Meet your San Francisco small business leader and the winner of TunedIn Demandforce Video Contest- Popular Mechanix. Nestled within San Francisco’s Mission District, the yellow and blue façade of Popular Mechanix makes this local auto repair shop really eye-catching. It’s in an “automotive alley” of sorts, operating next to several other automotive service businesses.
Andy and his Golden Rules
Andy Gescheidt, founder and owner of Popular Mechanix, has been working with vehicles for 30 years. He’s a whimsical man who acts with purpose and possesses an easy laugh. “We fixed anything that rolled,” he said, recalling the early days. But after partnering up with another neighboring repair shop, Andy decided to rebrand the businesses and specialize in Volvos. It’s became his philosophy to find one thing to focus on and be the best at it instead of dealing with a little bit of everything. In 1998, Andy was involved in a freak accident which nearly took his life – a dewired trolley pole from a bus fell and struck Andy in the back of the head as he was walking down a street, throwing him to the sidewalk and fracturing his skull. He was in a coma for a month and was not expected to live. He woke up, however, and learned to love and appreciate every minute of his life and his work. In a way, this accident has committed him to running a high quality business for the long haul. (more…)
On Monday, Google officially launched Google+ Pages – a social platform for business. For the past few days, I’ve been flooded with emails from our Small-Medium Business (SMB) network asking about this new tool and how to get started. Drawing from the most popular questions, I’ve created a short Q&A post to help you get started with Google+.
Q: Should I create a Google+ page for my business?
A: It depends. Here are the questions you should ask yourself before creating a page. (more…)
You’ve heard it before, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again – social media is here to stay.
The shift to interacting with our friends, family, colleagues and customers through social networking sites isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. And the true ROI of joining in on this social media bandwagon is that your business will still be thriving in 5 years.
Demandforce knows that keeping up with the newest trends can be daunting, especially when you have a business to run. So how can we make all this “Facebooking” and “Tweeting” easy for you while ensuring you stay relevant and in-tune with your customers? One word: Timely.
With our latest releases, the Demandforce Network tab has been revamped and expanded. Wondering how your business can take advantage of this new feature?
With the Demandforce Network, we’re putting local businesses on each other’s radar. You can view how many dentists, auto shops, salons, spas, chiropractors, etc. in your area are on Demandforce, too. Want to increase your business’s customer base? Consider reaching out to one of the non-competing businesses in your network to establish a cross-promotion.
Just recently Demandforce began an Ambassador program for our elite Demandforce D3 users who are excited and knowledgeable about our product. This is a great opportunity for early access to new features and inside information. Plus you get a gift when you sign up, so what’s not to love?
But that’s not all – below are just some of the reasons why being an Ambassador is a GREAT thing:
Get early access to new beta features before they hit the market. Currently we are taking people to the Campaign Re-Write waitlist, and there are several more coming in 2012.
Be heard – participate in usability studies, product experience surveys, and more.
Get invited to special non-publicized Demandforce events.
Get additional newsletter and campaign content for you to send out to generate additional traffic through your doors.
Get Ambassador Certified so you can show that you’re a true Demandforce Super User. Post it on your LinkedIn and Facebook pages to show that you know your stuff.
And of course, Ambassadors regularly receive some great swag that ONLY Ambassadors receive.
So what do you have to do to get all this great stuff? It’s pretty easy and not too far off from what you are probably already doing: (more…)
Demandforce has entered our 4th year as a data provider to Google Places ™ and we are so proud to have such a positive longstanding working relationship with Google. Even more important is the fact that we have been able to develop such a powerful suite of tools to help small businesses build, maintain and leverage their most important asset, a great online reputation.
Read below for the full story or read it directly on our website.
So what does Demandforce being a “data provider” mean for your business? Being a data provider for Google simply means Google accepts and has the right to publish any information Demandforce sends them. This includes basic business information, reviews, and data from our score-by-question survey feature. (more…)
Google+ and You
As Salesforce CEO, Marc Benioff, proclaimed in his Dreamforce 2011 keynote, “We are in a social revolution.” Now more than ever there are tons of ways for businesses to interact and connect with their customers, creating a community that grows their company from a business to a Brand (a concept your friends at Demandforce understand and are here to help you with via Facebook Connect, newsletter builder and other communication options).
So who’s new to this party? A search engine giant, of course, recently coming onto the scene with the introduction of Google+.
Use Google+ to grow your business NOW
At the moment, Google+ is for individuals only and not allowing the creation of business profiles – Mashable.com, Ford, Sesame Street and others managed to get invited and immediately opened a brand page. Mashable.com, the technology site, had 103,000 followers by the time Google+ put a stop to businesses on their platform and removed all those pages. Which is a shame, as Google+ seems ideal for businesses and business owners. (more…)
As highlighted in the recent New York Times’ (NYT) article, “In a Race to Out-Rave, 5-Star Web Reviews Go for $5”, a new breed of spammers are catering to businesses seeking to pad their online reputations with positive reviews. These unscrupulous entrepreneurs offer to rave about any business for a small fee; some will even post negative reviews about your competitors. Too hard to believe? Check out this screenshot I took on August 25th:
How can you identify fake reviews?
Unfortunately, for us humans, identifying the fake from the real might not be as easy as it seems. The NYT article mentioned earlier identified a study conducted by Cornell University researchers suggesting that it’s more difficult than it sounds to tell a fibbed review from an honest one. In the study, three human judges were presented with a mix of 400 commissioned fake positive reviews and 400 positive TripAdvisor reviews believed to be genuine and the judges failed to tell them apart.. (more…)
Over here at Demandforce, we’re extremely proud of having so many industry thought leaders in our network of small business clients. Whether they are running dental or optometry practices, auto shops, spas, or salons, these brave and innovative clients continuously push the envelope in developing better ways of improving their businesses.
Today, I’d like to introduce you to a thought leader in the dental industry, Comfort Dental Spa, whose recent campaign (involving both offline and online events) successfully utilized Facebook to engage the Detroit community in an exciting and interactive way.
Who is Comfort Dental Spa?
Located in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Comfort Dental Spa is a full-service dental office that provides general and cosmetic procedures in a spa-like environment. Sedation, laser, and spa dentistry are among the treatment options designed to ensure that patients receive the highest quality dental care within a comfortable setting. Ultra-modern technology has made its way into the dental scene, and these high-tech procedures provide minimally invasive and ultra-precise treatments. At Comfort Dental Spa, patients who normally dread going to the dentist can enjoy all the comforts of a luxury spa, putting their minds at ease.
What did they do?
On June 24th, Comfort Dental Spa hosted a cocktail party for their current and potential patients. At the party, an on-site photo booth allowed guests to have their photo taken. The next day, Comfort Dental Spa kicked off the “Best Smile of Detroit” contest on Facebook, inviting Facebook members to vote for the best smiles captured at that party. To generate more hype, there were many prizes (valued up to $5000) at stake, provided by some of Detroit’s hottest entertainment venues, dining spots and cosmetic service providers. Comfort Dental Spa definitely thought big.
Many businesses and brands that we grew up with are going belly-up. For those that have already gone the way of the dodo, we’ve probably already found different places to fill those voids. Sorry, Blockbuster–I know we’ve shared many great memories together, but it’s time to move on. Borders? I’ll think fondly of you, too. I’d go on, but it’s a rather extensive list.
If these former giants can disappear at such an alarming rate, what hope do small business owners have at success today? Fortunately, there are lessons to be learned from the dinosaurs. (more…)
Demandforce provides the leading consumer demand creation solution for small business. Our software-as-a-service application is used by thousands of customers to grow revenue, keep clients coming back, and manage operations more effectively. We help small business thrive in the Internet economy.
I’m experiencing something interesting working with the full spectrum of Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers, and Millenials all mushed up into a thing called work. It seems that with each new generation entering the workforce, the expectations of how fast things have to happen gets faster. …Not to be blame on the Millenials themselves, but […]
That’s right, it wasn’t video…. it was multi-tasking. How many times have you been on a conference call where you had to say “I’m sorry can you repeat the question?” I’ll admit, it’s happened to me. It’s not right, but I’ll own up to it. A lot of coworkers at my last company worked remotely, […]
Annie
What our clients are saying:
"The Demandforce Connect for Facebook Premium Package helped us set up our Facebook page quickly and efficiently. Our most up-to-date business information is posted on Facebook and Demandforce's Facebook applications have been added through the Package which would have taken us hours to do. Our staff absolutely loves our Facebook page and can't stop showing it off to our new or existing patients."- Dr. John Uehara - Dental Care of Maui
"People love it. It's great to go onto Facebook and be able to book appointments directly. I think it's a great thing all around for a business."- Dr. J. Stephen O'Brien P.C
"Facebook was relatively new to me, but Demandforce really helped me see the value of Social Media the 1st day after I signed the Premium contract. Their consulting team was able to properly & quickly establish my brand on Facebook, and more importantly, make it much easier for me to connect with my customers online. Not only does my Facebook Page stand out among my competitors, but my customers can schedule with me, read my reviews, and redeem my specials at any time of the day. I got to work with Eric - one of DF's social media specialists on the project, and he really took the time to listen to me, understand my brand, and replicate it on Facebook. Thank you Demandforce for increasing my web presence!"- Avo - Foothill Automotive
Andy Gescheidt, founder and owner of Popular Mechanix, has been working with vehicles for 30 years. He’s a whimsical man who acts with purpose and possesses an easy laugh. “We fixed anything that rolled,” he said, recalling the early days. But after partnering up with another neighboring repair shop, Andy decided to rebrand the businesses and specialize in Volvos. It’s became his philosophy to find one thing to focus on and be the best at it instead of dealing with a little bit of everything. In 1998, Andy was involved in a freak accident which nearly took his life – a dewired trolley pole from a bus fell and struck Andy in the back of the head as he was walking down a street, throwing him to the sidewalk and fracturing his skull. He was in a coma for a month and was not expected to live. He woke up, however, and learned to love and appreciate every minute of his life and his work. In a way, this accident has committed him to running a high quality business for the long haul. (more…)
On Monday, Google officially launched 
So who’s new to this party? A search engine giant, of course, recently coming onto the scene with the introduction of Google+.
