HSCS-003 – Make the most of your location (Pt3, Run your business like Gordon Ramsay)

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Have a great location but little business? In this episode we discuss how to evaluate and create opportunity. We also look at some great resources to network with other business owners and professionals.

Topic #1 – Make the most of your location

Are you maximizing your location? Take a long, hard look at yourself. (These examples are restaurant based, but can be applied to any retail establishment.)

• If you’re by the sea, you better be selling fresh fish, not reheated, frozen, imported product.
• Find local, sustainable sources for your menu.
• Get to know your merchants (e.g. be familiar, get frequent buyer discounts and choice selections).
• Be known for something special (i.e. best local cheap lunch, best shrimp cocktail, freshest seafood).
• Are you taking advantage of foot traffic?
• Perhaps your overpriced for lunchtime crowd.

This is part 3 of my series: Run your business like Gordon Ramsay. We’ll break down key observations on how to turn a failing business into a success. Chef Gordon Ramsay has successfully launched several restaurants and in his popular show, Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, BBC America), he helps failing business owners identify their weaknesses and implement significant positive change in the way their business is operated. Love him or hate him, his keen business skills and insistence on high standards have made him a success.

Topic #2 – Finding business connections close to home

Join your local chamber of commerce or business partnership. Membership gets you access to:

• Like minded professionals.
• Potential business resources.
• Potential customers.
• Involvement in community and philanthropic activities.
• Free or discounted access to networking events, training/educational sessions

Use a resource like Meetup.com to find local small groups that get together to discuss topics of interest to you. Benefits:

• Find like-minded individuals.
• Search by geographic radius for gatherings in your area.
• Business topics, networking, social.
• Join a group.
• Start your own.
• Your profile will work on your behalf. Link to your business, etc.
• Your profile will likely show up high in natural search results.
• It’s free!

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HSCS-002 – Set the tone (Pt2, Run your business like Gordon Ramsay)

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Are you a wise guy? A wimp? Do you hide from your customers? Are you socially awkward and make those around you uncomfortable? Do you hide from confrontation? Do our employees have any respect for you? Do they outright steal from you? Can you make your own decisions or do you seek approval from those around you? Do you give a damn?

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Topic #1 – Be a leader and set the tone

Part 2 of my series: Run your business like Gordon Ramsay. We’ll break down key observations on how to turn a failing business into a success. Chef Gordon Ramsay has successfully launched several restaurants and in his popular show, Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, BBC America), he helps failing business owners identify their weaknesses and implement significant positive change in the way their business is operated. Love him or hate him, his keen business skills and insistence on high standards have made him a success.

Remember when Anthony Edwards left the show ER? He passed the metaphorical basketball to Noah Wiley and told him “Set the tone.”

As the owner and leader you must set the tone. Enforce the rules. Be a boss. Yell if you have to. Don’t let your employee bully you. Send someone home if they don’t respond or respect you. Don’t be afraid to get rid of incompetent or disruptive workers.

Executive Chef, Head Chef, Vice President, Director, Manager…. Titles mean nothing if you don’t bring anything useful to the table.

It’s your money. They’re out of a job if they can’t step up and commit.

Got issues, work them out. Seek help. Get out of business. Do what ever it takes, just don’t cripple yourself and those around you.

If the lead chef can’t lead, it’s time to find another chef.

Topic #2 – An online tool you absolutely must start using today

I want to talk to you about Linkedin.com. If you have a profile already, great, I’ll tell you what you need to do next to fully benefit from it. If you don’t have a profile on Linkedin, go right now and do it.

Here’s how you’ll directly benefit:

• Get found online.
• Publish your resume online – Present your background as you want it to be known.
• Demonstrate your subject matter expertise.
• Find former colleagues and reconnect with them. Email addresses change, but you should always be able to keep connected through Linkedin.
• Don’t worry about the number of friends you have. You should focus on quality of your connections, not the quantity.
• Every person I’m connected with:
  • I’ve met in person.
  • Had a face-to-face conversation with.
  • I believe I may have an opportunity to do business with in the future.
  • Get and give recommendations.
• There’s a great Q&A section on all sorts of topics. Answer questions to help out fellow professionals and demonstrate your expertise.
• Poll your contacts for opinions on ideas you have.
• Search for people you know who might be able to introduce you to someone you want to meet.
• You rank high in the natural search results when someone searches on your name.

If your attitude is: “But I have a Facebook (or MySpace) page.” Well, that’s great. Glad you’re out there. But truthfully, do you want prospective customers and employers looking at your family photos? Or do you want them to see what you want to be best known for professionally?

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HSCS-001 – Run your business like Gordon Ramsay, Part1

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In this audio podcast series, we break down key observations on how to turn a failing business into a success.

Shut Up and Listen

Chef Gordon Ramsay has successfully launched several restaurants and in his popular show, Kitchen Nightmares (Fox, BBC America), he helps failing business owners identify their weaknesses and implement significant positive change in the way their business is operated. Love him or hate him, his keen business skills and desire for high standards have made him a success.

Turnaround can be painful, but it is possible. It requires significant commitment, time, resources, money, and the willingness to accept criticism and change the way you work/behave.

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One Minute How To: Data Security Tips for Marketers and Consumers

I recently had the pleasure to once again speak with George from the One Minute How To podcast. We discussed tips for both marketers and consumers to keep in mind to help protect sensitive information.

Please check out the podcast episode. It’s only a minute.

Tutorial: How to Subscribe to a Podcast

Podcasts are a wonderful source of education and entertainment. Generally speaking, ordinary people like you and me decide that they have something to share and publish it online for others to enjoy. Community participation is what motivates podcasters to continue to publish content on niche topics. Read more

Build Relationships With a Live Broadcast Show

You may want to look at using TalkShoe as another tactic for your marketing mixed bag.

Basically, TalkShoe is a FREE service that enables anyone to easily create, join, or listen to Live Interactive Podcasts & Audioblogs.

These podcaster-hosted Talkcasts can be audio talk shows, discussions, conversations or monologues. Podcasters can also upload an existing pre-recorded podcast. Recorded Talkcasts can be listened to, downloaded, or subscribed to.

Friends and associates, as well as the general Internet surfer can find and join a Live Talkcast. It’s a great way to connect with people of common interests, and you might even make new friends. You can choose to talk (by telephone or microphone), text-chat, or just listen along.

It’s free, but for a fee, TalkShoe can provide more custom tailored solutions for more professional needs. (I.e. custom skinned interface, customer support during peak times)
The host interface may seem a bit intimidating, but it’s quick to understand.

IDEAS TO DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS:

• Create a recurring show (weekly, bi-weekly) at a designated time featuring you or a personality talking about success, big ideas — whatever is appropriate for your market or niche.
• Host an Ask the Expert style talk show and interview passionate enthusiasts.
• Have chats about exercise, recipes, healthy habits for managing/preventing a health condition sponsored by your brand.

Then allow the listeners to submit questions and/or speak real-time with the hosts.

When the episode is over, the file remains available on TalkShoe.com. You can do any post production you want on the source audio files and publish to a promotional web site, and place that feed on iTunes/major podcast directories.

BENEFITS FOR YOUR BUSINESS:

• Draw interested people to the event.

• Consumers can choose how much or how little to participate.

• Individual passion comes to life much better as audio than by reading chat logs.

• Consumers can decide to consume the media when-where-how they want it.

I hope you find this useful. Please contact me with any thoughts or suggestions.
Thank you.
-Roland

Carefully Choose Clients For Your Podcasting Effort

While listening to episode 36 of Podcasting Today, I heard a few good pieces of advice by Rob Walch of Podcast411.com.

The topic was dealing with stubborn clients and how to make a positive arguement for releasing interviews in podcast form rather than on radio. Radio interviews essentially dissappear the moment after being broadcast. However, consumers can find your podcast for years to come.

Also, to make interview(s) with the brand more genuine, avoid sales and marketing folks. While they may know the lingo, they tend to always be in sales mode and the conversation may sound less genuine.

Instead, reach out to interview the CEO, CTO or Product Manager. These people:

• have greater vision of industry
• understand the competitive landscape
• are familiar with the niche trying to be filled, and
• possess in-depth knowledge of the product or service.

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