Check it out people, Andy Traub from Take Permission Media Network and myself have started a podcast on Restaurants using Social Media (and Technology in general) to build business. I’d appreciate a listen, and comments!

Here is a direct iTunes Link

Very cool surprise today, I have apparently been followed by a CNN Anchor for some time now.  As mentioned on my other site (http://www.EyeBallsBusiness.com), I received a phone call during lunch today to see “if I was available for a CNN interview” in a couple hours.  Hmm…yep, I can make that one…are you joking?!

So as you may know, I’m a restaurant owner, chef and social media / technology guy…I’m no Guru, Expert or Mastermind…I’m good at what I know, I practice what I preach, and I’ve helped a few folks make some big changes in their “eyeballs quotient”.

What I’m curious about, is as a small business owner in 2011, what do you see as your major challenge?

What is it that you don’t know?  That you need a path to know?

Is there a technology? or best practice? or just maybe a strategy that you have heard that might help you?

Comments are welcome…hopefully we can create some dialog and get some actionable answers…we all need to move forward all the time.

Phil has been on a rampage of great interviews…here is another that honestly, I’m floored was very much featuring conversation about me… I’m Humbled.

Give it a listen, yes I’m featured, but really…Phil Simon is someone to listen to, major technology expert, his book The New Small has been going gangbusters, and I’m honored to be a small part of it.

Had a great one hour chat today with the readers of TBD, a local online source for news of all sorts.

The food section featured me as an expert in Social Media and my use of it in my restaurant operations. The entire chat can be played back through the link, some good questions were asked, I hope this can lead to more restaurant owners/Chefs figuring out that they too can leverage social media to promote their operations.

Anyone needing my consultation services, please contact me via email for further discussion.

I am very honored to have been on a great webinar today about Phil Simons latest book The New Small with another case study Marisa Smith. I’ll hopefully be allowed to post up a replay when it is available, but either way, we had a great hour of discussing new and emerging technologies that Phil defines as “the new small”. It’s so true that using so many free solutions like Google Docs, DropBox.com and being aware of Social Media sites like Yelp, Facebook, and Twitter makes running a successful small business easier.

They aren’t any kind of magic pill, but being socially aware of your reputation is crucial. As well, many opportunities to use technologies such as Cloud Computing, Free Software Solutions and all Open Source softwares can make adoption of these principles and tools easier and save direct cashflow.

I’m excited to read the book when it arrives this week, and will post up a full review once finished.

If you’d like to pick up a copy, from everything I’ve heard, it’s a great read and more of a story book about small businesses evolution in this wonderful era of technology.

As the latest interview on our show We Mean Business, we had the honor of interviewing Dan Pink, a multiple best selling author on the topic of discovering the true motivations for people.    As employers, we need to discover what drives our work environment to get people to self motivate and also how to harness our natural creative abilities.  This was the number one “shared” talk out of all the TED talks…major stuff here people.

First video is our interview (on We Mean Business..our TV show) Second is a talk he did for TED.

I got this from Mom and Dad today…with all the “don’t do’s” of their peers..

• Don’t address the email with everyone in the “To” section…it exposes their email..
• Don’t craft the email in giant colored letters…
• It’s passe to forward on emails around the office nowadays…
• blah, blah, blah…

But after reading it, and digesting, it’s funny and pretty poignant…

Especially for me, who many times more than not, just says…”Hey, put it out there and see what happens…”

So here..read it and you’ll get it if you get it…  (and yes, I’m old enough to fit in this category…and appreciate it’s message)

…less than one minute…

Snowzilla is upon me, and I’m here at my restaurant, cleaning the office and my kitchen a bit. I’ve taken a break to post up a passionate entry that strikes close to my heart.

As independent business people, we put our lives, the lives of our families and spouses, our literal blood, sweat and tears into our establishments. We sweat every last detail as best we can, we ask for loans, work 18 hours a day to keep the gears turning, and in this day and age, many of these types of businesses that make up the fiber of our local community are closing.

A friend opened DeJaBel cafe about 2 years ago, and I’m saddened to say, he struggled hard and made valiant efforts, but he just closed his community coffee shop in Wheaton. I feel for him, his family, his kids and his customers too! Not only are businesses in business to make money, but believe it or not, we do this also more than you know for the feedback, the community, the gathering, the connections, the excitement of hosting our party and seeing shining faces that are happy to have the fruits of our passion. Getting up at 7 am to prep foods, unload trucks, change displays or whatever, we do this for YOU, our clients and friends. SO MUCH OF OUR SATISFACTION is derived from non monetary rewards. Please take a moment to compliment the store owner or manager at your next engagement to purchase something, it means a lot to many of us.

That being said, businesses need money, and your support by HELPING TO SPREAD THE WORD. I can see people who read the articles when a business closes in shock

“Oh wow, how sad…did you see that XYZ Company closed??”

But yet as a happy customer of XYZ Company, they never took a few minutes to write a recommendation on any of many Social Media Sites to help spread good word, they never realized that asking to use 2 or more discounts on their last purchase sucks the profitability out of doing business, and they are amazed when a street in their local area has 5 closed shops??

So…take action to save your local retailer!! Go to Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, Urbanspoon, or even the shop or restaurants website and SPEAK OUT about how much you like them! That helps expose great businesses that are struggling, bringing in CRUCIAL dollars that they need to pay rent, gas, water, insurance, taxes, supplies, repairs, marketing, salaries, etc.. that fuel YOUR local economy.

Perhaps this is nothing new, and perhaps those who read this may not care, or do anything, but at least I can say I tried to spread the word. IF you got this post and it resonates with you, PLEASE pass along using my “share” options below… this CAN start a grass roots movement to get people to SPEND LOCAL, and HELP BY SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS.

Thanks for listening,

Chef Tony
Visions Restaurant

p.s. Here is an article about my friends shop, written in this weeks paper, before he announced the closure of his place that I saw today.  Hope it helps motivate  you to action.  Eddie, take solace that you made every effort, you created something amazing, but in this day, along with sadly many others, it just wasn’t enough.  Take a day off my friend, I’m sure you need one…