You see them everywhere—those little squares that look like a bar code. You find them on business cards, flyers, advertisements, mail (even your junk mail). What exactly are they, and what purpose do they serve?

It is called a QR (or Quick Response) code. According to Wikipedia, it was originally created by a Toyota subsidiary to track vehicles during the manufacturing process. It has more recently become a marketing tool for businesses of all types.

How does it work? It works with your smart phone. All you have to do is download a QR code reader and use it to scan any QR code. There are numerous websites that will generate your QR code for free. You can use it to send people to a website, generate a text or SMS, or call a phone number.

Use your imagination to come up with some ways to use QR codes in your business!