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Everything Business Owners Need to Know About Beacons Find out what beacons are, how they work, what they cost and more.

By Mikal E. Belicove •

This story appears in the April 2015 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

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Q: What are beacons, and how can they boost my sales?

Beacons are small, wireless broadcasting devices that transmit a data signal that can be received by a smartphone—in this case, the one belonging to your customer. Once the beacon and smartphone connect, a retailer or service provider can instantly deliver a welcome message or discount.

There will be 4.5 million beacons in use in the U.S. by the end of 2018, according to a report from BI Intelligence, with 3.5 million of those used by brick-and-mortar retailers.

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