This Week in AI with cohosts ChatGPT and Tony DeSimone

Face masks are the new t-shirts

Face it, face masks are here to stay. Wes Froebel, owner of Minuteman Press is making them fun and functional. Learn about how this pivot helped save the business during the quarantine. Tony thanks Audrey Hall one more time in the intro for the previous interview that received the most email/text responses!

No Bed Bugs, more Rats during the Covid Crisis

Bed bugs are "hitchhikers" and considering no one is travelling, there are no hitchhiking critters to worry about during the Covid-19 quarantine, rats and mice, well, that's a different story. Buffalo Business First 30 under 30 winner, Audrey Hall, President of Ecoserve Pest Control talks about pest control during Covid-19, keeping the customers and employees safe, and the 30 under 30. This interview completely "falls off the rails" once Tony opens a gift Audrey sent prior to the interview with the request to not open until the interview (you'll probably want to watch this one). If that isn't enough, please wait until the end for cameo appearance of Audrey's beautiful daughter, Dakota playing her role as CTO (Chief Toddler Officer).

Prices rising fast at the supermarket, is the supply chain breaking?

On April 27th, John Tyson of Tyson foods said the supply chain was breaking, three weeks later, prices for beef, chicken and eggs are rising at record pace. John Hogg, owner of Straight Forward Consulting and supply chain specialist shares his opinion on the supply chain, food shortages and prices. He also discusses the opportunities created by the Covid-19 situation and shares a supply chain strategy and metrics report.

Go Find Your Cheese!

Covid-19 has changed the rules for everyone. The individuals who understand and act upon it the quickest will be the ones who survive and thrive during the recession which Tony explains has already started.  During this episode, Tony uses the cheese metaphor from the book Who moved my Cheese written by Dr. Spencer Johnson  to explain that our cheese has moved, we need to find new cheese and how to do it. 

Covid-19 bankruptcies hitting gyms hard but Master Chong's is going strong!

While many businesses in the health and fitness industry like Golds Gym are filing for bankruptcy, Master Chong's World Class Tae Kwon Do made the pivot to virtual classes for their students and in the process lost very few. Michael Mertens, the Executive Director will share how they made very quick, proactive adjustments to the business model to ensure they will not only survive the Covid-19 quarantine, but will come out stronger once the quarantine is over. Tony also thanks Lori Miller of Developing Professionals one more time.

My employee wants to stay home and make the extra $600 - what do I do?

As unemployed workers receive an extra $600 from the U.S Government, many are deciding to stay home because they are making more or about as much as they would if they were back to work. Many employers are struggling to get enough employees back now that they have received their PPP funding. Lori Miller, owner of developing professionals will tell us how business owners should handle this situation. She will also share some of the latest changes including an infectious disease control template you will need as an adder to your employee manual and the latest Covid-19 changes to FMLA for NYS that affect businesses with as few as one employee. Tony also thanks Dave Merrell of North Forest Office Space for being a part of the previous interview. 

RENT IS DUE AGAIN! See how North Forest Office Space handles collection during the COVID-19 Crisis.

Rent is due during Covid-19 quarantine and many of the 670 tenant small businesses at North Forest Office Space are not allowed to operate. David Merrell, President, explains how they created a customer engagement team combining empathy with proactivity to improve payment, the advantages that North Forest has over other commercial office space in a post Covid-19 world, expansion plans and much more. Tony also thanks Domenic Berardi for the previous interview.     

The Most Dangerous Job in America post Covid-19 - Dentist

Three of the four occupations ranked with the highest Covid-19 risk are in the dentist industry. Dr. Domenic Berardi of Berardi Dentistry shares how the industry is about to be turned upside down due to the risk of Covid-19 exposure. In this episode, he discusses his entrepreneurial family, the business model changes and added costs that may create a shortage of dentists, disbursing the "mist" when drilling in teeth to protect the employees and clients, expectations on protective equipment, how to keep the "personal touch" and when we can finally get a teeth cleaning again. Tony also thanks Jeff Kruzska from BS&P CPA's for the previous episode interview.  

How to track your PPP funds like a CPA (spreadsheet included!)

You have your Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds and now you need to track it to make sure you maximize the forgivable amount. Jeff Kruszka, Principal at BS&P CPAs, answers some of the FAQ's of PPP so the average business owner can understand and walks us through his simple spreadsheet (and shares a copy for anyone who wants it) so we can avoid the need to open a separate bank account or add another line on the chart of accounts.  Tony also thanks Charlie Cho, Supercuts franchisee for coming on the previous episode.

Chiavetta's Chicken BBQ - the coronavirus-proof restaurant

When most restaurants are closed or failing, Chiavetta's is thriving during the Covid 19 crisis. Kathleen Chiavetta, Director of Business Development of Chiavetta's Chicken BBQ shares how the company made daily adjustments to create a winning Covid 19 business model. She also discusses keeping the staff safe, growing the business, spending time with her family and 4 cats and counting woodchuck holes. Tony also thanks Rosanna Berardi, owner of Berardi Immigration Law one more time for coming on the previous interview.