Get Satisfaction CEO Thor Muller spoke at the Oakland Digital Literacy Center’s social media symposium for small business.

Great excerpt from his blog post about small business and social media:

[M]y father, a long-time restaurateur in San Jose, California, is currently in the process of resurrecting a restaurant called Lou’s Village after several years of early retirement. When his last venue closed there was no such thing as “social media.” A few months ago, when he and my uncle were first breaking ground on the new location, they created a Facebook page for the new Lou’s. What happened next blew them away. Hundreds of people who’d loved the old Lou’s embraced this business that doesn’t exist yet (and won’t for another year). These locals cheered the brothers on, offered feedback about the proposed design of the space, consulted about which dishes to include on the menu (popcorn shrimp!, cioppino!), and reminisced about the old joint. When drama struck–the community demanded hearings about whether to allow the new restaurant a permit for late night entertainment–Lou’s had an army of devotees ready and willing to flood the hearing. The social web is powering my dad’s success before opening day.

Full post and video.