridge lines,” or lower-tier collections, for a fraction of the price. Vera Wang recently launched a line for Kohl’s called Simply Vera (nearly everything—including shoes—is less than $100). Isabel Toledo, Lela Rose and Projectt Runway winner Christian Siriano recently designed lines off shoes for Payless. German designer Jil Sander is set to launch a cheaper line, called Navy, early next year. Many premium wine brands are also offering value options. Napa Valley’s Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines has had—and continues to have— great success in the high-end market with offerings from Napa Valley wineries like Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards. But seeing a demand for a lower-cost option, the company recently released a youthful, high-quality line off $7 to $10 wines called Wily Jack. A grateful nation off burgeoning oenophiles says, “Salud!” —K.O.

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Let’s get physical Fitness flexes market muscle

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eah, you’ree busierr than n ever. Yeah, yourr moneyy is tighterr than ever. But, no, it’s nott stoppingg you u from m staying g in n shape. Or att leastt tryingg to. Thesee days, moree and d moree folks aree pursuing g easy, inexpensivee ways to work k out—and, in n thee process, they’ree powering g a boom m in n thee fitness sector. The stats are impressive. Fitness clubs and health stores are now a $41.4 billion industry—muscling up $1 billion from a year ago. Gym memberships have increased steadilyy throughoutt the recession—off the 45.3 million health club members, more than 10 million off them joined in 2009, according to the International Health, Racquett & Sportsclub Association. Fitness buffs are turning to programs and products that can be used anywhere, anytime. Clubs like Anytime Fitness are offering members low-cost dues ($25 to $35 a month) and anytime key access. Members get the benefits off a home gym without the sweaty companions. Small-group personal training will thrive in 2011, says Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise. When two to six people share one trainer, it can cut the price off a session by a third. As people continue to spend cautiously, working out at home becomes more popular, too. The quality and variety off options has improved greatly in recent years, he says. “As Seen on TV” products are leading this explosion—home fitness was the topselling infomercial category in 2010, according to InfoWorx, an infomercial production company in Boca Raton, Fla. And the recent onslaught off low-cost iPhone fitness apps like iFitness and iWeight Deluxe adds to the ease off staying healthy away from the gym. For those who simply can’t dedicate blocks off time for hitting the weights and those cardio machines, more companies are releasing products to help people, ah, squeeze a little fitness into everyday activity. Butt-sculpting shoes, anyone?—K.O.

o PHOTO© VEER INC/ IMAGE SOURCE PHOTOGRAPHY

2011 trends

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“Whilee most people migght see a sourr econnomy as a mounttainnous barrieer to succeess,, the true enttreppreneur sees thhe opportunnittiess, and naviggatees the passes throuugh to the otheer sidde. Eveen in economicc downturrns thosse witth vision, andd drivee, can thrivve.” —Peete terr She h a, a CEO EO, Entrrepreneuur Med edia, Innc.

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with Chris Brogan

The new attention deficit Exit the inbox,, turn offf the screen and silence the ringer. Machines are robbing you off your ability to focus.

T

V viewing is down. You’d think behavioral types would be cheering, butt they y know better. We dumped all that time into other screens: our phones and our laptops, mostly. We’re giving ourselves a new w version off attention-deficit disorder, one off our own device. A lott off this is stufff we fell into by habit. Here are some ways to balance.

Schedule your correspondence. We read e-mail as a steady drip throughout the day. Stop. Pick two or three 30-minute windows. Also do this: • Respond definitively. Save the nine-e-mail string and lay out a simple recommendation to get consensus. • Delete anything older than two weeks, or stufff it into a folder. You’re not going to reply. • Unsubscribe to newsletters you’re nott reading. You won’tt start. • Sett yourr computerr and d mobile devices to nott notify y you u when n mail arrives. 70 Entrepreneur

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Pick a task. The ability to use multiple open tabs in our web browser is both a useful thing and an opportunity to be distracted over and over. Try this: • Consider the value off the active web tabs you have open. Do you really want a reminder to revisit Facebook every 12 minutes? • Iff you get mail through a tab, close it. Open n itt onlyy during g scheduled d check-ins. • Iff you read Internet news sites, schedule it. Give yourselff a daily limit off 20 to 30 minutes. Don’t answer the p phone. Iff your phone were a debit card, it would be sucking your attention account dry. You do your business on the phone? Great. Set that thing to stun and let calls go to voicemail so you’re not at the mercy of other people’s whims. Also: • Iff you have a really smart phone,

Maintain human contact. When you’re with someone in person, work harder at not letting machines like your phone and your laptop distract you. This pays offf in huge dividends over time. Letting the phone go to voicemail (which, by the way, used to be the norm) goes far in showing your appreciation for the person in your presence. Do this: • Shut the lid. Or turn offf the monitor. Iff you have someone in your office for a meeting, make it absolutely a done deal that you won’t be distracted by the screen. • Don’t pick up. Few phone calls need to be answered right away. Even “emergencies” can be delayed by eight or nine minutes without a calamity. • Keep eye contact. The ability to actually be with someone is at a premium. Make it feel that way, and reap the rewards. Everyone is busy. Iff you think your busyness is some kind off prestige symbol, think again. Full attention is the new black. You’ll appreciate your new ability to focus, your new peace off mind, your new reputation as the person who is so there. And what will you do with all that time? My guess is that you’ll figure out your next move on your way to being much more successful, that’s what.

CHRIS BROGAN IS PRESIDENT OF HUMAN BUSINESS WORKS, A SMALL-BUSINESS EDUCATION AND GROWTH COMPANY, CO-AUTHOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING TRUST AGENTS AND AUTHOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA 101. HE BLOGS AT CHRISBROGAN.COM.

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ FERRANTRAITE

set calls from everyone but the people who’d likely call with an emergency to vibrate. • Practice leaving your phone in the glove box. You know, there was a time when we’d go to the grocery store and not be in touch for the whole 20 minutes. • Schedule calls for your drives (and, yes, use a hands-free setup). • When leaving voicemail, be brief. Leave your name and phone number up front, even iff the person knows you. Leave the most important info first so people can hang up earlier.

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Her grandparents got their energy from coal. Her parents get their energy from natural gas. Where will she get her energy from? The answer may very well come from Iowa. We’re leading the race to become the renewable energy capital of the nation, with our rich agricultural heritage and legacy of manufacturing excellence. Combine that with Iowa having the lowest cost of doing business in the United States* and it’s no wonder more alternative energy firms are moving here. See more of how Iowa’s economy is changing lives and renewable energy at

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changing *CNBC “Top States for Doing Business,” July, 2009.

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lead gen

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Engaging and acquiring customers is no longer as simple as using direct mail. Entrepreneur’s new lead generation columnist takes a look at what works now. 72 Entrepreneur

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PHOTO© iSTOCKPH OTO.COM/THESUPERPH

MANY ROADS LEAD TO LEADS

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probably take it. And iff they ask me to sign up for fare alerts, I just may be a few steps closer to doing so. A friend re-tweeted an invitation to a movie-themed event held at a local hotel here in Chicago, where location filming for Transformers 3 was recently completed. At the event, I was asked—along with maybe a thousand other people—to submit my business card, have my photo taken with Optimus Prime’s smaller brother, sample some brands off vodka and sign up to be notified when the movie opens. I did it in the spirit off fun and to get the photo, and I won’t be shocked to get an e-mail alert in 2011 for a movie that usually wouldn’t grab my interest. I might even go. I’m no car buff, but my serviceable subcompact is from the previous decade, so I’m in a sort off a pre-buying mode and noticing cars on the street more. I also noticed a TV commercial from Toyota’s Scion for a new online driving game, “Take on the Machine,” that uses augmented reality. I downloaded a printable steering wheel marker, pointed it at my webcam and drove a new tC coupe around a futuristic city for 15 to 20 minutes—weeks

before I’ll be able to do the same in a 3-D version. I also took note off a dealer locator feature on the game site. When the car hits the showrooms, I may very well check into a real-life test drive. And carmakers and dealers are happy to have someone like me thinking about their products when I’m poised to make a decision. I’ll be writing in more detail about generating leads in coming issues— about the tricks and traps in trying to reach out to consumers who don’t yet have a relationship with you. But the basic message is that in this age off conversational marketing, the path from lead to sale has gotten a lot longer and more complicated. The offers above aren’t as direct as a mail solicitation, or even an e-mail from a rented list. But they worked on me whereas those other efforts never do. Feel free to e-mail me at entmag @entrepreneur.com with your own stories off lead-gen offers that worked on you or worked for your business. But— no letters, please. —BRIAN QUINTON BRIAN QUINTON IS EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF CHIEF MARKETER MAGAZINE (CHIEFMARKETER.COM).

PHOTO© iSTOCKPHOTO.COM/ NEUSTOCKIMAGES

A

s someone who writes about marketing for a living, I have to come clean. I hate my mailbox. For one thing, it’s one off those apartment-style slots that fills up in two days, forcing me to impose on neighbors to tend it like a tank off tropical fish while I’m gone. But even more annoying is the stufff that fills the mailbox. Bills, off course, but also the most aggravating collection off direct mail offers and solicitations that I would never in my life succumb to. Whole, thick catalogs from companies vaguely affiliated with vendors I once bought from, years ago. Invites to subscribe to magazines at a “professional discount,” and appeals to renew before the subscriptions run out in a mere six months. And credit card offers. (Is anyone still rising to this bait?) The small stash off mail I’m interested in goes with me. The rest off the slurry is emptied into a shopping bag by the front door. And it’s always full. Basically, mail marketing leaves me cold. And iff we were still living in the age off McMahon and Tate (the ad agency in TV’s Bewitched, remember?), that would be an insurmountable obstacle. Luckily for you and every other business trying to reach new customers, the range off options for targeting me as a prospect today goes far beyond the mailbox. Here are a few off the offers I’ve responded to in recent months: I was in an airport lounge waiting for a flight and decided to use the GateGuru iPhone app to see what services were nearby. (OK, I was in the mood for one off those Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels.) I opened the app but got stopped by a roadblock in-app ad offering me a chance to check in at my location and, iff I was one off the top check-in leaders for that month, to win a $100 JetBlue gift card. I knew the chances off my winning were slim because I wasn’t planning much travel. But playing along beat sitting around and trying to ignore the CNN Airport Network. Iff I get another solicitation from JetBlue on my smartphone, I’ll

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Brought to you by

doing good The ggivingg spirit

worldmags 13,000: Number of trees planted in Tamil Nadu, India, thanks to Treetini sales $100,000: VeeV’s 2009 donation to the Sustainable Açai Project 60: Alcoholic proof of VeeV (vodka typically is 80-proof)

SUSTAINABILITY IS KIND OF LIKE WORKING OUT. IT DOESN’T MATTER [WHY YOU DO IT]. IT ALL GOES TOWARD THE GREATER GOOD.

From sustainable farming to reforestation,, VeeV is turningg happy pp hour ppy into a charitable act

C

76 Entrepreneur

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INNOVATIVE SPIRITS: COURTNEY, LEFT, AND CARTER REUM.

off thee Açaii berryy and d ensures thatt Brazilian n farmers aree paid d a living g wagee forr their region, doublingg thee standard d off thee equivalentt off 4 American n dollars perr day y to $8. In n addition, VeeV V employs approximately 100 peoplee in n Brazill to makee bracelets out off thee berryy seeds, which h aree used d as VeeV promotionall items and d sold d locally. The bars and restaurants pouring VeeV V wanted to be involved in the charitable component, too, Reum says. Thus was born the Treetini program. Bars and restaurants simply create their own versions off cocktails using VeeV, called Treetinis, and report to the company periodically how many were ordered. VeeV V makes a donation to plant one tree in flood-ravaged Tamil Nadu, India, per Treetini served.

When VeeV—derived from the French word vivre, which means “to live”—launched, the Reums sold it out off the back off their car. Soon, it caught on in a few markets in Los Angeles and New York. Within two years, it was in 20 markets and, during the past year, distribution has gone nationwide and annual sales now surpass $2 million. Reum, who calls himselff a “New Age tree-hugger,” says the brand’s commitment to giving back at every level is a way for people to feel good about their cocktail off choice. “Sustainability is kind off like working out,” he says. “It doesn’t matter whether you do it for heath, vanity or some combination off other reasons. It all goes toward the greater good.” —GWEN MORAN

PHOTO© JEFF CLARK

ourtney Reum ordered yet another vodka and soda and realized he was utterly bored with his drinking experience. The New York City investment banker had just helped complete the merger off two alcohol companies—Allied Domecq and Pernod Ricard—in 2005 and concluded during his due diligence research that the spirits space severely lacked innovation. “The Bacardis off the world launch a new flavor off Bacardi,” he says, “but they don’t tend to do things that are really outside the box—both as a product in the bottle and then as a company.” During a surfing trip to Brazil in 2003, Reum learned aboutt the burgeoning popularityy off the Açai berry, which, the company y says, has 57 7 percentt more antioxidants than its fellow w “super foods,” pomegranates and blueberries. So Reum and his brother, Carter, came up with creating “a better wayy to drink” which ultimately y became the tag line for VeeV, the Açai-flavored spiritt they launched in 2007. Though quick to say the company y makes no claims thatt VeeV is a health beverage, Reum adds, “We like to think off itt as the red wine equivalentt off hard alcohol.” The Reums believe in sustainability and charity, so for their U.S. operations, they y chose a distilleryy in eastern Idaho thatt uses wind energy, decreasing the electricity y needed to distill the spirit. Forr everyy bottlee sold, VeeV V donates $1 to retailerr Sambazon’s Sustainablee Açai Project, in n San n Clemente, Calif., which promotes sustainablee harvestingg practices

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OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The final installment in Entrepreneur’s three-part series on home office challenges and solutions explores the touchy topic of how to maintain professionalism when you bring clients into your home 78 Entrepreneur

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PHOTO© VEER INC/J OHNER PHOTOGRAPHY

BY JONATHAN BLUM

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I’m Melissa and I help kids choose between chips and an apple. I do health and wellness programs. With new PowerPoint® 2010 I add testimonial videos and edit them right in my presentations, which I’ve never been able to do before. It’s helped make them even more persuasive. Now if I could just get my son to HDWFDXOLÁRZHU

> See how you can make it great with QHZ2IÀFHDWRIÀFHFRP

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I

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A DEDICATED OFFICE SPACE.

The dining room may be your best bet, says Jennifer Coleman, principal at JKC Designs, a design firm in Rye, N.Y., with a practice in urban home office design. She suggests lining a wall with attractive, low lateral file drawers and topping them with a beautiful marble or stone. Don’t neglect finishing touches, she says, like decorative lamps from a better design shop such as Clifff Young Ltd. (cliffyoungltd.com). 80 Entrepreneur

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GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

If your home office just isn’t right for clients, consider using an out-of-home office rental for meetings. Regus (regus.com), which boasts 1,100 locations across 500 cities in 85 countries, rents offices from $199 a month and meeting rooms from $14 an hour. For more local flair, consider regional office rentals like Citizen Space in San Francisco (citizenspace.us) and Metro Offices in Washington, D.C. (metroffice .com). Also check whether innovation centers or business incubators in your area rent space on an occasional or hourly basis.

Also, there are many designers whose work can pull double duty. Check out Indiana Furniture (indianafurniture.com) and its line of Inspiration chairs and case goods that fit the two-for-one bill. On the high end, Halcon (halconcorp.com), which specializes in architecturally inspired office furnishings, recently unveiled Proximus, a new line that offers a legit working desk and cabinets that can pass in-home design muster. Finally, create—and use—a prep list for transforming your space to officeready when a client is on the way. IF YOU HAVE A DEDICATED SPACE.

Iff you’ve sett aside a room that’s all business, it’s bestt to avoid leading clients through the messyy family y room to get there. Iff possible, sett up shop in a room thatt has an outside entrance, even iff it means surrendering the formal living room or moving the family y room into the spare bedroom. Iff you can’tt do that, create a “business path” through your home to your home office. Once you have the right space and a feel for what you are trying to convey, fill the room with furniture that means business but still works in your home. Don’t be shy about economizing. Look for places like Rieke Office Interiors

(rieke.com) in the Chicago area, which carry a nice inventory off refurbished office furnishings. Whatever your budget, choose pieces that are serious but not boring and match the style off the rest of your house. Consider using so-called contract-grade fabrics and construction that look good but stand up to business traffic and abuse. Good options for commercial office furniture are the Jofco Merge line (jofco .com) and Paoli Furniture’s Ignite line (paoli.com) off modular desks, which can be small and have good veneer options. Also, Herman Miller (hermanmiller .com) is now w making chairs other than the ubiquitous Aeron; the Eames Soft Pad multipurpose chair is perfectt for half-home, half-business use. The goal is to find what fits your preferences, your industry and your sense of what will make your clients comfortable. “You know w your client,” says Mark Dutka, interior architectt att the San Francisco-based InHouse Design Studio. “Justt presentt yourselff in your home and putt your appropriate foott forward.” JONATHAN BLUM IS PRINCIPAL OF BLUMSDAY, A WEB-BASED DIGITAL CONTENT COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN TECHNOLOGY NEWS AND REVIEWS.

PHOTO© VEER INC/ PABLO SCAPINACH IS ARMSTRONG

nviting your business into your home is one thing. But inviting your business clients into your home? That’s something else altogether. “It’s an intensely personal choice whether to open your home to the stresses of business life,” says Claire Tamburro, a designer in Arlington, Va., who has a background in residential home offices. “There are design challenges, issues with friends and neighbors. It can be done, but it is a big step.” Are you comfortable letting those who pay you see where—and how— you live? Do you need a physical barrier between your professional and personal lives? An accountant who specializes in single-person operations might be perfectly comfortable sitting down with clients at her dining room table. A therapist might want to maintain a professional distance that precludes clients from feeling as if they’re friends being invited inside. There are veryy few w rights and wrongs here, butt there is one hard rule: No children within earshott or eyeshott when clients are around. The sounds off a sibling throwdown or a too-loud cartoon kills the professional atmosphere, as does pushing awayy family y clutter to make room for a client. Iff you don’tt have a dedicated home office space, withoutt question the children mustt vacate the premises before clients arrive. Iff you do have a separate office, either make sure it’s far from the familyy living spaces or add soundproofing to drown outt noises off domesticity. Here’s what our panel suggests about bringing your business into your home while still maintaining some boundaries between the two:

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HOW EASY IT IS =LYPJVU9LZV\YJLZ.SVIHS)HJRNYV\UK:VS\[PVUZ 9LHS.V;V4LL[PUN*\Z[VTLY

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money

WHO’S GOT

SOCIAL HEALTH: BRAD WEINBERG, LEFT, AND RAJIV KUMAR.

Prevention for the people A social network k thatt p promotes healthierr livingg through gh ggroup supportt and d motivation n attracts a $5 million n VC investment

A

s classmates att Brown Universityy Medical School in 2006, Rajivv Kumar and Brad Weinberg were bothered byy the emphasis on treating disease vs. promoting wellness. As doctors, they routinely encountered patients who struggled with lifestyle modifications like losing weight, quitting smoking and boosting physical activity.

82 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

But the patients who were successful typically used their social networks—both interpersonal and virtual—for motivation and moral support. The duo saw an opportunity. “There really was no initiative that was taking a broad focus on wellness and trying to scale a social approach to behavior change across a very large population,” Kumar says.

Their business plan won competitions thatt gave them enough seed moneyy to launch Shape Up the Nation in Providence, R.I. The site sells its services to insurance companies and large firms— typically those that self-insure—to motivate their employees to be healthier. Within the community, employees can challenge one another in areas such as weight loss and smoking cessation. Since the launch off the platform in 2007, more than 100 employer groups and health plan customers have signed up, including Cleveland Clinic, CVS Caremark and National Grid. Shape Up the Nation popped up on the radar off Cue Ball Capital, a Boston venture capital firm. The Cue Ball team liked that the company was at the intersection off two powerful trends: social networking and wellness. “Those twin macro dynamics off a digital nation that is almost consumed by social networking, combined with the need off business to find ways to improve the health and wellness of their employees in an effort to reduce overall healthcare costs, felt like two compelling drivers,” says Anthony Tjan, managing partner at Cue Ball. The fact that Kumar and Weinberg were physicians with backgrounds in economics made the deal more attractive. The firm teamed up with Excel Venture Management, another Boston VC firm, to provide $5 million in Series A funding that closed in August. Shape Up the Nation will use the money to expand the company and its technology infrastructure. Kumar says they will add to their 40-person team, expand the number off languages in which the platform is available and develop strategic partnerships with content entities to bring more tools and information to site users. “Our vision is that we can use this innovative approach to healthcare to unite the entire healthcare ecosystem,” Weinberg says. “It can become the central point where health plans, hospitals, pharmacies, other wellness companies, disease management companies, even consumer products companies are all coming together to reach the end user.” —GWEN MORAN

PHOTO© DAVID LANG

VC

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HE STARTED COVERING HIS PRETZELS WITH CAJUN SPICES. NOW THE HARTFORD IS COVERING HIS NEW DELIVERY TRUCKS. Sometimes one simple change opens a whole new world of opportunity. And seizing that moment might call for an investment in resources, from staff to trucks. The Hartford helps over a million business owners make the most of change, by covering business assets and helping employees prepare for their financial future. So go forward with confidence. Hear real stories from business owners like you at achievewhatsahead.com.

With The Hartford behind you, achieve what’s ahead of you.® © 2010 The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., Hartford, CT 06155. All rights reserved.

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money

Scams,, fakes and cheats

The National Retail Federation estimates that retail fraud cost the industryy $ $9.6 billion in 2009. Here’s how to keep your business from getting duped.

ABUSE OF PROMOTIONS

A

s the “new frugality” becomes a consumer trait, coupon fraud is getting worse. “The competitive landscape where retailers are offering deals to distinguish themselves has led to an increase in coupon usage, while any kid with 84 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

a scanner and color printer can create a replica with relative ease,” says Joe LaRocca, senior asset protection advisor at the National Retail Federation off Washington, D.C. Butt there are practices to keep fraudulentt coupons att bay:

Be unique. Incorporate special papers and embedding codes, use particular watermarks, or create other hard-to-replicate markings or features into your coupon, LaRocca says. Work with the agency, medium or printer producing your coupons to ensure you’re taking all security precautions. Be clear. Coupons should have clear expiration dates and disclaimers limiting their validity y with other offers or promotions. This prevents too deep a cutt into your margins. Develop a standard disclaimer thatt protects you and be sure to include itt on all off your price promotions. Changing or creating new disclaimers opens up an opportunity y for a provision to slip through the cracks. Be wary. Your stafff should be trained to spott coupon expiration dates and signs off duplication—such as fuzzyy print quality, smeared printing—or tampering. Iff coupons were printed in a specific medium, keep a copyy att the register and check the back off the version presented to be sure both sides match. Encourage stafff members to involve a manager, owner or supervisor iff there is anyy question aboutt a coupon’s validity. Be open (to a degree). For some, counterfeitt coupons are the price promotion equivalentt off the more, the merrier. Iff you don’tt care who uses your coupons, as long as a sale is made, you may y nott need to worryy aboutt preventing duplication, LaRocca says. Butt it’s still a good idea to limitt anyy coupon’s validity y to specific time periods in case you change your mind, he says. Coupon fraud mayy nott resultt in the deep losses thatt shoplifting and return fraud create, he says, butt itt can significantly y cutt into a small retailer’s profits. Be warned.

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ RICHVINTAGE

FROM COUNTERFEIT COUPONS TO BOGUS RETURNS, ATTEMPTS AT FRAUD CAN PUT A MAJOR DENT INTO A SMALL RETAILER’S PROFITS.

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ABUSE OF POLICIES

J

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/RICHVINTAGE

ennifer Saunders considers her store “the end off the line” for merchandise. The Bargain Bin, an overstock retail store in Norwalk, Ohio, has a clear return policy: Iff the item is broken, return it within 14 days for a refund. Iff you just don’t like it, return it within two weeks for store credit. Still, she finds that some people try to game the system. “We have people who say a microwave is broken when it isn’t just to get their money ba ck,” she says. That’s mild compared with some off the things Read Hayes, director of the Loss Prevention Research Council in Gainesville, Fla., describes— such as big-screen televisions purchased in time for the Super Bowl, then returned after the game, or fraudsters brazenly shoplifting items and then trying to return them. But retailers, aside from posting clear return policies, can take other steps to prevent return fraud: Check for proof. Saunders requires a receipt for returns. But fraudsters are clever. Hayes advises retailers to avoid throwing receipts in the trash, where they can be snatched and used to try to return stolen goods. This also prevents someone from buying an item on the cheap elsewhere and then trying to return it for the full price at your location, he says. Check for tampering. People making fraudulent returns may have switched tags on an item, trying to return it for a higher price, he says. The National Retail Federation found that in 2009, more than threequarters off retailers surveyed had returns that were originally purchased with fraudulent or stolen tender, like credit cards. Use your point-of-sale program to ensure that there were no issues with the item’s payment. Check for lying. When a customer claims an item is broken, Saunders checks it on the spot. Iff it’s not bro-

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ken, she’ll give store credit only iff the item is returned within the two-week return period. Hayes says retailers also should confirm the customer’s information by checking identification and filling out a return form. And while it may seem obvious, staff members should check that the store actually carries the merchandise. “A customer may try to return a four-pack off razors to a store that only carries six-packs,” he says. “It’s a small difference, but you may be accepting merchandise you don’t even carry iff you’re not careful.” Also, employee collusion in return fraud is common, says Hayes, who advises that a manager or store owner approve all returns. —G.M.

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CHECK YOUR MATH. A couple of mistakes in n calculating g deductions won’t automatically y catapultt yourr return n to the top off the IRS pile, butt too many y mistakes in n yourr favorr mayy triggerr an n audit. Iff you u receive a 1099 from m a companyy for freelance work k thatt you u performed d as an independentt contractor, be sure to enter the exactt amountt on n yourr tax x return. Because the companyy thatt hired d you u also sends a copyy off the 1099 to the IRS, the slightestt discrepancyy between n the two numbers could d sett offf alarm m bells.

Proper p p preparation p and documentation can help you stay below the radar off IRS auditors veryy year, the Internal Revenue Service audits approximately 1 percentt off U.S. taxpayers. Though the odds are slim that your return will be singled out, they increase dramaticallyy iff you run a cash business like a bar or restaurant, take a home-office deduction, make large charitable contributions or work for yourself. Like to splurge on fancy y cars, boats or home improvements? Living large withoutt documenting your income can raise red flags, too. Deductions and expenses thatt are disproportionate to the taxpayer’s income catch the IRS’ attention, says Mitchell Eichen, a tax x partner att Perelson Weiner, a New w York City y accounting firm. No matter what kind off business you run or how many deductions you take, you can lower your chances of being audited by following these steps: KEEP ACCURATE BOOKS. The IRS is on the lookout for businesses that deal heavily with cash. No law says your business must accept checks or 86 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

credit cards, but don’t assume that you can put the money in your pocket and the IRS will never know. The same goes for businesses that do a lot of barter, and for contractors who take side jobs, helping friends and neighbors. The IRS can quickly compare your business income to your living expenses and figure out iff you’re living beyond your documented means. DEDUCT WITHIN REASON. Writing offf too many business-related expenses can put you in the IRS’ line off fire, especially iff the income you report is relatively modest. An IRS computer program compares your deductions to others in the same income bracket (the so-called DIF Score) and selects the returns with the highest probability of generating additional audit revenue. “A decision to forgo a legitimate deduction may be based on the taxpayer’s particular audit tolerance or iff there are other areas off the return that the taxpayer does not wish to call attention to,” Eichen says.

GET PROFESSIONAL HELP. Iff you alreadyy have an n accountantt orr tax x professional who prepares yourr business return, it’s a good d idea to lett the same practitionerr prepare yourr personal return n as well. Nott only y will you u avoid d some off the common n tax x preparation n mistakes, but you’ll also have an n advocate to go to bat forr you u iff you u do gett thatt dreaded d letter from m the IRS. Iff yourr tax x preparerr did da competent, professional job off reporting yourr income and d deductions, you u should have nothing g more to fearr than n the inconvenience off respondingg to the letter and d possiblyy meeting g with h an n IRS agent. “Competent, professional tax x advisors will warn n you u when n taking g a certain position n can n heighten n the possibilityy off an auditt and d when n a tax x return n looks fishy,” Eichen says. —ROSALIND RESNICK ROSALIND RESNICK IS FOUNDER AND CEO OF AXXESS BUSINESS CONSULTING (ABCBIZHELP.COM), A NEW YORK CONSULTING FIRM THAT ADVISES STARTUPS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ RB FRIED

Audit avoidance

BACK IT UP. It’s importantt to keep good d records in n case the IRS does come knocking. Business owners are required to keep receipts forr all expenditures of $75 orr more forr meals orr entertainment, and d to keep those receipts forr att least three years. Good d record-keepingg is also importantt iff you’re planning g to take large personal deductions. Forr example, if you’re claiming g a large medical orr charitable deduction n thatt you u think k mightt increase yourr odds off beingg audited, make sure to attach h copies off yourr medical bills and d charitable receipts to yourr return.

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH: BEN PARSONS AND HIS INFINITE MONKEY THEOREM WINERY IN DENVER.

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Forget about bellying up to the hotel bar. Wine country may be just outside your door. Cheers! BY BRUCE SCHOENFELD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN JOHNSTON Entrepreneur

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he main entrance off The Infinite Monkey on Theorem winery overlooks a rutted te alley in a semi-industrial area off downtown do Denver. A maid service’s fleet cars are parked next door. Don’t strain too hard to see the vineyards; they’re more than 200 miles away. What’s nearby instead is an entire metropolitan area, which means that iff you’re on a working layover in Denver and have a free afternoon, you can visit a winery almost as easily as you’d stop into a Starbucks. Step into the Quonset hut that Australian-trained enologist Ben Parsons has filled with fermentation tanks and oak barrels and, instantly, you’re in wine country. He’ll take you through the vinification process, offer samples and sell you bottles (ranging from $15.98 to $49.98) iff you’re inclined to buy. All that’s missing are the vines. Most off Infinite Monkey Theorem’s wines are made from fruit that’s grown on the far side off the Rocky Mountains and trucked in after harvest. That’s a laborious process, but because Parsons is based in the heart off the city, he can cultivate relationships with the people most likely to buy—and sell—his wine. “Sommeliers come in and help us bottle,” he says. “Some off the city’s best chefs have come by and seen what we do. They help rack the wines. They taste from the barrels. And when someone sees Infinite Monkey Theorem on the wine list and asks them about it, they can tell the story because they’ve been here.” You’ll find similar wineries (and even a few distilleries) across the country, some with restaurants, formal tasting rooms and even galleries attached, others mere storefronts with an open door and an enologist waiting to lead a tour. All are accessible for the business traveler with a few hours to kill before a flight or with downtime during a week on the road. At New York’s City Winery, in lower Manhattan, customers can dine on pomegranate-glazed chicken, sip wine that was made just a few feet away and watch top-flight performers such as Duncan Sheik or Suzanne Vega on stage in front off them. At Periscope Cellars in Emeryville, Calif., near Oakland, visitors typically stop in at the refurbished World War II submarine re90 Entrepreneur

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VINES NOT INCLUDED: FERMENTATION TANKS AND OAK BARRELS LEND A WINE COUNTRY FLAVOR, PARSONS SAYS.

pair facility on weekends. They’ll catch the latest art installation while enjoying a glass sourced from one off California’s most famous appellations. It’s a differentt feel from the vinecovered hillsides off mostt wine regions and a differentt business model. “You lose the romance off the vineyard,” acknowledges Marco Montez, who runs Travessia Urban Wineryy in New w Bedford, Mass. “Butt the idea still amazes a lott off people. And then, when the wine is good, they y gett blown away.” A decade ago, onlyy a handful of wineries could be found in major metropolitan areas (and mostt off those in the San Francisco Bay y Area or Seattle), butt they’ve proliferated from coastt to coastt since. Here are seven off the most enticing for the thirsty y entrepreneur on the move: CINCINNATI: Henke Winery. Ohio isn’t exactly Napa Valley, but visitors are often surprised to learn that it has 130 wineries. Joe Henke founded his—in the leafy Cincinnati neighborhood off Westwood, 6 miles from downtown—in 1996, “before the term urban winery was even coined,” he says. The cheese trays and other snacks long ago evolved into a full menu that now offers everything from crab cakes ($10.95) to filet mignon ($29.95.) What to do: About 25,000 visitors pass through annually, Henke says, and most end up eating, too. Try the Ziza Pizza ($8.95), hand-pressed garlic folded

inside pizza dough, baked in olive oil and covered with Romano cheese, or a strip steak smothered in peppers and onions. What to drink: The seven-wine tasting ($5) includes an Ohio-grown Vidal Blanc, a French hybrid grape common in the East and Midwest that makes a wine similar to off-dry Riesling, as well as a barrel-fermented Seyval, the closest that Ohio gets to white burgundy. Open evenings, Friday afternoons and all day on Saturdays. 3077 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati. (513) 6629463. henkewine.com. DENVER: The Infinite Monkey Theorem. Ben Parsons’ winery makes Colorado’s best wines. An expanded facility that will include food, a rooftop bar with a mountain view and a larger retail area is coming in 2011. What to do: Catch the party atmosphere off the First Friday Art Walk Wine Bar, which features freeflowing wine, catered deli food and a DJ punching up tunes once a month. What to drink: Parsons’ all-Colorado Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot (both $29.98) are not only delicious, they also raise the bar for how good wines made from Colorado fruit can be. The Riesling ($19.98), made mostly from grapes shipped in from Oregon, has a touch off sweetness and tastes like ripe peaches. Open by appointment. 931 W. 5th Ave., Denver. (970) 260-0710. theinfinitemonkeytheorem.com.

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FIRST SIP: TOURS INCLUDE A VIEW OF THE VINIFICATION PROCESS, WHERE YOU CAN SAMPLE THE WINE.

EMERYVILLE, CALIF.: Periscope Cellars. over the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, midway between Berkeley and Oakland, a submarine repair facility has been transformed into a winery and art gallery. What to do: The exhibit space showcases a different artist monthly, from the cut-paper works off Chris West to J.B. Lowe’s science fiction illustrations. On the third Wednesday off each month, Periscope’s reds are paired with a yoga session ($20 in advance, $25 at the door.) What to drink: Brendan Eliason makes an array off California reds, from pinot noir ($24) to zinfandel ($20). His Deep 6 ($44), a blend off the six grape varieties he deems most interesting each year, takes on a different character with every vintage. Open afternoons Friday through Sunday, and by appointment, or sometimes not. “I’m a one-man show, so it can be open as much as I’m around,” Eliason says. “If you show up and I’m not here, my cell phone number is on the door.” 1410 62nd St., Suite B, Emeryville, Calif. (510) 655-7827. periscopecellars.com. NEW BEDFORD, MASS.: Travessia Urban Winery. y For two years, software engineer Marco Montez, a native off Portugal, has been buying fruit from both nearby vineyards and far-offf California. He uses the local grapes to make three white wines and an off-dry rose and has started bringing in the West Coast varieties for a range off reds, all off which are vinified and sold at this compact facility off the brick sidewalks off New Bedford, an hour outside Boston. What to do: Montez is available for tours and $5 92 Entrepreneur

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tastings. No food. What to drink: A rainy 2008 made the UnOaked Chardonnay ($14)—produced from grapes grown in Westport and Dartmouth, Mass.—even sharper and steelier, the perfect antidote to the flabby California bottlings that sell for the same price. Open afternoons Wednesday through Sunday. 760 Purchase St., New Bedford, Mass. (774) 929-6534. travessiawine.com. NEW YORK: City Winery. From winemaker dinners and a Klezmer brunch to a custom-crush program thatt lets members make their own wine from Napa Valleyy grapes in downtown Manhattan, City y Winery y has putt itself squarelyy att the center off New w York’s sophisticated wine scene. Itt also mayy be the only y establishmentt around thatt employs both a lead enologistt and a music programmer. John Hiatt, Mavis Staples, Shawn Colvin and other national acts have played the cozyy concertt space, and entertainmentt and other special events are booked for several days each week. Whatt to do: Sitt att the bar and pair the charcuterie plate with City’s own Riesling ($10 a glass, $29 a carafe) or a bottle offf the extensive—and well-chosen—wine list. Whatt to drink: The fruity Grenache/Syrah rose ($9 byy the glass) is served att the bar from a keg, so itt stays fresh. Open dailyy to midnight, except when closed for special occasions. 155 Varick St., New w York. (212) 608-0555. citywinery.com. PARK CITY, UTAH: High West Distillery and Saloon. High West, set at the base off a ski run in this resort community outside Salt Lake City,

is Utah’s first working distillery since the 1870s. David Perkins’ small-batch whiskeys (and the world’s only oat vodka) have gained a cultish following since he set up his still in 2007. Hearty mountain food like elk with chanterelles ($29) and bison rib-eye ($26) attracts a steady après-ski and mountain bike crowd. “People are interested in craft spirits all off a sudden, which is very exciting,” Perkins says. And because off a recent law change, you can actually leave with a bottle off his finished product. What to do: Come for one off the scheduled distillery tours, then head to the saloon for the scene, the small plates and the sipping. What to drink: The Rendezvous Rye ($7 a glass) is an unorthodox blend of 6-year-old and 16-year-old Kentucky whiskey (High West’s own whiskey is still too young to be released as an aged product) that competes with premium Bourbons. Open until 10 nightly. 703 Park Ave., Park City, Utah. (435) 649-8300. highwest.com. PORTLAND, ORE.: Portland Wine Project. The Willamette Valley, home off some off America’s bestt pinott noir, is justt an n hourr down n thee road, so it’s no surprisee thatt thee urban n wineryy trend d is bigg in n Portland. This 10,000-square-foot facility y mayy bee thee bestt off them. It’s home to Grochau u Cellars and d Boedeckerr Cellars, which h sharee barrell spacee and d a tasting room m and d each h producee theirr own n wine usingg Willamettee Valley y grapes. Grochau’s aree biggerr and d brassier, whilee Boedeckerr makes understated d pinott noirs from Burgundy’s model, with h nuancee as a goal. Whatt to o do: Tourr thee winery y with—if you’ree lucky—onee off thee owners, John Grochau u orr Stewartt Boedecker, as your guide. Whatt to o drink: Tryy Grochau’s Temd red d that pranillo ($25.95), a structured approximates thee flavors off Spain, and d Boedecker’s earthy y Stewartt pinott noirr ($34), thee winemaker’s favoritee cuvee. Open weekend d afternoons and d byy appointment. 2621 NW W 30th h Ave., Portland, Ore. (503) 522-2455. gcwinescom; (503) 866-0095. boedeckercellars.com. BRUCE SCHOENFELD IS THE WINE AND SPIRITS EDITOR OF TRAVEL + LEISURE AS WELL AS AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND TELEVISION WRITER. HIS WINE-, FOOD- AND TRAVEL-WRITING HAS APPEARED IN PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS GOURMET AND FOOD & WINE.

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Act now to protect your valuable computer files.

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start it up

WACKY

IDEA

The PedalPub It sounds like the wackiest idea ever: A bar on wheels powered by brew-pounding pedalers. But now there are 12 PedalPubs, and a franchise on the way. ENTREPRENEURS: Eric Olson and Al Boyce, dedicated home brewers with day jobs—Olson teaches business at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minn., and Boyce is a computer programmer for U.S. Bank in St. Paul, Minn.

WHAT POSSESSED THEM: A fellow home brewer e-mailed Olson a photo of a crazy-looking pub on wheels in Europe. “I said, ‘Damn, this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life.’ ” He tracked down the creators—brothers Henk and Zwier van Laar in (where else?) Amsterdam—and asked how to make one. They sold him one instead.

STARTUP: Savings and home-eq-

CUSTOMERS: Birthday parties,

PEDALMANIA: Olson and Boyce have six PedalPubs in the Twin Cities, one in Houston, plus licensees in Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Lawrence, Kan., and Milwaukee; plus, one sold to Amstel Light.

STATS: PedalP ubs weigh 2,340 pounds em or drinkers) an pty (without beer d have a top speed of 5 mph. They seat 10 pedale rs, a bartender and a driv to $190 per ho er and rent for $160 ur, BYOB.

uity loans covered the $40,000 to buy their first PedalPub, plus $20,000 to buy a van, a trailer, insurance, storage and marketing materials.

corporate events, even a wedding. Most are women—68 percent.

VITAL

ENT: “AHA” MOgoMt the first

In 2007, they ng and sent PedalPub rolli friends and e-mails out to g a mild in ct family, expe r e-mail list ou ut “B reaction. e, od ” Olson started to expl when I at’s says. “And th kling that this in had the first successful.” might be really

EYOND: 2011 AND B anchise the

PHOTO© J EFF CLARK

fr They plan to year. Says xt ne t ep nc co of ve to see 500 lo Olson, “I’d un co e th er l ov these things al BRENNER try.” —LESLIE

94 Entrepreneur

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start it up

COLLEGE

START

UP

no-exit strategy Sure, Duke Chungg was tempted p by a buyout y offer. But he knew that he was worth much more. (He was right.)

96 Entrepreneur

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day, Parature has about 900 customers, including Rosetta Stone, NASCAR and Travelodge, passing more than 1 million support tickets through its system each month. The company expects revenue off $20 million for 2010. Chung says part off his success in attracting venture capital is timing: raising money before it’s badly needed (VCs can sense desperation) and raising as much as possible, so you also can afford to experiment. “Invest it into a new market op-

portunity, invest it into a new product or find other expansion distribution models,” he says. “These experiments can really pay offf in the long run.” Indeed, the latest experiment was building a product to help companies turn their Facebook pages into customer support centers. It launched in the summer, and 30 of Parature’s larger customers have already started using the app to monitor and engage comments and questions. —JOEL HOLLAND

JOEL HOLLAND, 25, IS THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF FOOTAGE FIRM IN RESTON, VA. HE CAN BE REACHED AT [email protected].

HOW TO RAISE

VC

SIX LESSONS FROM DUKE CHUNG:

1

Don’t even try until you fully understand your product or proposition. You’ll end up using a lot of the money to figure it out instead of focusing on growth. Wait until you can show some results. Bootstrap your business until you can prove you have traction. Go after money before you really need it. When you need it, VCs can sense it and you won’t have as much leverage. Build relationships with VCs before you need them. Then, when you are ready to raise capital, you won’t be cold calling—which almost never works. Raise as much as you can. You want to have a little money left over to experiment. Be prepared to give up equity. Most venture firms aim for about 20 percent in each round of funding.

2 3

4 5

6

PHOTO© DAVID LANG

D

uke Chung was facing a defining decision: Accept a lucrative buyout offer for Parature, the customersupport software company he started as a student at Cornell University, or stay the course and continue to grow Parature with his four co-founders. Plenty off college entrepreneurs would jump at a big payout. But Chung and his co-founders decided the offer amounted to a huge pat on the back—and they turned it down. “When a potential buyer comes to you and shares your same vision for the business, it suddenly gives you a lot more confidence about your plan,” says Chung, now 32. “Plus, we figured there would be more offers like this one down the road iff we continued building a great business.” Att the time—2006—Parature was 5 years old. Boosted byy the purchase offer, Chung and his team reevaluated their plan for the future: essentially, growth and expansion. Att thatt point, Parature had aboutt 300 customers using its software-as-a-service customer support portal, which provides hosted tools that can be integrated into corporate websites, such as live chat, an online community, surveys, self-service knowledge base and trouble ticketing system. Chungg knew w his productt was solid, butt he also realized d thatt growth h would bottleneck k withoutt moneyy to build d a sales team. So he turned d to the venture capital community, raisingg $13.5 million n from Valhalla Partners and d Sierra Ventures. In addition n to sales growth, the moneyy also gave Parature a new w level off credibility. While it took the Vienna, Va., company five years to get its first 300 customers, it took only 18 months to get its next 300. In fact, by 2008, growth was bottlenecking again. So Chung looked anew for VC, this time raising $16 million from Accel Partners. To-

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start it up

START

UP FINANCE

thatt ProFounder’s advisors include the chairman off LinkedIn, the former CTO off Linden Lab (creator off Second Life) and the CEO off Prosper.com. An amateur powerlifter with an MBA from Stanford, Mauriello “didn’t see why it had to be so hard to raise investment capital in a straightforward and legally compliant way.” Jackley sowed the seeds off her entrepreneurship as co-founder off San Francisco-based Kiva.org. Started in 2005, Kiva was the world’s first online micro lending platform. With an average loan size off only $209 and a phenomenal repayment rate off nearly 99 percent, Kiva has transformed the lives off more than 400,00 loan recipients.

High-stakes game

THRUST FUND

Launched this year, Thrust Fund has taken an entirely different approach to raising capital. Instead off selling equity in your company, you sell a piece of Sidestepping the traps off equity fund-raising you—or at least your future earnings. For example, Appfrica Labs foundhe Facebook post reads: “Startup medical device company looking for er Jon Gosier will sell for $300,000 a investors.” An eBay ad offers “double-digit growth potential for early 3 percent share in his cash-flow-posiinvestors.” And with loans in short supply, you might be tempted to tive tech incubator, which offers jobs, hang an “investors wanted” sign off your own. But be warned: Selling mentoring and seed capital to East equity is very different from borrowing from Aunt Sally. And it’s easy to run African tech entrepreneurs. afoul off state and federal securities laws, no matter how small the investment. Saul Garlick, a Thrust Fund founder, When Aunt Sally loans you money, she expects to get it back. But when you is offering the same deal. At just 17, he sell equity, your investors have no recourse iff you don’t succeed. Their money is founded ThinkImpact, an international just plain gone. That’s why the Securities and Exchange Commission and equiva- nonprofit organization that connects lent state agencies want to weigh in. Their prime concern is that investors under- American students to rural villages in stand the risks and can afford the hit iff the venture doesn’t perform as hoped. Africa to help alleviate poverty through While securities regulations offer a number off exemptions that allow small leadership and entrepreneurship. companies to raise equity, you should always seek the advice off a qualified attor- Former President Nelson Mandela has ney to keep you out off hot water. According to Tonio DeSorrento, an attorney endorsed his work and a former U.S. in the Washington, D.C., office off Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, missteps presidential Cabinet member serves put you at risk off fines, shareholder lawsuits, repayment demands and charges of on his board. “To me, it’s like selling a fraud, and they even undermine your ability to raise money in the future. share off my future earnings, or a piece Legal cautions notwithstanding, some creative entrepreneurs are bringing 21st off my time,” Garlick says, “but nothing technology y to the game. Using differentt approaches, ProFounder and Thrustt Fund more.” —KATE LISTER have sett their sights on taking some off the pain outt off the process off raising money. KATE LISTER IS A FORMER BANKER, Here are their deals.

PROFOUNDER

Dana Mauriello and Jessica Jackley, co-founders off ProFounder in Los Angeles, offer a simple web platform to help you structure, documentt and markett your offer. But unlike traditional equity, their deals are more like debtt butt with an upside potential. You share a percentage off quarterlyy revenue, either with your investor or by donating itt to a nonprofitt organization. This mayy sound weird, butt it’s worth noting 98 Entrepreneur

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SMALL-BUSINESS INVESTOR AND VETERAN ENTREPRENEUR. HER BOOKS AND WEBSITES INCLUDE FINDING MONEY: THE SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE TO FINANCING AND UNDRESS FOR SUCCESS: THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT MAKING MONEY AT HOME.

PHOTO© VEER INC./ CORBIS PHOTOGRAPHY

T

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start it up Strokes off genius g ICHILL [ICHILL.COM]

Three cheers for stress relief in a bottle. Take half the bottle (an ounce) of iChill—a liquid blend of melatonin, valerian root, rose hips and B vitamins—for “moderate” relaxation, or the whole thing to knock yourself out after a bad day. Pro: At $37.50 for a case of 12, it’s far cheaper than a shrink. Con: The taste limits the ability to spike drinks of co-workers who really need it.

SQUIDFACE PILLOWS [COMFORTAN.COM]

In our humble opinion, this is a top 5 productt in the nap time paraphernalia market. SquidFace pillows have a head ring and two appendage-length “rabbitt ears” thatt supportt a ton of unusual—butt fantastic—resting positions (see “cuddling” and “under-the-covers-over-yourface” options). For entrepreneurs, No. 9 (off 12) is money: face-down desktop snoozing. Only y $28.95! The Snuggie’s gott nothing on this. —JENNIFER WANG

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ASSESS YOUR

BUSINESS

PHOTO© VEER I NC/ BLEN D IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY

TOOLKIT

102 Entrepreneur

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BY ROSALIND RESNICK

Don’t wait for the economy to heat up. Make the right moves today. worldmags

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ASSESS YOUR

BUSINESS

TOOLKIT

E

conomists say the Great Recession—the longest and deepest since World War II—ended 18 months ago and that the U.S. economy is, in fact, growing again. But growth is relative. Even the rosiest economic forecasts for 2011 come in well under3 percent growth. Unemployment is still high, and consumer spending

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? Getting the most out of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 BY JULIE BENNETT

“T

he most significant step on behalf of our small businesses in more than a decade.” That’s how President Obama characterized the Small Business Jobs Act when he signed it into law in September. Its broad package of tax cuts and loan opportunities to entrepreneurs—all aimed at growing the economy—gives muscle to his rhetoric. But because of the deadlines in the bill, you’ll have to act quickly to take advantage of many of the options outlined here. LOAN PROGRAMS The jobs act permanently raises the limit on Small Business Administration loan guarantees to $5 million from $2 million, and it increases limits on its Express Loans for working capital to $1 million from $350,000 through September. But an increase in SBA loan guarantees to 90 percent from 75 percent and a waiver of SBA application fees expire this year. The higher guarantee and fee waiver were offered earlier, as part of the Economic Stimulus Plan, but had

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is still sluggish. “However optimistic you may be about your business, you need to let the overall economy temper your expectations,” says Scott Shane, an economics professor at Case Western Reserve University and author of The Illusions off Entrepreneurship: The Costly Myths that Entrepre-

expired in May. Jennifer Hrncir, a San Antonio, Texas, franchisee of Richmond, Va-based Rainbow Station, a daycare and after-school care provider, hopes to secure an SBA loan to build a second franchise before they expire. She opened her operation in 2003, borrowed money to buy 2.3 acres for a second school in early 2008 and had a loan commitment letter for construction funding when the credit markets collapsed. Unless you, too, have an application pending, it’s unlikely you can take advantage of the loan guarantee. However, a second program makes available $30 billion in federal money to community banks (with assets less than $10 billion) that make loans to small businesses. The interest the banks pay for these loans starts at 5 percent but drops to zero as they increase their smallbusiness lending. To snag financing: Find out which community banks in your area are participating. Franchisees should ask their franchisor to do this research, says Darrell Johnson, president of FRANdata, a franchise research firm in Arlington, Va. Independent business owners can check the SBA’s database for their state, at sba.gov, to see what banks are lending to small business. Once you’ve targeted a bank or two, introduce

neurs, Investors and Policy Makers Live By. “You need to assume that the recovery is going to be tepid and plan accordingly.” That doesn’t mean sit and wait for things to improve. Rather, retool for the economy that exists today, and will be lingering for many tomorrows. Here are 10 places to start.

yourself to a loan officer, tell her about your business and invite her for a tour. Before filing a loan application, “get your financial statements in order, to show you are trending up,” says Marilyn Landis, CEO of Basic Business Concepts Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pa. TAX BREAKS The Small Business Jobs Act contains several tax deductions designed to reduce your taxes if you expand your business and, the federal government hopes, hire more workers. Again, some of these tax breaks expire quickly and all are fairly complicated. To take advantage of them, meet with your accountant or a tax consultant before year’s end. For 2010 only, selfemployed individuals can deduct the cost of health insurance for themselves and their families from their selfemployment taxes, cutting their tax bills by 15 percent. Before the end of the year, you can amend your 401(k) plan and roll the funds into a Roth IRA. You’ll have to declare the value of the plan as taxable income, but the act lets you pay the taxes over two years instead of one. After that, gains in the plan are tax free. For their 2010 tax filings, eligible small businesses can carry back their business losses for five years. This means that if your busi-

ness lost money in 2010 but made money in 2005 through 2009, you could pay less taxes next April, or even get a refund. Individuals who invest in a small business before Jan. 1 and hold their stock for five years won’t have to pay capital gains taxes. If you started a business in 2010, you can deduct $10,000 of the money spent prior to your first sale, for expenses. Small businesses that purchase capital equipment during the 2010 and 2011 tax years can deduct as much as $500,000 of it from their taxes. The temporary deductions also include leasehold improvements made to restaurant and retail property, as much as $250,000. Lisa Whiting, founder of Imagination Trends, a company in Deforest, Wis., that designs and manufactures interactive wall graphics, is also in line for a 90 percent guaranteed SBA loan this year, for $1.3 million. Because she started her business in April and spent $75,000 on leasehold improvements and $425,000 on equipment, she’ll also take advantage of at least three of the act’s tax breaks. Whiting has already expanded from three to 11 employees and plans, by using more tax credits, to reach 30. JULIE BENNETT IS A FREELANCE WRITER.

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ASSESS YOUR

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(1)

Administration’s guide at sba.gov /smallbusinessplanner.

OVERHAUL YOUR BUSINESS PLAN. In a climate as unforgiv-

ing as this, stasis is death. So dustt off your business plan and scrub itt off any assumptions you mayy have made three years ago. Roll up your sleeves, do the math and zero in on the bestt strategy to grab markett share and win new business. Then startt treating your business plan as iff it’s a work in progress. Create hard benchmarks and measure results often. That’s how w you improve performance, says Tim Berry, president and founder off Palo Alto Software Inc., developer off Business Plan Pro, a smallbusiness software tool thatt creates plans and financial projections. “Planning means tracking how assumptions change and reviewing progress and plan versus actual results,” he says. Rethinking your business plan also can help you spot new opportunities and point your company in the right direction. For step-by-step advice, check out the U.S. Small Business

(2)

DOUBLE DOWN ON WHAT WORKS. Whatever paid offf in

2010 is worth investing more time, moneyy and resources nextt year. Ask yourself: Whatt was your top-selling productt or service, and how w can you gett your customers to buyy more? What money-saving strategies wentt straightt to the bottom line? Whatt incentives or promotions gott your customers’ attention? Elyissia Wassung, CEO off 2 Chicks With Chocolate, a South River, N.J., chocolate maker, is doubling down on in-store demos, which have boosted sales. When she learned a chain retailer was planning to order exclusively from 2 Chicks for Christmas, she says, “We decided to double our demos with them this holiday season and blitz all off their stores on the same day. We are also giving away prizes to the top performing stores.”

((3))

EXPERIMENT. The e best timee to tryy somethingg new? When n thee old isn’tt working. Itt may y feell saferr to stayy in yourr comfortt zone, butt sticking g with h the samee old d product, servicee orr marketing strategyy mightt actually y bee riskier. The best new ideas often come from conversations with your customers, suppliers and, most off all, employees. “The unexpected can often be the obvious,” says New York business and personal coach Carol Vinelli. Talk less, listen more and really tune in to ideas that could lead to breakthrough products and services. Need some inspiration? Check out Seth Godin’s bestselling book Purple Cow about how to make your company remarkable.

(4)

FIRE YOUR D-GRADE CUSTOMERS. “High-maintenance,

low-margin customers are an impedi-

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ment to deploying time and resources more profitably,” says Joseph Fulvio, a consultant in Doylestown, Penn., who specializes in growing small businesses. “Get rid off them.” Make a list off your customers and give each off them a grade. Then dump everyone below a C—or a B, iff you can afford it. Once you’ve separated the winners from the losers, put a plan in place to turn those laggards into A-listers. Going forward, use those criteria to size up new business. Though mostt businesses worry whether they’ll meett clients’ expectations, “it’s actually y a two-way y street,” Fulvio says. A better vendor-customer fit should produce a healthier bottom line.

(5))

BECOME AN ‘A’ CUSTOMER. When prices are low, as they

are now, it’s generally a good time to lock in long-term contracts with your regular vendors, contractors and suppliers. Indeed, you might be able

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to negotiate a lower price in return for the promise off your business. Smallbusiness management expert Tim Sciarrillo off The New England Group in Milford, Conn., suggests asking your supplier for a volume discount and to hold the goods until you need them. Instead off ordering 10,000 custom labels five times a year, for example, order 50,000 at once but have them delivered in batches. This lowers the supplier’s manufacturing costs, reduces your unit price and speeds delivery on future orders because the labels are already printed. Exclusivity is the key to a sweetheart deal like this. “At one client company, we reduced corrugated suppliers from five to one,” Sciarrillo says. “The client received better service, reduced pricing and every time there was a price increase, the salesman usually kept our increase a percent or two below the standard.” Make sure your contract covers all the details, such as delivery cost, timing and quality guarantees.

(6))

EXPAND YOUR NETWORK. Facebook and LinkedIn have

their uses, but they’ll never replace face-to-face meetings, especially to win new business and get referrals. “Some folks aren’t ready to go out there and mingle, but in today’s economy, it is imperative,” says Bryan R. Adams, owner off FAB Communications in Teaneck, N.J. Think about it: A single coffee, meeting or lunch with a lawyer, financial planner or supplier could bring in dozens off new customers next year. If you’re afraid to jump in right away, Adams suggests starting by searching Meetup.com for a group that matches your interests and attending local chamber off commerce events. Once you find your groove (and refine your elevator pitch), consider joining a dedicated networking group such as BNI International, LeTip International or National Association off Women Business

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ASSESS YOUR

BUSINESS

TOOLKIT Owners. “Getting out there keeps you sane and you get to hear what’s working and not working for other businesses,” Adams says.

(7))

LEVERAGE YOUR BRAND. In this economy, it’s more

important than ever to avoid becoming a “me, too” brand. Low prices and quality service are no longer enough. Whether it’s a YouTube video, an iPad app or a free tasting event, offer something to make customers take notice. “What do you bring to the table that no one else is serving up to clients and potential clients?” asks Debra Condren, a New York business psychologist. “You must first understand what sets you apart and then become completely fluent in communicating to your target audience what separates you from the herd.” For more tips and tools on leveraging your brand, check out Entrepreneur’s free online marketing guides at entrepreneur.com/marketing.

(8))

GET SOME CREDIT. The mortgage market is starting to thaw, and that’s good news for small-business owners who can tap their home equity for working capital. Iff you have good credit and some equity in your house, now may be the time to refinance before interest rates rise. Be sure your credit score is solid and that your business shows positive cash flow before you start shopping

for deals. You won’t get the loan unless your bank is convinced you can cover the monthly payments. “Banks are willing to provide credit but are still very selective,” says Case Western’s Shane. “Financials help a lot right now.”

((9))

FIRE UP YOUR EMPLOYEES.

Think aboutt creating a bonus plan to motivate employees to hitt your 2011 goals. Bonuses, while nott always successful, says Rich Armstrong, president off The Greatt Game off Business Inc., can help focus your staff’s attention on key metrics such as sales, profits, productivity y and customer satisfaction. Armstrong’s Springfield, Mo., firm provides training in the open-book managementt philosophy, which advocates sharing financial and operational information with employees so thatt they y can make better decisions, and itt gives them a stake in the company’s success. “Your people must clearly understand the goal, the improvements that are needed, how they can make a difference and what they stand to gain,” he says. “Bonus-plan success will have everything to do with how well you communicate, educate and encourage your people to stay in the game and reach for the goal.” A bonus plan can work in all types off businesses, including manufacturing, sales, even restaurants. Goals can be tied to easy-to-measure numbers such as revenues, new business volume or gross margin. There’s more about open-book management practices on

The Great Game off Business website, greatgame.com.

((10))

TEAM UP. Working with “channel partners”—companies that target the same market but with products or services different from yours—can be an ultra-efficient marketing strategy. They’ve already spent the time and money to attract the customers you want, and you can piggyback on those efforts. Naturally, your partners are going to want reciprocal benefits. Vinelli, the business coach, says, “Set aside time each week to brainstorm new ways to create added value to your relationships, fostering more referrals and new partnerships.” Anne Maxfield, chieff visionary officer and founder off Accidental Locavore, a new-media venture in New York that demystifies farmers markets for shoppers, is partnering with companies that appeal to foodand health-conscious consumers. She’s pitching a show to the Food Network and forging alliances with NYCH2O, a New York bottled-water company, and EcoPlum, a website selling green products. “Our success in 2011 will come from partnerships [with companies] that consumers believe in and trust,” she says. ROSALIND RESNICK IS THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF AXXESS BUSINESS CONSULTING, A NEW YORK CONSULTING FIRM THAT ADVISES STARTUPS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.

Vol. 38, No. 12. Entrepreneur (ISSN 0163-3341) is published monthly by Entrepreneur Media Inc., 2445 McCabe Way, #400, Irvine, CA 92614. Periodical postage paid at Irvine, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Entrepreneur, P.O. Box 6136, Harlan, IA 51593-1636. One year subscription rates in U.S.: $19.97; in Canada: $39.97; all other countries: $39.97; payable in U.S. funds only. Please mail all subscription orders and changes to Entrepreneur, Subscription Department, P.O. Box 6136, Harlan, IA 51593-1636, or call (800) 274-6229 or (515) 362-7461, or log on to entrepreneur.com. For change of address, please give both old and new addresses and include most recent mailing label. Entrepreneur considers its sources reliable and verifies as much data as possible, although reporting inaccuracies can occur; consequently, readers using this information do so at their own risk. Each business opportunity and/or investment inherently contains certain risks, and it is suggested that the prospective investors consult their attorneys and/or financial professionals. Entrepreneur is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not rendering legal services or financial advice. Although persons and companies mentioned herein are believed to be reputable, neither Entrepreneur Media Inc., nor any of its employees accept any responsibility whatsoever for their activities. Advertising Sales (949) 261-2325. Entrepreneur is printed in the USA and all rights are reserved. ©2010 by Entrepreneur Media Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All letters sent to Entrepreneur will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use in any publication or brochure, and are subject to Entrepreneur’s unrestricted right to edit and comment. U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685. 1) Title of Publication: Entrepreneur. 2) Publication No. (ISSN): 0163-3341. 3) Date of Filing: 9/22/10. 4) Frequency of Issue: Monthly. 5) No. of Issues Published Annually: 12. 6) Annual Subscription Price: $19.97. 7) Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: Entrepreneur Media Inc., 2445 McCabe Way, #400, Irvine, CA 92614. 8) Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters of General Business Office of Publisher: Entrepreneur Media Inc., 2445 McCabe Way, #400, Irvine, CA 92614. 9) Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor. Publisher: 2445 McCabe Way, #400, Irvine, CA 92614. Editor-in-Chief: Amy Cosper, 2445 McCabe Way, #400, Irvine, CA 92614. Managing Editor: Michalene Busico, 2445 McCabe Way, #400, Irvine, CA 92614. 10) Owner: Entrepreneur Media Inc., 2445 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92614. Peter J. Shea, 2445 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92614. 11) Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total T Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None. 12) Tax T Status: The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: Has not changed during preceding 12 months. 13) Publication Title: Entrepreneur. 14) Issue Date for Circulation Data: July 2010. 15) Extent and Nature of Circulation (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months). A. Total T Number of Copies (Net Press Run): 723,226; B. Paid Circulation: 1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 531,234; 3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 35,254; C. Total T Paid Distribution (Sum of 15B-1 and 15B-3): 566,488; D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 33,494; 4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 10,587; E. Total T Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15D-1 and 15D-4): 44,081; F. Total T Distribution (Sum of 15C and 15E): 610,569; G. Copies Not Distributed: 112,567; H. Total T (Sum of 15F and 15G): 723,226; Percent Paid (15C/15F x 100): 92.78%. (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date): A. T Total No. Copies (Net Press Run): 713,615; B. Paid Circulation: 1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 527,336; 3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 33,634; C. Total T Paid Distribution (Sum of 15B-1 and 15B-3): 560,970; D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 34,345; 4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: 18,787; E. Total T Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15D-1 T Distribution (Sum of 15C and 15E): 614,102; G. Copies Not Distributed: 99,513; H. Total T (Sum of 15F and 15G): 713,615. I. Percent Paid (15C/15F x 100): 91.35%. 16) Publication of and 15D-4): 53,132; F. Total Statement of Ownership: Publication required. Will be printed in the December 2010 issue of this publication. 17) I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). Ryan Shea, Publisher

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Here’s the

Expensive day spas are being pummeled by the recession—but FRANCHISED SPAS AND

MASSAGE CENTERS ARE GROWING FAST

by offering a full range off services and styles at a much better price BY JASON DALEY

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D

uck k into anyy downtown dayy spaa orr destination resortt and d thee Enya mightt seem m to echo a littlee moree loudlyy than usual. That’s because, according g to thee Internationall Spaa Association, America’s appetitee forr blueberry pore-refiningg facials, seaweed d bodyy wraps, reflexology y and d hott stonee massages has been n a casualty y off thee recession. Afterr a decadee off unprecedented d growth, and da couplee off stellarr years—spaa visits jumped byy nearlyy 16 percentt in n 2008 alone—the industry y was hitt hard, losingg 10 percentt of its business in n 2009 and d 5 million n square feett off reall estatee between n mid d 2009 and 2010. “We’ree thee industryy that’s firstt to feell a recession n and d thee lastt to recover,” says Hanneloree Leavy, chairwoman n off the Dayy Spaa Association n advisoryy board. “Spa services aree stilll a luxuryy and d nott absolutelyy necessary. Peoplee tend d to hold d back.” But a closer look shows that Americans haven’t quite suppressed their penchant for pampering. While destination and upscale day spas have taken a brutal waxing, the relatively new franchised massage and dayspa sector has been busy keeping the nation rubbed down and exfoliated. Franchised spas, which include more than a dozen concepts, with more being launched each month, have refined their business model over the last few years and picked up a huge base off cost-conscious consumers. Most

Massage is now considered a routine part of wellness. companies are reporting double-digit growth in sales, huge increases in new franchises and big upticks in repeat visits. Most off the franchise concepts have positioned themselves for exponential growth when credit markets finally loosen up. It’s tempting to think that these lower-cost services are doing well at the expense off pricier spas, but the truth is a little more complicated. Spa culture has seeped into mainstream America in the past 20 years. What was almost a taboo service, massage today is considered a routine part of sports and wellness. In fact, a September study sponsored by the National

Institutes off Health found that even a single massage has positive biological effects, which include lower levels off stress hormones, boosts to the immune system and increases in a hormone associated with contentment. Meanwhile, beauty treatments, once the domain off elites, now are standard at day spas and midpriced resorts, which perform body wraps by the millions. The new spa franchises, Leavy notes, haven’t cannibalized day and resort spas; they’re acting as spa service evangelists. “We’ve always wanted to bring spa services to the common person and tell them they’re not for the rich and famous like in the ’70s and ’80s,” she says. “And we’ve succeeded—awareness off spa services for health and well-being has grown tremendously. Franchises like Massage Envy make it affordable, and eventually clients will want to go to a real day spa or destination spa. These franchises are breeding a spa lifestyle.” And the franchised day spas give consumers a wide choice off services and styles, including full-service day spas, massage-focused chains, even a youth-oriented fully automated spa that does away with aestheticians and massage therapists altogether. The reigning queen off spa franchises—the one that direct competitors call the market pioneer—is Massage Envy, which has 634 locations and

to spa franchises WOODHOUSE DAY SPA Number of units: 26 Location: Texas, Colorado, Florida and Midwest Profile: A downtown day spa in your neighborhood— well, at least somewhere with free parking Signature service: The Four-Handed Massage. Two therapists spend 80 minutes on this intense rubdown that includes reflexology and a scalp massage ($200)

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MASSAGE ENVY Number of units: 634 Location: Nationwide Profile: The McDonald’s of massage—the biggest and first, setting a high standard for the industry Signature service: The 50-minute “Customized Massage”; walk-ins welcomed ($49 to $59) HAND AND STONE MASSAGE AND FACIAL SPA Number of units: 34 Location: East and West

coasts, plus Wisconsin, Arizona and Colorado Profile: Like a high-end spa, but with a 40 percentoff coupon—if that spa was in a strip mall Signature service: The e 50-minute e hott stone e massage e ($59) ELEMENTS THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Number of units: 80 Location: Nationwide Profile: Nothing but massage, with you and yourr therapist determining its pressure,

length and intensity Signature service: The 55-minute full-body rubdown ($60 to $80) PLANET BEACH CONTEMPO SPA Number of units: 300-plus Location: Worldwide Profile: A spa to the future— a bevy off (slightly scary) high-tech machines take care off your pampering Signature service: Mystic Tan spray booth ($99 monthly unlimited use)

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more than 800,000 monthly members. When it opened in 2002, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based franchise focused solely on massage therapy, but during the last year, Massage Envy, and most other spa franchises, have added services like Murad Rapid Exfoliator Anti-Aging Facial ($59 to $69) and the Clarifying Enzyme Acne Facial ($59 to $69). The facilities aren’t as opulent as a destination spa, but cost and convenience are the attractions. “Customers feell we’ree delivering g service comparablee in n quality y to otherr dayy spas forr halff orr a third d off thee price,” says David Humphrey, CEO off Massagee Envy. “They lovee thee convenience. Iff you u havee a chron114 E Entrepreneur ntrepreneur trepreneu

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icc back k problem m orr overdid d itt exercising orr havee a tremendous tension n headache, you u don’tt wantt to calll a dayy spaa and d make an n appointmentt forr 4 in n thee afternoon nextt Wednesday. You u wantt to go now w or tonight. That’s whatt wee offer.” Mark Siebert, CEO off the iFranchise Group, says Massage Envy’s influence on the industryy can’tt be understated. “The success off Massage Envy y has had a halo effectt on other competitors—a rising tide lifts all boats,” he says. “For example, we’re seeing some companies getting into this with more high-end offerings. It’s like the earlyy days off fast food. Later we saw w the spinofff off fastcasual. Massage Envy y was a product

PHOTO© VEER INC/ OJ O IMAGES

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Customers “love e the convenience” off franchised spas.. Walkins OK. for the masses. Now w we’re seeing more upscale full-service spas.” The main player on the high end is Woodhouse Day Spa, a full-service day spa franchise in Victoria, Texas, with 26 locations. “We like to call ourselves a destination spa in your back yard,” says Jeni Garrett, CEO and founder off Woodhouse, which opened in 2001 and will move into Mexico and India in the next year. The spas, an average 4,500 square feet in size, offer deep tissue massages ($70 to $110), seaweed wraps ($90 to $170) and facials ($70 to $100), all based on Ayurvedic medicine. It seems like a gamble in a sector dominated by discount services, but so far the franchise has a customer retention rate off 80 percent and client visits jumped 29 percent in 2009. Despite the upscale offerings, Garrett insists that Woodhouse is not a substitute for the destination spas that built the industry. “Those guests who go to destination spas go to Woodhouse spas. We’re the only comparable offering they can go to on a regular basis,” she says. “We complement and reinforce what destination spas do for our clients.” Woodhouse is the only high-end day spa franchise, though there are a few nascent competitors in the offing. But spas in the middle ground are proliferating—and fighting to distinguish themselves. Elements Therapeutic Massage, based in Highlands Ranch, Colo. and offered by the group that created Fitness Together, is differen-

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tiating its 80 locations by focusing on massage. “Iff you think about our competitors, they have become a more reasonable version off going to day spa. Massage Envy is now focusing on putting plumbing and sinks and aestheticians in their studios to do facial-type services,” says Elements CEO Jeff Jervik. “I think that’s good that they’re trying to find other sources off revenue, but what it does do is take your eye offf your core competencies. What we focus on is true therapeutic massage. We specialize in providing massage that is tailored to individual clients and their needs.” Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa—off Hamilton, N.J., with 34 spas and 14 more slated to open by February—is taking the opposite tack. “We very consciously fall above the massage clinic concept,” says CEO Todd Leff, former president and CEO off AAMCO Transmission. He plans to open 30 to 40 units per year until Hand and Stone reaches 250 to 300 stores. “Our goal is to ri-

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val the look and feel off the high-end day spa at a price 30 to 40 percent less in a retail shopping environment. Our goal is to create a demand in the middle market, attracting folks with no spa experience or people who have done it at a resort.”

Planet Beach was one off the largest tanning franchises in the country, but noticing the increasing drumbeat against UV tanning five years ago, the 300-plus-location concept began slowly converting its tanning operations into fully automated Contempo

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/MIODRAG GA JI C

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Spas. For a $99 monthly membership fee, Planet Beach clients have unlimited use off services such as a Mystic Tan spray tan booth and a gallery off futuristic gadgets like a hydromassage bed, luminous facial machine, teeth-whitening light and a sauna capsule. Now two-thirds of their units are fully automated. Steve Smith, CEO and founder of Planet Beach, says his Marrero, La., company has found a sweet spot. “A little over a year ago, a Massage Envy moved in right next to the store I own,” he says. “Our concepts are so different, it was like they never moved in. The price we charge for complete access is cheap compared to even lower-priced franchises like Massage Envy, and way less than traditional day spas.” Indeed, when n his firstt 20 stores changed overr to thee Contempo Spaa model, quarterlyy revenues jumped d 47 7 percent. Of course, everyone is wondering what the future of this sector looks like. With so many concepts grow-

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ing so rapidly, it’s hard to imagine that they won’t reach saturation relatively quickly. Hand and Stone’s Lefff says there will be an inevitable shakeout. “This industry didn’t exist five years ago in franchising and I think two or three winners will emerge. The rest will fall away,” he says. Naturally, he predicts his concept will survive. “I think we will be a second, very clear alternative brand to Massage Envy.” Edith Wiseman, vice president of client solutions for industry analyst FranData, doesn’t see the concepts going bust soon. “All indications show there is continued growth, not as quick as in 2007-2008, off course, but the concepts are experiencing growth. They’re discontinuing 3 percent to 5 percent off units, which is less than some other industries are experiencing,” she says. “Consumers are still excited about these concepts.” Siebert off iFranchise expects the sector to diverge into even more

niches. “What we typically see is that franchising follows a pattern. Someone comes out with a unique idea that they popularize, then we see other people putting their own spin on them or specializing,” he says. “It’s harder to be a knockoff than doing something unique.” Whatever companies come out on top, it’s likely that the low-cost spa and franchise model in general is going to be a long-term winner. “That groundwork has been laid,” says Humphrey off Massage Envy. “In the past, health meant the absence of disease. Now people recognize health has an emotional component, and the two go hand and hand. Until people developed that awareness, massage was viewed as a fluffy luxury. We didn’t understand the genuine wellness benefits and real physiological health issues. Now we’re definitely in the mainstream.” JASON DALEY IS A FREELANCE WRITER IN MADISON, WIS.

Start-up vs Smart-up ... it’s your choice. Jesse started his own carpet cleaning company in 2008: About $82k to get started.

Clint started his own Chem-Dry Franchise in 2008: About $10k to get started.

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Available Business Tools: 24/7 Support, Online Training, and Business Coaches.

Hours spent with my kids: Does a quick video chat during my work-lunch count?

Hours spent with my kids: More than the past five or six years combined.

Quality of life: Just moved in with the mother-in-law ... you tell me.

Quality of life: Fantastico! (I learned that on my recent family trip to Italy)

Jesse L. Hansen, New Haven, CT

Clint D. Newbury, Jacksonville, FL

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10 TOP

TRENDS FOR 2011

CHILD CARE

Parents are busier than ever—and drawn to child care that combines education and enrichment programs.

PHOTO© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/STANDH ARTINGER

A+ Nannies Inc. Nanny/baby-sitter placement services aplusnanniesinc.com (480)699-7558 Total cost: $40.3K-55.6K Total franchises: 2 Company-owned: 3 Adventure Kids Playcare Child-care & entertainment center adventurekidsplaycare.com (214)277-9948 Total cost: $228.5K-453.8K Total franchises: 8 Company-owned: 1 Childrens Lighthouse Franchising Co. Child-care services

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childrenslighthouse.com (888)338-4466 Total cost: $1.9M-3.1M Total franchises: 19 Company-owned: 9 Discovery Point Franchising Inc. Child-care center discoverypoint.com (770)622-2112 Total cost: $365.2K-419.6K Total franchises: 58 Company-owned: 0 Goddard Systems Inc. Preschool/educational child care goddardschool.com (800)272-4901 Total cost: $632.3K-679.6K Total franchises: 364 Company-owned: 0 The Growing Room Franchising System Child-development center growingroomusa.com (706)596-1510

T

he future of franchising is looking bright: In September, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 10.5 percent of all businesses with paid employees were franchises in 2007, the latest data year, and that they generated a staggering $1.3 trillion in annual sales. Where is franchising headed next? We’ve identified 10 categories as the industries to watch in 2011. Whether they’re services that people can’t afford to live without, such as child care and healthcare, or luxuries made more affordable through franchising, like fitness and spa services, these are the businesses that kept growing strong right through the recession and, now that it’s over, show no signs of slowing. This list is not a ranking and is not intended to endorse any specific franchise. Look at it instead as just a first step toward your own careful research, which should include reading the company’s literature and legal documents, consulting with an attorney and an accountant, and talking to current and former franchisees to find out if an opportunity is right for you. —TRACY STAPP

Total cost: $490.7K-2.2M Total franchises: 5 Company-owned: 5 Kiddie Academy Child-care learning center kiddieacademy.com (410)515-6079 Total cost: $345K-627K Total franchises: 103 Company-owned: 4 KLA Schools Preschool/child-care center klaschoolsfranchise.com (305)377-0391 Total cost: $466.5K-1.5M Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 2 The Learning Experience Child-care services thelearningexperience.com (561)886-6400 Total cost: $462.8K-3.5M Total franchises: 79 Company-owned: 16

Primrose School Franchising Co. Educational child-care facility primroseschools.com (800)774-6767 Total cost: $607.1K-3.9M Total franchises: 212 Company-owned: 1 Rainbow Station Inc. Preschool, after-school recreation, care for mildly ill children rainbowstation.org (888)716-1717 Total cost: $1.4M-3.3M Total franchises: 5 Company-owned: 4 SeekingSitters Franchise System Inc. Baby-sitting referral service seekingsitters.com (918)749-3588 Total cost: $44.2K-70K Total franchises: 45 Company-owned: 5

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franchise FITNESS

Spending on fitness is up. And fitness franchises offer a full range off options—big or small gyms, programs for women, boxing classes, dance fitness, personal training and more.

Anytime Fitness Fitness center anytimefitness.com (800)704-5004 Total cost: $44K-300K Total franchises: 1,358 Company-owned: 13 CKO Kickboxing Kickboxing fitness classes ckokickboxing.com (201)963-7774 Total cost: $97.9K-306.9K Total franchises: 13 Company-owned: 7 Crunch Franchising LLC Fitness center crunchfranchise.com (800)669-7162 Total cost: $304.5K-1.3M Total franchises: 6 Company-owned: 0 Curves Women’s fitness & weightloss center buycurves.com (800)848-1096 Total cost: $24.99K-39.6K Total franchises: 8,119 Company-owned: 0 Elements Diet & Fitness Fitness, diet & lifestyle club for women joinelements.com (305)535-1525 Total cost: $75K-784.4K Total franchises: 9 Company-owned: 14 Fitness Together Personal fitness training

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fitnesstogether.com (877)663-0880 Total cost: $140.5K-253.9K Total franchises: 336 Company-owned: 0 Get In Shape For Women Small-group personal training for women getinshapeforwomen.com (781)444-1913 Total cost: $26.96K-178.9K Total franchises: 44 Company-owned: 2 Gold's Gym Gym & fitness center goldsgym.com (214)574-4653 Total cost: $531.1K-3.9M Total franchises: 655 Company-owned: 63 Jazzercise Inc. Dance fitness classes jazzercise.com (760)476-1750 Total cost: $2.98K-75.5K Total franchises: 8,009 Company-owned: 2 Koko FitClub LLC Health club/fitness studio kokofitclub.com (877)565-6348 Total cost: $97.5K-208.4K Total franchises: 17 Company-owned: 1 LA Boxing Franchise Corp. Fitness, boxing & kickboxing classes laboxing.com (866)522-6946 Total cost: $174.95K-196.2K Total franchises: 120 Company-owned: 0 My Personal Trainer Fitness mypersonaltrainerinc.com (888)733-0032 Total cost: $68.2K-146.3K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 4

Personal Training Institute Nutritional counseling & personal training ptifranchise.com (516)342-9064 Total cost: $112.1K-221.5K Total franchises: 24 Company-owned: 0 Planet Fitness Fitness club planetfitness.com (603)750-0001 Total cost: $530.1K-1.4M Total franchises: 336 Company-owned: 17 Prime Time Boxing Boxing fitness programs primetimeboxing.com (916)927-2697 Total cost: $119.6K-149.3K Total franchises: 1 Company-owned: 2 Retro Fitness LLC Health club retrofitness.net (732)431-0062 Total cost: $641.8K-1.5M Total franchises: 60 Company-owned: 0 Slim & Fit Franchise LLC Weight-loss & fitness programs slimandfit.com (440)352-4300 Total cost: $56.1K-132.5K Total franchises: 7 Company-owned: 2 Snap Fitness Inc. 24-hour fitness center snapfitness.com (877)474-5422 Total cost: $79.4K-195.8K Total franchises: 1,056 Company-owned: 25 Thrive Community Fitness Fitness center/health club thrivecf.com (425)947-0990 Total cost: $140K-750K Total franchises: 4 Company-owned: 4

GREEN

Companies doing their part to save the planet—and often saving money as well—are gaining ground with the eco-conscious and cashstrapped alike.

Clean Air Lawn Care Eco-friendly lawn care cleanairlawncare.com (888)969-3669 Total cost: $60.9K-117.8K Total franchises: 25 Company-owned: 6 EcoMaids Eco-friendly residential cleaning ecomaids.com (888)989-6243 Total cost: $39.9K-101.7K Total franchises: 21 Company-owned: 1 The Green Mop Franchise Co. Eco-friendly residential & commercial cleaning greenmopfranchise.com (703)508-8082 Total cost: $52.6K-84.9K Total franchises: 1 Company-owned: 1 Oxi Fresh Franchising Co. Eco-friendly carpet cleaning oxifresh.com (877)694-3737 Total cost: $33.5K-55.95K Total franchises: 197 Company-owned: 4 Pizza Fusion All-natural pizza, sandwiches, salads pizzafusion.com (954)202-1919 Total cost: $325K-584K Total franchises: 28 Company-owned: 3 Pro Energy Consultants Home performance & energy audits

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CPR R® RESUSCITATES S YOUR BROKEN GADGETS By: Bradley y Broom “I was tired of working for the man” says 39 year old Bob Guess. “I needed a change from the everyday repetition at my desk job, I wanted to become an entrepreneur. Even when I returned home from work at 7:30pm, I couldn’t spend time with my family because I always had more work on my plate to bring home with me.” Bob, a father of two young children, was looking for a change of pace in the workforce. He was seeking a job that would allow him more control, more flexibility and a better paycheck. “Don’t get me wrong, I still spend my y fairr share off time at work k these days, but the difference is that I can actually y enjoy y what I do ratherr than just going through the motions to earn a paycheck,” stated Guess. Two years ago, Bob entered the franchise system of CPR®-Cell Phone Repair, a company started in 1994 in Orlando which has now grown into the largest and most trusted name in the cellular repair world. With more than 60 locations operating throughout North America, CPR® offers comprehensive repair services on all forms of personal electronic devices including: • Cell Phones • iPods, iPads, iPhones • Game Systems like Xbox 360 and PS3 • GPS units • Laptops • Digital Cameras

“It feels great to be able to run a successful business and oversee the operations from start to finish. When my customers walk through the door they are usually distraught because they can’t make phone calls, can’t retrieve important phone numbers and basically can’t go on with their everyday life because their cell phone is broken. I can always see the relief and happiness in their eyes when we have repaired their phone back to working condition in a mere 30 minutes and they can resume their technology-reliant lives.” Having added 24 new locations in 2010, the CPR® franchise system is growing by more than 200% year-over-year. CPR® operates with a while-youwait service philosophy; CPR® has the on-site expertise to repair nearly all problems on all makes and models of cell phones, and usually in under an hour. Founded by wireless industry veteran Jeremy Kwaterski, and offering franchises since 2008, CPR® offers a turn-key franchise model including: a low cost of entry; real estate site selection and lease negotiations service; a 30-day onsite training program, that covers all aspects of operating a CPR® location; on-going support via telephone, webinars and private systemwide portal; a purchasing cooperative designed to leverage the scale of the system; and a comprehensive parts and merchandise supply chain accessible through a private and secure online store. While primarily a repair service business, CPR® franchisees are also able to employ a buy/sell/ trade retailing model, oftentimes acquiring used phones and reselling refurbished devices along with accessories for all categories of personal electronic devices dramatically enhancing the operating margins for the stores.

For information on joining j g this exciting g franchise call CPR® @ 1-877-856-5101 and ask k for francise information. O visit Or i it their th i web b site it att www.CPR-Franchise.com.

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franchise proenergyconsultants.com (888)977-6363 Total cost: $45K Total franchises: 60 Company-owned: 1 Solar Universe Solar panel sales & installation solaruniverse.com (925)455-4700 Total cost: $93K-196.3K Total franchises: 17 Company-owned: 0 Splish Franchise Systems LLC Eco-friendly hair salon mysplish.com (970)389-5473 Total cost: $265.5K-496.5K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 1

HEALTH SERVICES

It may be a subject of much debate in the political world, but in the franchise world healthcare is just good business. Take note: A number off opportunities aimed at physician franchisees have sprung up in recent years.

Doctors Express Urgent-care services doctorsexpressfranchise.com (410)296-7515 Total cost: $508.5K-693K Total franchises: 10 Company-owned: 1

HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive Rehab Chiropractic, nutrition & weight-loss services healthsourcechiro.com (440)967-5458 Total cost: $52.95K-249.8K Total franchises: 269 Company-owned: 0 Hungry Heart Franchise LLC Nutritional counseling & hypnotherapy hungryheart.org (877)486-4797 Total cost: $43K-57K Total franchises: 10 Company-owned: 0 Medi-Weightloss Franchising USA LLC Physician-supervised weight-loss program mediweightlossclinics.com

(813)228-6334 Total cost: $224.5K-468.5K Total franchises: 78 Company-owned: 0 Miracle-Ear Inc. Hearing instruments miracle-ear.com (763)268-4000 Total cost: $122.5K-570K Total franchises: 1,301 Company-owned: 27 Passport Health Inc. Immunization/vaccination service for international travelers passporthealthusa.com (410)727-0556 Total cost: $63.6K-166.5K Total franchises: 70 Company-owned: 0

NOW IS TH E TIME TO ® CONSI D ER KID D IE AC A D EM Y The Kiddie Academy opportunity offers our franchisees the ability to support their total lifestyle. • Balance – Hours of operation allow you balance between work and family • Fulfillment – Achieve personal and professional goals while providing a valuable service to families in your community • Independence – Maintain control over your career and future • Confidence – A franchisor who has pioneered and led an industry for decades

To discover more about Kiddie Academy® and determine if our franchise is right for you, call 800.554.3343 or visit kiddieacademy.com.

WIT H K I D D I E A C A D E M Y, Y O U D O N’ T H AV E TO C O M P R O M I S E . 122 E Entrepreneur ntrepreneur trepreneu

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Pearle Vision Eyecare center pearlevisionfranchise.com (800)732-7531 Total cost: $42.2K-628.6K Total franchises: 362 Company-owned: 378 Pounds and Inches Away Weight-loss program poundsandinchesaway.com (636)922-2282 Total cost: $39.6K-97K Total franchises: 4 Company-owned: 2 Spinal Aid Centers of America Spinal decompression therapy spinalaid.com (877)456-9222 Total cost: $111.5K-178.4K Total franchises: 165 Company-owned: 0

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MOVING & STORAGE SERVICES

Americans move, on average, every y five e years, and with the e economy y starting to recover, moving and storage e businesses can expect theirr services to be in even more e demand.

Box Galaxy Moving & shipping supplies & services boxgalaxy.com (619)287-4090 Total cost: $64K-84.5K Total franchises: 2 Company-owned: 1

Move It Now Moving services & storage moveitnowusa.com (866)466-8348 Total cost: $83.1K-324.4K Total franchises: 6 Company-owned: 0 Two Men and a Truck Int'l. Inc. Moving services twomenandatruck.com (800)345-1070 Total cost: $158K-430.9K Total franchises: 200 Company-owned: 1 Units Franchise Group Inc. Mobile self-storage units unitsstorage.com (843)884-5221 Total cost: $154K-442.8K Total franchises: 21 Company-owned: 3

Zippy Shell Mobile Self Storage Mobile selff storage zippyshell.com (240)790-0290 Total cost: $734.7K-1.1M Total franchises: 4 Company-owned: 0

PETS

Spending on pets in the U.S. has increased year after year—to an estimated $47.7 billion in 2010—and that trend shows no sign off ending. No surprise: Pet franchises continue to grow.

Adventure Pet Pet care adventurepet.com (775)742-7295

Caf Cafe C afe af f U N C O M M O N LY G O O D F O O D

A FRESH

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY! Spicyy Pickle ha has earned a reputati tion for se erving g delicio ouss culina ary r inspired food for co onssumerss looking g for f someth ething fresh and unique. Operating g in n the g gro rowing fastt casual cat ateegory, we prrovide a “tw two in on ne” business opportunityy suppo portting g rettail and d cateri ring. g. We are looking for franc nch hisees who havee earned d a similarr reputation forr succ ccess in their homet etowns an nd are are looking g forr a gre greatt o opportun nity. With incr creased cons nsumerr d deman nd fforr healthie hierr foods a and prem mium ingred dien ients ts, th the fast-casu ual dining g in ndustry y is on fire with more than 300 bra brands fuelin ng a new restaura rant explosion.

Call today: 1-800-711-1902 www.spicypickle.com

© 201 2010 Spicy 2010 S y Pickle Franchising Inc..

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franchise Total cost: $10.7K-$14.3K Total franchises: 2 Company-owned: 1 Aussie Pet Mobile Mobile pet grooming aussiepetmobile.com (949)234-0680 Total cost: $97.5K-114.2K Total franchises: 263 Company-owned: 0 Bark Busters Home Dog Training In-home dog training barkbusters.com (877)300-2275 Total cost: $69.1K-97.1K Total franchises: 364 Company-owned: 4 Camp Bow Wow/Home Buddies Dog day care & in-home pet-care services campbowwow.com (877)700-2275 Total cost: $30K-831K Total franchises: 134 Company-owned: 1 Central Bark Doggy Day Care Dog day care centralbarkusa.com (866)799-2275 Total cost: $213K-395K Total franchises: 25 Company-owned: 3 Dogtopia Dogg day y care,, boarding,, spa a services dogdaycare.com (888)364-8674 Total cost: $242.8K-458.3K Total franchises: 20 Company-owned: 3 DoodyCalls Pet-waste removal doodycalls.com (800)366-3922 Total cost: $44.7K-71.9K Total franchises: 46 Company-owned: 9 Fetch! Pet Care Inc. Pet-sitting g & dog-walking g services fetchpetcare.com (866)338-2463 Total cost: $25.9K-39.5K 124 Entrepreneur

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Total franchises: 200 Company-owned: 5

Total franchises: 19 Company-owned: 0

In Home Pet Services Inc. Pet-sitting g & dog-walking g services inhomepetservices.com/franchise (718)347-7387 Total cost: $7.2K-31.1K Total franchises: 3 Company-owned: 1

Preppy Pet Pet boarding, day care & grooming preppypet.com (407)420-1060 Total cost: $127.8K-251K Total franchises: 13 Company-owned: 1

Palm Beach Puppies Puppies & pet supplies palmbeachpuppies.com (561)488-5757 Total cost: $178.4K-236.1K Total franchises: 2 Company-owned: 4 PawSpa Resort Pet boarding, day care, grooming, training & products pawsparesort.com (970)262-9373 Total cost: $123.5K-3.6M Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 2 Pet Butler Pet-waste cleanup & removal petbutler.com (800)738-2885 Total cost: $38K-65.9K Total franchises: 41 Company-owned: 0 Pet Supplies Plus Pet supplies & services petsuppliesplus.com (866)477-7748 Total cost: $500K-600K Total franchises: 239 Company-owned: 0 Petland Full-service pet store petland.com (800)221-5935 Total cost: $299K-1M Total franchises: 159 Company-owned: 4 Pets Are Inn Pet-lodging service in private homes petsareinn.com (866)343-0086 Total cost: $49.95K-75.2K

Wag-A-Lot Dog day care, boarding, grooming & products wagalot.com (678)777-4801 Total cost: $554K-850K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 2 Whiskers & Paws Catering Pet-food delivery service whiskersandpawscatering.com (877)644-5322 Total cost: $25.5K-95K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 2 Wild Birds Unlimited Bird-feeding supplies & nature gift items wbu.com (888)730-7108 Total cost: $92.2K-140.7K Total franchises: 272 Company-owned: 0 Zoom Room Dog Agility Dog training, canine event center, indoor dog park zoomroomonline.com (877)966-6766 Total cost: $95.2K-171.2K Total franchises: 4 Company-owned: 1

SANDWICHES

From $5 Footlongs to gourmet grinders, sandwiches are giving burgers some serious competition for America’s favorite fast food.

Arby’s Roastt beef, chicken, sandwiches, salads, fries, shakes arbys.com (800)487-2729 Total cost: $365K-2.4M Total franchises: 2,529 Company-owned: 1,150 Blimpie Subs & Salads Submarine sandwiches & salads kahalamgmt.com (480)362-4800 Total cost: $145.9K-397.8K Total franchises: 919 Company-owned: 0 Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop Inc. Submarine sandwiches capriottis.com (702)736-3878 Total cost: $201K-431.5K Total franchises: 61 Company-owned: 2 Charley’s Grilled Subs Philly cheesesteaks, grilled subs, fries, salads charleys.com (800)437-8325 Total cost: $103K-432.8K Total franchises: 379 Company-owned: 30 Cheba Hut Toasted Subs Toasted sandwiches, salads & munchies chebahut.com (970)484-2007 Total cost: $149.5K-299.5K Total franchises: 13 Company-owned: 0 Cousins Subs Hot/cold subs, salads, soups, desserts cousinssubs.com (800)238-9736 Total cost: $101.7K-295.8K Total franchises: 134 Company-owned: 16 Extreme Pita Pita wrap sandwiches, pizzas, salads, smoothies extremepita.com (888)729-7482 Total cost: $156.5K-371.96K

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franchise Total franchises: 224 Company-owned: 2 Firehouse Subs Submarine sandwiches firehousesubs.com (904)886-8300 Total cost: $188.3K-412K Total franchises: 363 Company-owned: 28 Frullati Cafe & Bakery Sandwiches, salads, soups, fresh baked goods kahalamgmt.com (480)362-4800 Total cost: $150.9K-511.3K Total franchises: 43 Company-owned: 0 The Great Steak & Potato Co. Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, fries, baked potatoes kahalamgmt.com (480)362-4800 Total cost: $153.1K-456K Total franchises: 169 Company-owned: 1 Great Wraps Hot wrapped sandwiches, grilled subs, salads, smoothies greatwraps.com (404)248-9900 Total cost: $145.5K-352.95K Total franchises: 68 Company-owned: 1 Groucho's Deli Subs & salads grouchos.com (803)799-9867 Total cost: $72.7K-310K Total franchises: 22 Company-owned: 1 Jersey Mike’s Subs Submarine sandwiches jerseymikes.com (732)223-4044 Total cost: $150.1K-519.97K Total franchises: 392 Company-owned: 17 Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwich Shops Gourmet sandwiches jimmyjohns.com 126 Entrepreneur

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(800)546-6904 Total cost: $305.5K-460.5K Total franchises: 1,020 Company-owned: 23 Kolache Factory Bakery cafe selling kolaches kolachefactory.com (281)829-6188 Total cost: $337.3K-464K Total franchises: 17 Company-owned: 21 Larry’s Giant Subs New York-style subs, sandwiches, salads larryssubs.com (800)358-6870 Total cost: $197.5K-305K Total franchises: 65 Company-owned: 5 Lenny’s Sub Shop Philly cheesesteaks & sub sandwiches lennys.com (901)753-4002 Total cost: $216.5K-369K Total franchises: 154 Company-owned: 8 Mr. Goodcents Franchise Systems Inc. Submarine sandwiches, pasta, flatbread pizza mrgoodcents.com (800)648-2368 Total cost: $163.2K-265.5K Total franchises: 100 Company-owned: 1 My Friend’s Place Sandwiches,, salads,, desserts,, catering myfriendsplacedeli.com (770)973-3300 Total cost: $158.5K-262.7K Total franchises: 20 Company-owned: 2 Nature’s Table Cafe Wraps, sandwiches, salads, soups, smoothies, frozen treats naturestable.com (407)481-2544 Total cost: $53.2K-316.1K Total franchises: 76 Company-owned: 2

Penn Station East Coast Subs Specialty sandwiches penn-station.com (513)474-5957 Total cost: $255.9K-451.7K Total franchises: 213 Company-owned: 2

Spicy Pickle Panini, salads, subs, soups, pizzetti spicypickle.com (303)297-1902 Total cost: $328.7K-457.9K Total franchises: 28 Company-owned: 6

Pita Pit Inc. Pita sandwiches pitapitusa.com (208)765-3326 Total cost: $192.6K-318.6K Total franchises: 295 Company-owned: 7

The Steak Escape Grilled sandwiches, baked potatoes, salads steakescape.com (614)224-0300 Total cost: $105K-501.2K Total franchises: 75 Company-owned: 5

Port Of Subs Submarine sandwiches & salads portofsubs.com (800)245-0245 Total cost: $118.3K-310.3K Total franchises: 114 Company-owned: 25 Rollerz Rolled sandwiches, salads, soups, baked goods kahalamgmt.com (480)362-4800 Total cost: $143.4K-441.3K Total franchises: 7 Company-owned: 0 San Francisco Sourdough Eatery Inc. Sourdough sandwiches, salads, soups sfsourdougheatery.com (208)640-3066 Total cost: $139.3K-276K Total franchises: 10 Company-owned: 0 Schlotzsky’s Sandwiches & pizza schlotzskys.com (512)236-3600 Total cost: $473.6K-715.3K Total franchises: 330 Company-owned: 27 Smiling Moose Deli Sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, breakfast smilingmoosedeli.com (303)530-2700 Total cost: $273K-435K Total franchises: 5 Company-owned: 10

Subway Submarine sandwiches & salads subway.com (800)888-4848 Total cost: $84.3K-258.3K Total franchises: 33,188 Company-owned: 0 Togo’s Franchisor LLC Specialty sandwiches, soups, salads & catering togosfranchise.com (408)280-6569 Total cost: $256.7K-417.3K Total franchises: 238 Company-owned: 2 Which Wich Superior Sandwiches Sandwiches whichwich.com (214)747-9424 Total cost: $185.9K-423.3K Total franchises: 110 Company-owned: 1

SENIOR SERVICES are the world’s fastest-growing population, making services aimed at them—in-home care, financial planning, reading material and so on—a strong bet for success.

Accessible Home Health Care Medical & nonmedical home care & staffing accessiblehhc.com (954)341-5600

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franchise Total cost: $108K-125K Total franchises: 92 Company-owned: 1 Always Best Care Senior Services In-home care & assisted living placement alwaysbestcare.com (888)430-2273 Total cost: $45.2K-71.2K Total franchises: 110 Company-owned: 0 American Prosperity Group (APG) Retirement & estate planning products/services apgfranchise.com (877)885-1274 Total cost: $76K-118.3K Total franchises: 14 Company-owned: 1 Assisting Hands Home Care LLC Nonmedical in-home care assistinghands.com (208)442-7426 Total cost: $66.5K-135K Total franchises: 29 Company-owned: 0

(866)708-9420 Total cost: $38.3K-66.6K Total franchises: 82 Company-owned: 0 ComForcare Senior Services Inc. Nonmedical home-care services comforcarefranchise.com (800)886-4044 Total cost: $80K-115K Total franchises: 150 Company-owned: 1 Comfort Keepers Nonmedical in-home care comfortkeepersfranchise.com (888)329-1368 Total cost: $57K-79.3K Total franchises: 680 Company-owned: 0 Companion Connection Senior Care Medicall & nonmedicall seniorr care companionconnectionseniorcare. com (800)270-6949 Total cost: $21.8K-45.8K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 2

BrightStar Care Medical/nonmedical home care & medical staffing brightstarfranchise.com (877)689-6898 Total cost: $90.9K-155.7K Total franchises: 163 Company-owned: 1

FirstLight HomeCare Nonmedical in-home care services firstlightfranchise.com (877)570-0002 Total cost: $49.9K-69.6K Total franchises: 4 Company-owned: 0

CareMinders Home Care Inc. Nonmedical & medical care careminders.com (877)264-6337 Total cost: $75.5K-123.9K Total franchises: 28 Company-owned: 1

Griswold Special Care Nonmedical home-care services griswoldspecialcare.com (215)402-0200 Total cost: $60K-85K Total franchises: 112 Company-owned: 9

Caring Senior Service In-home senior care caringfranchise.com (210)226-6393 Total cost: $58.5K-74.3K Total franchises: 9 Company-owned: 18

Guava Healthcare Inc. Medical/nonmedical home-care services, staffing, transportation guavahomecare.com (888)482-8224 Total cost: $61.95K-127.9K Total franchises: 2 Company-owned: 1

Caring Transitions Saless off estatess & household d goods caringtransitions.net 128 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

Home Care Assistance Nonmedical in-home

senior-care services franchise.homecareassistance.com (650)462-9501 Total cost: $85K-152.95K Total franchises: 62 Company-owned: 3 Home Health Mates In-home medical & senior care homehealthmates.com (888)278-4645 Total cost: $89.9K-134.4K Total franchises: 5 Company-owned: 0 Home Helpers/Direct Link Nonmedical-care services homehelpers.cc (866)708-8921 Total cost: $47.2K-86.4K Total franchises: 658 Company-owned: 0 Home Instead Senior Care Nonmedical senior-care services homeinstead.com (888)484-5759 Total cost: $89.6K-102.6K Total franchises: 892 Company-owned: 1 Homewatch CareGivers Medical & nonmedical home care, temporary medical staffing, transportation homewatchcaregivers.com/franchise (800)472-2290 Total cost: $58.5K-90K Total franchises: 178 Company-owned: 3 HomeWell Senior Care In-home senior care homewellseniorcare.com (800)354-7553 Total cost: $48.5K-67.5K Total franchises: 33 Company-owned: 1 Preferred Care at Home Senior home care preferhome.com (866)690-7733 Total cost: $57.5K-79.5K Total franchises: 51 Company-owned: 1

Right at Home Inc. Senior home care & medical staffing rightathome.net (877)697-7537 Total cost: $63.6K-99.7K Total franchises: 188 Company-owned: 0 The Senior Financial Center Financial planning services for seniors seniorfinancialcenter.com (516)763-5103 Total cost: $46K-67K Total franchises: 4 Company-owned: 4 Senior Helpers In-home care for seniors seniorhelpers.com (800)760-6389 Total cost: $74.8K-98.8K Total franchises: 285 Company-owned: 1 Senior Magazine Inc. Magazine for seniors yourseniormagazine.com (877)785-4815 Total cost: $44.2K-56K Total franchises: 11 Company-owned: 1 The Senior’s Choice Inc. Nonmedical in-home senior care theseniorschoice.com (888)725-3655 Total cost: $54K-72K Total franchises: 187 Company-owned: 0 Stay at Home Nonmedical in-home care services stayhomeweb.com (865)692-1101 Total cost: $49.9K-69.9K Total franchises: 10 Company-owned: 0 Synergy HomeCare Nonmedical home-care services synergyhomecare.com (480)659-7771 Total cost: $53.3K-115.3K Total franchises: 111 Company-owned: 0

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Keep your job for now, while building a business for your future.

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Another reason it’s fun to run is that you don’t even have to be there every day. Our business model calls for you to hire a day to day manager, giving you the freedom to keep your current job for a steady income as the business grows. This is a big plus for obtaining financing as well.

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•°No prior hair care experience needed - you’re running a business, not cutting hair • Consistently ranked in Entrepreneur's Top 100 and 50 fastest growing •°Proven franchise support system, from site selection through hiring your day to dayy manager •°Now with over 725 locations ocations with prime real estate still ava available Official Haircutter of the VFW

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franchise Touching Hearts At Home Nonmedical home care for seniors & disabled people touchinghearts.com (877)870-8750 Total cost: $41.8K-62.4K Total franchises: 31 Company-owned: 0

Michelle Lea Massage Therapy Inc. Holistic wellness & healthcare services leamassagetherapy.com (301)475-2200 Total cost: $62.5K-107.6K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 1

Visiting Angels Nonmedical in-home senior care livingassistance.com (800)365-4189 Total cost: $52.3K-84K Total franchises: 394 Company-owned: 0

My Massage People Massage services mymassagepeople.com (770)886-3813 Total cost: $46.1K-68.98K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 0

SPA SERVICES

Franchises offering luxury on a budget are growing by leaps and bounds as people in need of some pampering seek out deals.

Elements Therapeutic Massage Inc. Therapeutic massage studio touchofelements.com (877)663-0880 Total cost: $159.1K-288K Total franchises: 73 Company-owned: 0 Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa Massage & spa services handandstone.com (609)587-9800 Total cost: $292.6K-469.6K Total franchises: 29 Company-owned: 2 Massage Envy Therapeutic massage services massageenvy.com (480)366-4100 Total cost: $300.9K-512.2K Total franchises: 626 Company-owned: 0 Massage Heights Therapeutic massage services & products massageheights.com (210)402-0777 Total cost: $199.3K-433.4K Total franchises: 61 Company-owned: 3 worldmags

On the Go Spa/On the Go Zen Mobile wellness services onthegospainc.com (619)334-3906 Total cost: $92.5K-248.5K Total franchises: 0 Company-owned: 1 Planet Beach Franchising Corp. Spa & UV-treatment services planetbeach.com (888)290-8266 Total cost: $118.5K-410K Total franchises: 325 Company-owned: 1 The Woodhouse Day Spa Day spa services/bath & body retail products woodhousespas.com (877)570-7772 Total cost: $392.8K-510K Total franchises: 22 Company-owned: 1

TUTORING

As the work world gets more competitive, parents put a higher premium on education— and the tutoring business continues to grow.

Chyten Educational Services Tutoring & test preparation chyten.com (781)541-6279 Total cost: $116.6K-219.9K

Total franchises: 23 Company-owned: 4

Total franchises: 33 Company-owned: 1

Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services In-home tutoring services clubztutoring.com (800)434-2582 Total cost: $27.7K-56.6K Total franchises: 427 Company-owned: 0

Kumon Math & Reading Centers Supplemental education kumon.com (866)633-0740 Total cost: $36.5K-145.3K Total franchises: 25,169 Company-owned: 30

College Nannies & Tutors Nanny & tutoring services collegenannies.com (952)476-0262 Total cost: $60K-154K Total franchises: 68 Company-owned: 0 Creative Tutors In-home tutoring creativetutors.com (214)282-6268 Total cost: $43K-77.96K Total franchises: 10 Company-owned: 0 E.nopi Supplemental education enopi.com (888)835-1212 Total cost: $59K-99K Total franchises: 373 Company-owned: 487 The Honors Learning Center Supplemental educational services & academic testing honorslearningcenter.com (423)280-1813 Total cost: $66.2K-107.9K Total franchises: 1 Company-owned: 0 Huntington Learning Centers Children’s educational services huntingtonfranchise.com (800)653-8400 Total cost: $197.5K-382.5K Total franchises: 318 Company-owned: 33 Huntington School Services Contracted supplemental education services huntingtonfranchise.com (800)653-8400 Total cost: $137.2K-297.9K

Summit Learning Services Inc. Tutoring summitlearning.net (954)583-9288 Total cost: $32.99K-46.99K Total franchises: 16 Company-owned: 12 Sylvan Learning Supplemental education sylvanfranchise.com (800)284-8214 Total cost: $179.1K-305.1K Total franchises: 913 Company-owned: 79 Tutor Doctor Tutoring services tutordoctor.com (416)646-0364 Total cost: $55.1K-161.3K Total franchises: 173 Company-owned: 1 The Tutoring Center After-school tutoring tutoringcenter.com (562)310-3632 Total cost: $67.5K-103.8K Total franchises: 25 Company-owned: 2 Tutoring Club LLC Individualized instruction for K-12 students tutoringclub.com (888)674-6425 Total cost: $83.2K-125.8K Total franchises: 153 Company-owned: 1

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One of these opportunities could mark the turning point to owning a business of your own, realizing your personal dreams and securing true financial independence. So go ahead, make your first move by considering all that they have to offer in this Opportunity Spotlight. Then make your first call.

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(877) 531-MATH (6284) | www.mathnasium.com Mathnasium is the #1 supplemental education franchise on Franchise Business Review’s 2010 franchisee satisfaction list and consistently receives high rankings. Why? Mathnasium is financially and personally rewarding - just ask our franchisees. You will discover they’re high achievers and passionate about improving the lives of children. Sound like you?

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Onee off thee bestt subs you’lll everr have! • Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks Served hot off the grill • Deli Fresh Experience Sliced fresh to order • Generous Portions Our large sub has about 1 lb. of meat & cheese! • • • •

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WHY DID THE INVESTOR CROSS THE ROAD? To get to the original, made-from-scratch biscuits; the fresh, never-frozen chicken and the unparalleled opportunity.

FOR THREE YEARS RUNNING, BOJANGLES’ HAS BEEN ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING RESTAURANT CHAINS IN THE COUNTRY. WE’RE NOT SLOWING DOWN. COME SEE WHY- Bojangles’ was named by The Wall Street Journal among only eight restaurants in its “25 Franchise High Performers” across all industries  ranked #1 in the chicken category by Entrepreneur  listed in the top six growth foodservice groups by Nation’s Restaurant News for 2009  listed in QSR’s top eight growth concepts for 2009  listed in Inc. magazine's fastest growing private companies

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franchise ink How one wine lover turned his p passion into a chain of storefronts where anyone can play vintner

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or many men, hobbies are fleeting fascinations—millions off garages full off abandoned fly-tying vises, half-built cane chairs and cobweb-matted golff bags attest to that. But when the wine bug hit David Schmeltzle, he went for broke, reorganizing his life and business around do-it-yourself vino. After tasting a homemade bottle off red at a dinner party, he began fermenting his own. “I brought home an oak barrel and 60 gallons off grape juice. It stunk up the house and blew up the kitchen,” he remembers. “Finally, my wife asked, ‘Isn’t there a place you could go to do this?’ ” That turned out to be the Schmeltzle family’s future. Just one month and one bottling later, in November 2005, Schmeltzle, a technology consultant, had written up a business plan for Vintner’s Circle, a storefront franchise where customers could make their own wine. By December, he’d set up a prototype in his basement and invited friends over to experiment. It was a holiday hit, and by May the locals in Hackettstown, N.J., were churning out their first batches of barolo, pinot and zin at the first Vintner’s Circle. Four years in, Vintner’s Circle is aging nicely, with six locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and four expected in New York, North Carolina and South Carolina by the end off this year. In 2011, Schmeltzle hopes to open 15 more shops on the East Coast. We took a break from clinking glasses to ask how the top note off success tastes. —JASON DALEY TEAM VINO: JENNIFER ALVIANI, LEFT, DAVID SCHMELTZLE, AND ROBIN RAIBLE OF VINTNER’S CIRCLE.

Why make your own wine? It’s about spending time together —80 percent off the store is a social winemaking area. Our typical customers are 35 to 60, like to entertain and love wine. We usually get groups of three to five couples, or church groups or community groups. We even have a local band coming in for a “make wine with the band” event. So it’s mostly friends coming in to hang out, not collectors with 500 bottles in the cellar. How does it work? Theyy come in n forr fourr visits. Fermentation n takes one orr two steps. We sett up one off ourr 80 juices forr fermentation and d add d oak k chips and d yeastt to it. Some wines are fermented d in n heavilyy oaked barrels. Then n they y clearr and d stabilize the wine, and d on n the lastt visitt they y bottle it and d design n a label. We do small 6-gallon batches—thatt 28 bottles is manageable and d averages $10 to $13 each. Still, wine made in a strip mall? The craftsmanship is fantastic. We have juices from m Argentina, Germany, Italy, anywhere you u find d wine. I can n gett merlot juice from m Stag’s Leap; we have Sonoma Valleyy pinot; we can n make the exactt same wines you u find d att the store. We’ve had customers win n awards att competitions. What are the favorites? Mostt startt with a cabernett or merlot, wines they y feel safe with. Once they make their firstt batch, they y love expanding their palates and startt making malbec or barolo. Did your tech background help? I founded d an n IT T and d marketing g infrastructure company y with h Vintner’s Circle called d bizbudding g Inc. I’ve tried d to create a system m thatt makes itt easyy forr franchisees—theyy don’tt have to worryy about how w to orderr productt and d where to gett it. Theyy justt click k a button n and d create a purchase orderr from m an n approved d supplier. It manages inventory, customers, the supply chain. They y can n see what’s sellingg orr press a button n to generate royalties. We have more infrastructure att justt six x stores than some large franchise systems.

134 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

PHOTO© NATALIE BRASINGTON

An n insouciant littlee franchise

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Rescued When Dawn Costanzo went from undercover cop p to home-care p provider, the first life she changed was her own

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—JASON DALEY 140 Entrepreneur

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//

December 2010

DAWN COSTANZO.: A NURSE FOR REAL NOW.

Is being an ex-cop a benefit? When we started, home healthcare wasn’t regulated in South Carolina. With our background, we wanted to find someone who would hold us to certain standards. So we took the difficult step off becoming accredited by CHAP, a national home healthcare organization. Police experience also helps with employees. Iff we say we’re doing a background check, we do it. Iff we say we drug test, we do that, too. Did you personalize the franchise? Yes. Before, they used an answering service after hours, but we wanted people familiar with the patients and able to answer questions. So for two years, Paula and I were on call 24/7; now we have a nurse on call. Then there was a need for pediatric home healthcare in our area, so we made it our niche and were certified last spring. We are the first and only pediatric-only home healthcare in the state. Are you as satisfied by this work? Let me tell you a story. One off our patients stopped getting services and ended up going into a bad depression. One day out off the blue she called. Paula and I went over to her house, which was in disarray. She couldn’t walk, and she had lost 30 or 40 pounds. We cleaned her house up, took care off her and helped her get on the right medication. She’s still one off our clients, and she feels like family. Iff ever there was a story I’m proud of, it’s that one.

PHOTO© DAVID LANG

he first time Dawn Costanzo became a nurse, she wasn’t the person you’d want taking care off your grandmother. In the mornings, she’d slip on her scrubs, hang a stethoscope from her neck and cruise a beat-up Mercedes around the wrong side off Charleston, S.C., trying to score heroin. “It was great,” she says. “You really learn how to read people and how they operate.” Costanzo’s car was wired with a camera, the scrubs and stethoscope were loaners, and a badge, gun and radio were in the glove box. Costanzo was an undercover narcotics officer, and she loved her job. But in 2004, after nine years on the force and with a 5-year-old daughter and a 9-month-old son, she decided raiding meth labs and stinging drug dealers wasn’t the best career choice. She applied to nursing school, thinking she’d work in a hospital. But during her studies, a friend’s wife became seriously ill, and Costanzo saw firsthand the effect home healthcare can have on a patient’s life. After graduation, she recruited her best friend and partner in the narco unit, Paula Tharp, and the crime-fighting duo bought out an 18-year-old Interim HealthCare franchise serving seven counties in coastal South Carolina. Now, 4 1/2 years into the venture, Costanzo and Tharp’s business is the only licensed pediatric home healthcare operation in the state, and they are considering doubling their territory. We caught up with Costanzo between calls to learn the difference between life in white and life in blue.

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INTERNET 񡑢񡑰#!񡑢 !񡑢񡑰񡑢∃!񡑀񡑠񡑨񡑘∀∀񡑦񡑣񡑦񡑢񡑡∀񡑀񡑱񡑰񡑨񡑦񡑰񡑢񡑁 )5138񡑀 Χ8>ΔΒ1=4Β񡑀 >6񡑀 =5Φ񡑀 ?Α>Β?53ΧΒ񡑀 5Ε5ΑΗ񡑀 41Η񡑀 >=񡑀 Χ85񡑀9=Χ5Α=5Χ񡑀Χ8Α>Δ78񡑀Entrepreneur <171Ι9=5ΚΒ񡑀Φ52Β9Χ5񡑐 &=;9=5񡑀Α1Χ5Β񡑀ΒΧ1ΑΧ񡑀1Β񡑀;>Φ񡑀1Β񡑀񡑂񡑖񡑡񡑐 񡑃񡑕񡑈񡑈񡑄񡑀񡑔񡑓񡑉񡑅񡑐񡑒񡑒񡑒 >Α 񡑃񡑔񡑉񡑔񡑄 񡑒񡑈񡑔񡑅񡑔񡑒񡑈񡑒񡑐񡑀−1+2񡑗43−(/∋55−+−∗)5񡑆(20 .񡑨񡑥∗ +񡑨∗񡑀 ,∋񡑀 %񡑀 񡑱&,)񡑐񡑀 񡑂񡑔񡑗񡑀 ∃&%+񡑱#/񡑐񡑀 ∗Χ1ΑΧΔ?񡑀 ΒΔ??>ΑΧ񡑈񡑀8>ΒΧ9=7񡑈񡑀5<19;񡑐񡑀.89Β?5Α∗ΧΑ55Χ񡑐29Ι 񡑔񡑗񡑉/񡑨񡑤)񡑉&#񡑧 %񡑨+.&)∀񡑀∃񡑤)∀񡑨+ %񡑰񡑀<9;;9>=19Α5񡑀 75=5Α1Χ5Β񡑀 񡑖񡑒񡑒񡑇񡑀 ;514Β񡑀 419;Η񡑀 >=񡑀 1ΔΧ>?9;>Χ񡑐 ΦΦΦ񡑐∃Η∗Χ9=:9=7)938񡑩Α95=4񡑐3><

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While yyou were out

wherever thatt is, you’re on duty. And the rare exceptional momentt when you are out, a computer plays tag for you. Wait. I was wrong. Never mind about the out thing. You don’t even have to be in, do you? What’s the point off paying money for a cubicle somewhere when your entire office fits into your laptop? There is no in. You say you miss the receptionist? She works at Starbucks now, you can visit her there. Say goodbye to carbon paper, rubber stamps, a fax machine, the storage cabinet, the coffee cart guy, the office librarian, the secretary who sat in front off your door and guarded it, the guy who used to make announcements over the office call speaker to find someone when a delivery came, slide carousels for presentations, the team that made the slides, the woman who carried the slide projector, the copy machine, the curator off the company art collection, the man in the suit who fixed the PBX, the PBX, the guy in the mailroom (and the mailroom itself) and yes, sadly, the three magazines you used to read every month that were the sole source off business insight. That’s OK, though, because we also get to say goodbye to the two meetings a day we had with everyone in the office, mostly because everyone was in the office and we didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. And we get to say goodbye to finger-pointing when a project hits a hiccup, because the timelines online don’t lie. And don’t bother sending me the annual Christmas letter or telling me you’ve been promoted or run an ad letting me know that you’ve launched a new product or landed a new client. I saw all off it as it happened, on Twitter. I know it’s difficult to imagine, but what’s a briefcase? What’s a brief? Is it something you brought with you to a chamber off commerce meeting? Or wore under your suit? What’s a suit?

148 Entrepreneur

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December 2010

PHOTO© GETTY IMAGES/G EORG E MARKS

By Seth Godin Oh, I forgot, g yyou’re never out. You’ve gott your cell phone in your pockett all the time, and

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