The first big step in internet entrepreneurship for bands was Myspace. How could it not be? It allowed artists to quickly create their own website, complete with a song player, pictures and the opportunity to market themselves to fans worldwide. However, in recent years Myspace’s user experience, not to mention reputation, has significantly declined. While the original social networking giant still works as a great website supplement for bands, it no longer carries the clout of Facebook in the marketplace. The reason why is a detailed story, so let me focus on the merits of Facebook for tomorrow’s next headliner.

1. Everybody uses Facebook.

There are over 500 million (and increasing) active users of Facebook, half of which log on every day and 70% of which are located outside of the United States, according to their own data. This is a staggering amount of people around the world! Getting radio airplay, record and distribution deals and significant tours requires a strong fan base. In the digital age, with this many people using Facebook, what better way to introduce your art to the world?

2. Fans want an artist, not a celebrity.

Okay, so there are still Justin Biebers out there, but the most loyal fan base with the most staying power long-term isn’t found in mainstream pop music. It’s found in garages, bars and concert halls and clubs. There are an astounding number of incredibly talented bands making waves in independent music because more and more kids want artists they relate to and can talk to after the show without paying hundreds of dollars for a VIP backstage pass ticket. These groups are even appearing in more mainstream circles as this trend continues (Modest Mouse, Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons)! Facebook gives you a chance to connect on a more personal level with fans, updating them daily with personal anecdotes and band happenings, and linking them to your Twitter, blog, Myspace and YouTube pages. I know a number of professional singer-songwriters who even make their personal pages public and give their fans the same access to their lives as their own family members!

3. Facebook is easy.

In the end, we all want to make work as efficient as possible. Facebook requires a minimal amount of maintenance (With my band, I spent about 30 minutes a day updating our page and responding to fans), quickly customizable boxes and applications for providing access to music, show dates and other information, and an easy way to connect to current fans and make new ones. For example, my good friends Deadhorse (Deadhorse Facebook page) have over 3000 Facebook fans in just over 1.5 years of being a band. Some of these were gained through extensive touring and then following up via Facebook, others simply stumbled across their page. Frontman Brian Morgante does an incredible job with reaching and retaining fans through their Facebook page, never possible without such a great tool.

To sum it all up, the garage bands of today can’t expect to go anywhere very soon without using Facebook to its full potential. You can write great music, but only with the internet and Facebook will it reach the masses.

Wheels referring to bicycles that is. I have recently got into cycling a bit and am interested in buying my own bike. I have come to the conclusion that bicycles are highly underrated. I mean think about it, they are a means of transportation, exercise, and just being outside experiencing the beauty of nature.

As I began my search to purchase my own bike, a friend of mine recommended Bikes Direct. It’s amazing, really. They have all kinds of bikes from road bikes to crossovers to mountain bikes and they allow you to compare different styles and brands right next to each other. Their prices are unbeatable and they offer free shipping as well. If you have any interest in cycling you should definitely check it out.

A friend of mine just told me I should be ashamed of myself for not having a LinkedIn account. I’m not ashamed, though I did go ahead and try it out. LinkedIn has become the facebook for professionals. Whether or not it helps out this particular college kid is a toss up. Check out www.linkedin.com and make your own account. Takes 5 minutes, and the site will upload contacts from your e-mail accounts.

While it sounds like a good idea, I thing that creativecommons is a place where creativity is discouraged instead of encouraged.  Basically the point of this website is that one artist can post a tune and another can come and use it for their work. It seems to simply be a place where uncreative people come to find something creative done by someone else. People, lets be creative here. Using other peoples stuff is lame. Think of something yourself! I can see why some uncreative people might like this sight but to me it seems more like a communistic place where creatives are stripped of their creativity and non creatives are encouraged to stay that way. Sorry creative commons, I’m not your biggest fan.

With companies like TOM’s out there now, businesses must start to think more socially to succeed. Who is going to buy a pair of shoes from journeys when they could buy one from toms for a similar price while donating one to a child in need at the same time? Social entrepreneurship is a huge thing now! I would highly encourage businesses to start thinking this way. If you can’t do a one for one type of deal, then think of something. Maybe you could emphasize how the employment is impacting lives, or you could weave in benefit events as a main part of you business. There is ALWAYS something that you can do to help out through your business, and I would even argue that it is a business owners duty to do so. No only is it a good thing to do but I can guarantee that if you implement something of this sort you are much more likely to do well in the business world! Go ahead and try… you will see!