i really like yelp.  in fact, i always look up restaurants, shops, and even dentists and doctors before visiting.  yelp helped me find people to work with for my wedding.  yelp always helps me choose a hotel when i travel.  yelp is great at tracking down an outdoor restaurant/good for groups/kids welcome/within 5 miles.  or whatever else you’re looking for (plus they tell you you’re looking sharp and i like that too).

so make sure that your business is on yelp!  if it’s not – just add it (it’s free!) and you can write your own first comment (go ahead – tell em’ it’s you).  then monitor your listing regularly.  when someone writes a glowing review – thank them.  when someone sheds your business in a not so flattering light – write them and apologize.  let them know you want your clients to have a positive experience and you’d like to invite them back when (X has changed – whatever that is)**.   

**this actually happened to me – i felt horrible after someone said they had a bad experience with a “not so nice” owner (ME?  not nice?).  so i wrote her and told her how sorry i was and that i must have been in a horrible mood or something.  she then wrote back apologizing to me and said it was she that had been in a really bad mood.  and then she changed her review. 

the point is:  yelp is a pretty big deal for a lot of people.  and there are ways you can take advantage of an opportunity to talk to your clients in a new medium.  it’s all free too!!  of course, you can also pay for an ad – which i did and felt was money well spent (although i don’t know what the current rates are!).   but seriously, if you’re not on yelp – check it out.  there’s great info for business owners – and you may find it personally useful as well!