⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

Facebook and AmEx Offering Business Makeovers Winners of The Facebook Big Break for Small Business contest each receive $20k. Learn how to enter here.

By Mikal E. Belicove

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Everybody deserves a break, but American Express OPEN is now offering small business owners the ultimate Big Break.

The credit-card issuer this week launched a national contest that will culminate with five winners each winging their way to Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif., for a two-day, all-expenses-paid social media marketing "makeover" and $20,000 to help grow their business.

"The Facebook Big Break for Small Business" was designed to give small businesses the tools they need to maximize the potential of Facebook in order to connect and engage with existing customers and attract new prospects to their product or service. Winners and a business associate will each get one-on-one training, with tutors analyzing their current use of Facebook, as well as instruction on the benefits of using Facebook Pages, Ads and Social Plugins.

The five winners will also "co-star" in these training sessions, which will be filmed and appear on AmEx OPEN's Facebook Page and its OPEN Forum, an online resource for small business owners.

Nearly half of small businesses claim to be using social networking sites to communicate with customers and market their products, and by far the most popular online site for such activity is Facebook, according to a 2011 survey from the American Express OPEN Small Business Monitor. A similar survey in 2009 showed that only 10 percent of small businesses used such sites to promote their goods or services.

The competition is open to any Facebook member who is a legal resident of the U.S., is at least 18-years-old and who is the owner or co-owner of a small business with $10 million in annual revenue or less. To enter, visit AmEx's OPEN Facebook page by midnight Eastern Time on May 20, 2011, and fill out a short questionnaire asking you to describe how you would best use the winnings to better your business.

The judges -- who include venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki and John Battelle, the founder and CEO of Federated Media Publishing -- will reduce the number of finalists to 10 after the first round of the competition. Criteria for getting to this point in the judging includes what the judges determine as your commitment to your business and growth, your energy and enthusiasm for small business and the overall social media need where Facebook could help your business.

Those 10 finalists will then compete in a final round of judging where fans of OPEN on Facebook will vote for their top five favorites to receive the training and the $20,000 prize.

How would your business utilize $20,000 and a one-on-one training session with Facebook? Leave a comment and let us know.

Mikal E. Belicove is a market positioning, social media, and management consultant specializing in website usability and business blogging. His latest book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Facebook, is now available at bookstores. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.