K-I-S-S-I-N-G. But seriously. They’re a match made in heaven if business owner’s recognize the relationship’s potential.

The L.A. Times posted about a recent survey that states: “About 49% of women surveyed (and 43% of men) said they began watching a show because their Facebook friends were talking about it on the social network.”

Something tells me that this can be applied to more than just watching TV shows. It’s fact that word of mouth via Facebook is extremely influential on the choices people make. The first step, however, is getting those initial people talking about your brand. Here’s how:

1. Provide excellent customer service. Customers appreciate companies who provide them with easy, reliable, and effective ways to contact the company with questions, comments, concerns, whatever it may be. For example, LoClean is a new service, so they rely on acquiring customers and making sure they’ll return + tell their friends. They’ve got to do this by providing their first time customers with THE BEST service possible. How do they do it? With really, really quick responses…like weirdly quick responses. They’re easy to reach, and provides customer service that makes you feel like you’re having a conversation with someone who genuinely cares (because you are!) vs someone who wants your money. They’ve gone above and beyond by leaving complimentary gifts for their first customers and following up after the service. Result: Their customers talk about how awesome it was to use LoClean. Boom. LoClean gets new customers in addition to turning a first-timer into a life-long user.

2. Post creative and relevant content. You’ve got to provide your customers with more information than just the basics. You must understand your target market and tap into what they like. LoClean does a really great job of this, as does TableSAVVY, because both know their target market and what they like. People who love TableSAVVY are outgoing, spontaneous, fun-loving, food-loving Chicagoans. So, in addition to posting TableSAVVY updates via social media, the marketing team engages with followers by posting things they’d be interested in, i.e. weekend plans, new restaurants, blogs about their fav spots (even places that aren’t signed up with TS), easy-to-make recipes, etc. See for yourself here. Customers use TS to book and save on reservations, but also as their guide to city fun. Result: Customers share content, recommend it to their friends who will do the same, and the company’s user base expands exponentially.

In terms of using Facebook to it’s full advantage, you’ve got to get familiar with Facebook “Insights” if you aren’t already. It’s a great tool that provide business owners with useful information regarding:

1. Who’s visiting their page,

2. The types of content these visitors typically engage with,

3. The page’s reach across Facebook,

4. How to improve page’s performance.

In addition, you can build your audience by inviting email contacts, or creating and promoting an ad for very little cash. It’s an amazing tool that allows businesses to target the exact people they want, and if you’re following steps 1 and 2, they’ll stick around after you reach them.

The search for the perfect job continues! Here’s a company I love.

I recently went to New York City and (thanks to John Tucker, VP of Member Experience at Trunk Club) I was able to meet Chris, Co-Founder of Wakefield Media, a super-rad media production company that works to connect the startup world on a global level in a number of ways. Here’s how they do it:

1. Events! In cities across the world, there are talented people sitting in cubicles not loving their jobs but unsure of the next step. Solution: Uncubed, an event that “brings together emerging companies and talented candidates in a fun, casual environment that celebrates startup culture. With great speakers, games, and workshops, Uncubed attracts graduates from the best schools in the country and incredibly talented attendees looking to move away from “traditional” careers.”

On October 4th at the River East Art Center, Uncubed Chicago partnered with the Illinois Technology Association, 1871, Excelerate Labs, The Starter League and Technori, brought in 50+ emerging companies, added some music, drinks, art, games, speakers and.. voila! Another successful event.

Uncubed events provide attendees with a means to mingle, but furthermore, serve as a great way for startups to promote their brand to other startups in creative ways. Our partners at BucketFeet sponsored an “Art Battle,” where talented artists from NYC “battled” during an Uncubed event, and the winner was awarded free shoes and all of the artists got discounts on BucketFeet. Sweet, right?

2. Daily emails. Wakefield understand that content is king. In order to interact with the tech community and those intrigued by it within New York City and nationally, Wakefield’s editorial team sends out daily emails. Through these newsletters, subscribers get an inside look at all things tech; new products, jobs, creative companies, etc. The editorial staff is awesome, and the short but sweet daily emails are something to look forward to. Interested? You should be!  Subscribe here. 

Being that I was introduced to Chris via email the week prior, it was really nice of him to meet with me. He was informative, helpful, and even went on to make a connection with the CEO of Tasting Table, another great company I’ve been looking into. It’s people like Chris that make the job hunt less stressful, and people like Chris who would be good people to work for.

Wakefield is cool because of it’s heavy involvement in startup communities within the US and beyond. I’ve loved the opportunity to explore Chicago’s startup community, so the opportunity to emerge myself in others, worldwide, is exciting. Event planning is something I’ve always been interested in, and I think it would be awesome to be a part of Uncubed’s creative department. In addition, I’ve seen how rewarding writing is, on both personal and professional levels, so I’d love a position that would allow me to write as much (if not more) than I am right now.

That’s why I like Wakefield Media.

Finding a job is much like getting an internship in terms of how to approach companies. That being said, the process of selecting which companies you’ll approach is something that takes much more time and work. As a college senior, I’m in that process. For people who have been in this position before, it’s frightening and exciting at the same time. For those currently in my position, here are a few things I’ve done that have helped me:

1. Network. With whoever. Anyone. LinkedIn is a great way to find companies and people to talk to, use it.

2. Get help with your resume and cover letter; make sure they are perfect before sending. I’ve also created a wordpress, which I attach to my resume and introductory email. It’s a good way to show more than just your credentials and shows initiative.

3. Don’t be shy! Reach out to everyone. The worst thing that could happen would be getting ignored.

4. Schedule phone calls, informational interviews, whatever it takes. Get your foot in the door and show your interested even if a company isn’t necessarily hiring.

5. Stay in touch. Follow up, and be creative in doing so. I had some very low-key interviews before the holidays and sent each person I met with a Chicago post card reading something along the lines of “Thanks for meeting with me, I’ll be in touch.” I have a friend who brought donuts with his resume. It sounds teacher’s pet-ish, but hey! Who doesn’t like donuts? No one.

Working towards a degree in communication studies has allowed me to be introduced to a lot of different aspects of communication that have each interested me in their own ways. Therefore, when it comes to choosing where I’d like to work, it’s important to first point out what I’d like to do.

Here’s what I know for sure:

1. I like public relations, advertising, and marketing and would be interested in a position that incorporates elements of each.

2. I’ve loved interning at startups, and definitely want to continue working for one. I categorize startups at companies that have launched within the past 5 years, so I’ll be looking for both new companies as well as established ones.

3. I enjoy writing and want a position that will allow me to continue writing as well as grow as a writer. Blogging is something that’s often taken for granted, yet is great way to gain a following. If people can relate to you via writing, they’ll have a deeper connection to the company.

4. I want to live in New York City, Chicago, or possibly San Francisco. According a recent article in Businessweek, each of these cities are great places to live and are great for startups.

5. I must work for a company that I have faith in.

In preparation for graduation and finding the perfect job, I’ve been doing a lot of research on companies I’d want to work for. With the help of my Personal Board of Directors (Rick and some great people I’ve met through working in the startup world), I’ve had the opportunity to meet with several companies.

So, blog readers, this is the start of an “I like you” series that I hope to continue until I get hired. I’ll be writing about the job hunt, things I’ve experienced, what I’ve learned, etc etc etc. I’ll be featuring companies I like and you’ll probably definitely like, too.

Stay tuned.

What criteria is being used to determine the finalists?
Submissions will be reviewed by a group of judges composed of the Dashfire team and their affiliates. The criteria used to judge each submission will be based on the following:

• Feasibility:
  • How well-developed is the concept? Is it a fully functional product, a completely thought-through concept with wireframes, or is it just an idea?
  • What level of early traction has your product or idea received? If you are pre-revenue and pre-product, what offline validation tests have you performed to prove that there is a customer need for your idea?
  • Have you identified the key customer problems and outlined a product or service that can realistically be developed and tested?

• Team:
  • Is the team dedicated to working on the idea full time?
  • Does the team have domain expertise that is applicable to the idea or do they have experience building something in the past?

• Innovation:
  • How unique and/or creative is the idea?
  • How disruptive is the concept to current methods and business models?

• Customer Acquisition:
  • Have you identified a unique and compelling way to acquire your first 10,000 customers?

Does my app, product or service have to be built in order to be considered?
No, we only require that you have performed some form of offline validation that validates the need for your idea.

What development capabilities will the winner receive?
Access to FarShore’s integrated team of software architects, web developers, mobile developers, UI designers, and testers.

Who owns the intellectual property that is developed over the summer?
You do.

If I am a part-time student, can I still apply?
Yes, however, we require that at least one member of the founding team (who is also a student at Kellogg or Booth) is able to spend 10 weeks working full time on launching the company and does not have any other job commitments.

Does everyone on my team have to be currently enrolled at either University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business or the Kellogg School of Management?
No, we only require that one member of the founding team be currently enrolled in one of the programs and that member is willing to dedicate 10 weeks over the summer to work full time on launching their company.

Do I have to spend the summer working in Chicago?
Yes, we require that at least one member of the founding team be working full time on their project out of Chicago so they can leverage their access to the community and sponsors to launch their product.

Can I apply if our company or founders are not from the USA? Can you help with Visa/immigration issues?
Yes. Anyone from anywhere can apply, and we have partnered with non-US companies in the past. You do have to be legally in the U.S. during the program.

I’m a single founder. Can I get accepted into Dashfire Launch, or do you only look for teams?
We accept single founders, however, we look for great, balanced teams who have a full range of skills. We strongly advise you to seek co-founders and/or interns who balance your skillset and can extend your capacity.

If I apply, I am worried about my intellectual property protection, will Dashfire sign a NDA? We are not in the business of starting companies internally and we will not show your application to anyone outside of Dashfire. We see hundreds of business pitches and run across many similar ideas. We don’t enter into NDAs during the pitch phase as it precludes us from evaluating other businesses that are even remotely related.  Once the winner has been selected, our documentation will provide you all NDA related protection (confidentiality, IP, etc.).

Does Dashfire take an equity stake in the selected startup?
Similar to our standard model, Dashfire receives a single-digit equity stake that is founders in nature and earned over time. For this program, we are adding an additional layer of strategic partnerships through our sponsors.

Have more questions? Please email Kelsey@dashfire.com with any inquiries that you may have.

When BucketFeet co-founders Raaja Nemai and Aaron Firestein came to Rick with the idea to sell limited-edition, artist designed global footwear, but lacked technical expertise, Dashfire was eager to collaborate. But.. why?

Dashfire meets with over 20 aspiring entrepreneurs a month, all of whom are looking to build the next greatest start-up. When evaluating each entrepreneur and their idea, Dashfire focuses primarily on the following questions:

• Does the founding entrepreneur(s) have the ability to execute? They aren’t writing code, so what are they doing to advance the company?
• Have they identified their customer pain points (i.e., does the problem really exist)?
• Have they gauged demand for their solution?
• Do they have an innovative customer acquisition strategy?

99.99% of ideas have been thought of before. Dashfire’s most successful companies are run by entrepreneurs who have a “do whatever it takes” attitude.  Importantly, we look for entrepreneurs who don’t just seek risk, they seek to mitigate it.

Dashfire loved Raaja and Aaron and had faith in BucketFeet. As partners, Dashfire provided the then early-stage startup not only through the design and development of www.bucketfeet.com, but also helped to guide the strategic direction of the company. Meanwhile, Raaja and Aaron didn’t just launch an e-commerce store, cross their fingers, and hope people liked their shoes.  They sold 200 pairs offline before www.bucketfeet.com was launched. They secured fans who evangelized their product.  They built a hell of a team and an advisory board.  And most importantly, they are constantly dialoguing with their customers to improve their company.

So.. wanna start something?

1. You’ll matter. Opposed to interns of larger companies, your voice will makes a huge impact. Maybe Rick is just really nice, but I feel like I play a key role at Dashfire. This not only makes me love working, but pushes me to work harder.
2. You’ll accomplish things. Personally, I never want a job where my 9-5 consists of sitting at my desk pretending to work, g-chatting, or poking around on Facebook. Everyone has to work – why not do something you love? There are tons of startups these days, choose a promising one that you’re interested in. Interested in learning more about hospitality, sales and Chicago restaurants? Contact TableSAVVY. Love fashion, want to know more about e-commerce, and interested in being a student ambassador? Check out BucketFeet. Want to know more about startups? Contact Rick and he’ll help get you in touch with people you should be in touch with.
3. You won’t do the same thing every day. At Dashfire, I’m given the power to be creative. Because of this, tasks that would otherwise seem tedious are less of a chore and more of a fun project that I’m excited about doing. For example, Dashfire’s top secret social media framework for our partners could have been really boring if I wasn’t a social media nerd and Rick didn’t let me be creative with it.
4. You will learn, quickly. The hands-on aspect of working for a small company will do this for you, which is why I highly recommend internships at start ups for college students. Things are always changing and start ups must keep up. Though it can be stressful, I love the pace and love working under pressure.
5. You’ll grow professionally. Working at start ups will allow you to get a taste of the “real world.” Even though I’m just an intern, I feel like I’ve learned things that most people don’t learn until their first full-time position. An intern’s role at a start up is much different than an intern’s role at a huge company in terms of responsibility. I’ve been thrown into situations that have been out of my comfort zone, forcing me to act like a professional. Scary but totally worth it.
6. You will build strong relationships that will only help you in the future. Not only has Rick been an awesome boss, but also a great mentor for myself and college students. In addition to his own advice, he’s introduced me to people who have been really helpful as I begin to look for jobs. Working with people who are happy to help you find a job elsewhere says a lot about the company. I truly understand the power of a good network through working at Dashfire, with Rick, and in the Chicago tech community.
7. Start ups will make you happy! If you love  high-energy environments filled with high-energy individuals who are really, really excited about what they’re doing and making you a part of it, you’re like me and you’ll love working at a start up. Promise.

Side Effects: After working at start ups, student will begin generating constant flow of new ideas that they are certain will be the next big thing; may develop addictions to WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest;  may experience feelings such as eagerness to work,  inability to turn off brain, and a strong urgency to graduate.

Last week, I had the opportunity to hear Dick Costolo, the CEO of Twitter, speak at a luncheon hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago. Over 300 people attended the event including Chicago Blackhawks Chairman and owner Rocky Wirtz, Kellogg School of Business’ Dean Sally Blount, and Chicago Entrepreneurial Center’s President and CEO Kevin Willer.  We were all eager to hear how Twitter could impact our respective businesses.

In true Twitter fashion, questions from the audience were live tweeted and projected on the main stage. Topics ranged from the changing demographics of a Twitter user to the next innovation after the age of the network to how humor and unconventional marketing tactics are changing the way brands advertise (check out Taco Bell and Old Spice’s fued on Twitter as an example). One theme that kept reappearing throughout the discussion was the prevalence of sharing personal information. Despite constant warnings and frequent media accounts of the destructive consequences, Costello believes that youths are increasingly less concerned about sharing information publically and startup adoption of the Twitter API (i.e, having users login via Twitter) support their claim.  We agree – Twitter (and Facebook) provides us unparalleled access to insights, news, content, and updates populated by the social graph. If we have to part with our own information to access, so be it.”

Thanks Kevin Willer for the invite to the great event!

This August, we brought on Kelsey Lutz to the Dashfire team.  We have hired over a hundred people through our sister company, FarShore, but Kelsey is our first venture partner at Dashfire, and we are thrilled to have her.  Kelsey graduated from Kellogg in June and focused her 2 years in Evanston in entrepreneurship as a VC for OCA Ventures and as the head of Business Development for Chimu Solutions.  She previously spent 4 years in finance including 3 years at Goldman Sachs.

In just two months, Kelsey has met with over 100 entrepreneurs and advised on everything from business model durability to social media content dispersion strategies.   As part of our effort to support effective entrepreneurship within the community  she has already led a presentation to Kellogg’s E-Club and mentored  entrepreneurs at Chicago Startup Weekend, Professor Carter Cast’s Entrepreneurship and New Venture Formation class, and Northwestern’s Startup Incinerator weekend.  Most importantly, she is working closely with our newest portfolio companies to shape strategy and ensure effective go-to-market strategies.  Feel free to reach out to her at kelsey@dashfire.com or @kelseyutz3.

If the internet is the city of Chicago and it’s many establishments are websites, and tons of potential consumers are buzzing around on a daily basis, your first goal as a business is to attract people, right? No matter how awesome your product or service is, first impressions are everything. As a company owner, shouldn’t making your website awesome be one of your first priorities, just as business owners take pride in their storefronts? Don’t be The Waffle House when you could be Ann Sather.

Recently I’ve been doing research on startups across the country which has required me to sift through hundreds of companies. There’s nothing that annoys me more than coming across a shitty website, which, to my dismay, happens more than I could have imagined. In the event that I need to actually get information from a shitty website, I try my hardest to find what I need and get going. If it’s too difficult, it gets thrown into the “companies who we should never need information from” pile. The same thing will happen with customers.

If you’re reading this wondering if your website is shitty, then it probably is. Here’s how to revamp:

• Make sure you’re easy to find. Hire a company to help you with SEO if you don’t know how. If consumers have to look longer than 5 minutes to find you, you’re doing something wrong.
• What do you do? Make sure you message is clear. Put your elevator pitch in bold, save the details for when you’ve got the customer’s attention.
• Are you a new company about to launch? Create a landing page with a sign-up feature to bring in potential customers.

• Be aesthetically pleasing. For startups with tons of competition, good design will put you ahead of the rest. Take time to look into your demographic and design your site FOR THEM. Whether this is through color, visuals, your tone of voice, whatever.. make sure your website is targeted to the people your product targets. For more on emotional design, check out Christina Brodbeck’s presentation from MorningStar and Built In Chicago’s recent design conference here. 
• Focus on the user’s experience. This is one of the biggest annoyance’s I’ve had with websites. There are so many great sites who’ve done everything correctly, aside from the most important thing: being easy to navigate! Make your social sharing easy to find, located at the top of your page, maybe even get crazy and put it in bold? Social Media is how people more info about your company and is an awesome tool. If you took the time to create a Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc., why put it at the very bottom of your site next to the stuff nobody reads? Your company’s terms & conditions, copyright info, etc. aren’t as important to a user as your social links – stop making it seem like they are. Also, a simple icon is fine, everybody knows what Facebook is; no need to tell people to “Make sure to follow us on the popular social media site created by Mark Zuckerberg known as Facebook.” Obviously there are exceptions to everything; some sites can pull off things other’s can’t, just make sure you’re pulling it off. Oh, and if you don’t have any social media networks, get with it..

Shitty:

Not pretty:

Why sooo small?

Annoying (but somehow has 3.3K likes so maybe it’s just me):

Simple:

CUTE:

Informative, but I’m into it:

Perfect:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens are awesome, but it’s 2012, this is what I’m jazzed about:

1. Just Because 

The Just Because app makes sending gifts to friends easy and inexpensive. Co-founder Matt Hartman has got to be the most generous guy in the world, having  founded Just Because for users to give the gift of startups. Download the app, register your card and voila! Send awesome gifts for $1. Packed with the hottest products and services on the market. For $1 you can send friends BucketFeet, BirchBox, Uber credit, JackThreads.. need I say more?

The catch? None. But, not only are Hartman and the Chicago-based gift-giving app revolutionizing generosity, it’s a startup’s BFF. Are you a new company trying to spread the word about the rad product or service you’ve created? Just Because will help you do that and (hopefully) turn recipients into customers.

2. BucketFeet: Desert Low/False Demin

Step 1: Make someone send you BucketFeet credit via Just Because, Step 2: Get a discount on Bucketfeet’s recent shoes, Desert Low and/or False Denim. Aren’t startups awesome?

Dashfire’s Partners and my favorite shoes company, BucketFeet, recently held a poll via Instagram to see which of these shoes people liked more. I couldn’t decide, and it seems no one else could either because now both are available for purchase (thank god). Designed by Co-founder Aaron Firestein on premium, super durable canvas, Desert Low and False denim are unlike any other of BucketFeet’s previous designs. So, if you haven’t jumped on the BucketFeet wagon yet, nows the time. Make sure to keep up with BucketFeet this holiday season, we’re expecting big things.

3. Venmo

As a college student, I’m sick of waiting for my friends go to to the ATM to pay me back and I think PayPal is sketchy. Therefore, I feel like I’m always short $10-$20 but never know what for..

Venmo is my saving grace. On top of being a way to make sure I get my money back, Venmo incorporates the fun that the money was spent on in the first place. I like to call it a social mobile payment app. It’s completely focused on it’s users; allowing friends to send payments along with personal notes through Facebook and Twitter at no cost. Whether it’s paying your friend rent, splitting a cab or bill, Venmo connects directly to your bank account. Sign up (you’ll probably be surprised at how many of your friends are already using it) and prepared to never get jipped again.

4. The Grainstack Wallet  

You know the paper clip that’s barely holding your cards, cash, and ID together right now? Ya, it’s time to replace that.  The guys who made Grainstack couldn’t deal with their paper clip wallets any longer, yet, like you, always craved a wallet with simplicity. Handmade in Colorado out of exotic wood, strapped tightly with a rubberband; Grainstack is sleek yet sophisticated. At only $20, it’s the perfect gift for the holidays, whether you’re buying it for yourself or a friend. Tons of people (including the Dashfire team!) have already made the switch to Grainstack, what are you waiting for?!