"The National Restaurant Association strongly supports Senator Mary Landrieu's amendment for a 90-day waiting period for employers in the Senate health care legislation. This pro-restaurant amendment would eliminate the onerous fees currently in the Senate bill for waiting periods of less than 90-days.

"Senator Landrieu's pro-small-business, pro-worker amendment will enable restaurant operators to provide our employees the highest quality benefits at the most affordable price. On behalf of the nation's nearly one million restaurants and its 13 million employees, we thank Senator Landrieu for her outstanding leadership.

"Due to the restaurant industry's average annual turnover rate of 75 percent of the workforce, a 90-day waiting period is critical. Restaurateurs want to offer affordable health coverage for our employees and lower the cost of that coverage. By allowing a 90-day waiting period, restaurant operators will be able to keep the cost lower for premiums of their employees that stay with the restaurant long-term.

"We strongly believe a 90-day waiting period before coverage requirements begin could have a significant impact on lowering health-care costs our restaurateurs provide their employees-- for both new and current employees. This reasonable waiting period will mitigate the resources spent to cover employees who have no intention of staying with the organization for an extended period of time.

"We are working hard in this debate to protect our industry and the men and women who work in it, and we truly appreciate Senator Landrieu's efforts on their behalf."

1. Conduct a search for your restaurant major local search sites. Does yours appear? Is the information accurate and up-to-date? Many of the major players allow businesses to add and update their free listing. This will ensure that customers can actually find you and it doesn't cost anything. (For instance, you can visit: http://advertise.local.com.)
2. Determine who your target customer is and what type of products or services they want to purchase. Are you targeting families, singles, corporate executives or a specific clientele? Are they looking for a certain type of menu, entertainment, ambiance (casual, eclectic or formal) or private dining rooms? Know who you want to reach and what they may be looking for.
3. Determine the key words these potential customers use when trying to find you and your type of restaurant. Add these keywords to your website and make them part of your core marketing blueprint.
4. Add fresh content to your Web site regularly. This can include: new menu items, promotions or specials, or events to keep your customers informed. You could include customer quotes or testimonials that validate your restaurant's cuisine or service.
5. Make it easy to be found online. Whether you have a Web site or not, you can leverage the marketing tools offered by your local search engine provider, including free and paid online listing services that offer flexibility and cost-effective marketing and allow you to:
   • create a personalized landing page, which can be instantly updated as products or services change;
     
   • build "back-links" or links from the local search engine to your site to assist with your search engine marketing efforts; and
     
   • cost effectively reach prospective customers already searching for type of business on the Internet.