QR codes have been around for quite some time.  In case you didn’t know, QR stands for “quick response.”  The QR code looks like a barcode that you can scan using a smartphone equipped with a camera and some QR code-scanning software (I’m using the app called QR Droid on my Android (Bionic) smartphone).

QR codes have been around since the 1990s but are just now becoming popular, spurred on by the growing proliferation of smartphones.  When you scan a QR code that you find on a product, a brochure, a shop window, a billboard or other place, you are automatically connected to a web page that gives you more information.  The information ranges from discounts, to product specs, invitations to events, exclusive content and more.

As always, these days, there’s mixed news about the economy and what’s happening on Main Street.  There are reports and more reports but at the end of any day, it’s what worked for you this week.   Yesterday I was on a TweetUp, aka Twitter Chat sponsored by FedEx that asked 10 questions about what you can do to better market your business – it featured Small Business Trends publisher and business consultant Anita Campbell.

The comments from small businesses and the recommendations on the chat are worth reading – learn how to market on a shoestring and more – just go to Twitter and enter the hashtag #fedexsmallbiz in the search field and catch the conversation.  Speaking of Twitter, check out these 5 facts about Twitter followers and how they interact with brands and businesses.

On July 13 at 2:00pm Eastern time, join me for a free one-hour webinar presented by the Verizon Small Business Center.  The topic is marketing on a shoestring budget.

When I first started my business some years ago, like many of you, I started from scratch, with no clients and no revenue.  During the time it took me to develop a clientele and start bringing money in the door (almost 6 months to see significant revenue), I had to market my business, of course.  At first I used my savings.  It can be discouraging, even frightening, to see your bank balance dwindling every month, with little coming in. 

Guest blog post by Phil Simon, author of “The New Small”. Phil is a recognized technology expert, he consults with companies on how to optimize their use of technology. His contributions have been featured on The Globe and Mail, the American Express Open Forum, ComputerWorld, ZDNet, abcnews.com, forbes.com, The New York Times, ReadWriteWeb, and many other sites.

Customer Service: Learning from Amazon

Back in the mid-1990s, customer service was very different than it is today. I should know because I was there. You see, I used to work in customer service for a large consumer products company. Angry folks called 1-800 numbers, told friend, and wrote letters. If the mid-1990s seem like a much simpler time, you're right. You could build a call center and hire people to read letters.

Well, that time isn't returning anytime soon. Welcome to 2011. Those simple days seem quaint in comparison to the bevy of tools at customers' disposal today. Today, in additional to old standbys, customers can share their grievances on myriad forums: Facebook; Yelp; Blogs; Phone; Email; Twitter; and many other emerging websites and platforms.

Today's guest blog post is from John Jantsch of Ducttape Marketing.  He joins the Verizon Small Business Webinar Series tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET with his presentation, "A Marketing Driven Culture."  Below is a brief synopsis of what he'll cover in more detail.

Any good marketing strategy requires people to pull it off and in the case of a deeply embedded and purpose filled approach, strategy becomes culture. The marketing strategy is delivered to and through the staff to the ultimate delight and inspiration of the customer.

In fact, I've said it many times; your staff is likely delivering the same experience to your customers as they are receiving from you. You can make all the grand plans you like about delivering an entertaining, inspiring, simple, surprising or mission filled marketing strategy, but you won't make it happen unless it comes from within - at the hands of fun, inspired, motivated, surprised and connected employees.

The first week of the month always brings news about jobs created and unemployment levels.  It appears that May was a weak month for both and the NFIB says that small business hiring stalled.  Perhaps the good news is that only 8% of small businesses plan to reduce their workforce.

We talk about small business financing and loans here on the Small Biz Blog and there is, potentially, a silver lining.  According to the Thomson Reuters/Paynet small business lending index, small business borrowing surged in April.