http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog the blog of Talking Feather Communications Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:38:42 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en According to Share Our Strength, food banks across the country are facing big spikes due to tough economic conditions. Some food banks they fund are reporting a 40- to 50-percent increase in demand. Donating just $5 will make a big difference. "With the help of AT&T and the Mobile Giving Foundation, you ... http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/food-banks-need-our-help/ In the February 2009 issue of Success magazine, CEO of Morton's The Steakhouse Edie Ames lays it out. Her secret sauce to growing the restaurant is connecting with and listening to their employees. People are our most important asset is not just a platitude thrown into the mission statement. "Ames admits ... http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/mortons-edie-ames-shares-secrets-to-success/ Need tips for growing your restaurant business during a recession? Check out Restaurateurs' Recession Survival Guide at Forbes.com. Tips include: Rethink your price list; roll out a range of prices Offer special promotions (gift cards, punch cards, etc.) Do direct-mail campaigns Advertise online (If your restaurant is in Anthem, AZ, get listed on AnthemAZRestaurants.com!) Offer alternative portion ... http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/restaurant-survival-guide/ Twitter this, Tweet that. Follow me, follow you. Still confused about Twitter? The John Denver song describes it well: Follow me where I go what I do and who I know Make it part of you to be a part of me Follow me up and down all the way and all around Take ... http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/twitter-in-a-nutshell/ Top businesses and organizations have certain characteristics that make them strong and able to change and grow. Do you know what they are? Topping the list is a healthy culture. How healthy is your organisation's culture? Take this free organisational culture survey, presented by the Australian Future Search Network. You'll get ... http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/organizational-culture-survey/ Childhood hunger in the U.S. is real and it's pervasive. Did you know that 12.6 million kids are at risk of hunger? What if you could help end childhood hunger just by eating out? You can! Dine out at a participating restaurant during the Great American Dineout, September 21 through 28, ... http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/restaurants-rally-to-help-end-childhood-hunger-in-the-us/ Ah, music to my ears. A sight for sore eyes. And other worn-out metaphors that I might get in trouble for using. If I could give every single business writer, guru or executive one thing to read every morning before work, it'd be this essay by George Orwell: Politics and the ... http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/lazy-words-that-should-be-banned/ This inspirational 6-minute video from the National Restaurant Association is a tribute to what restaurants do for our country — their impact on their employees, on careers, on communities and on the nation's economy. http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/a-tribute-to-americas-restaurants/ Check out (no pun intended) Larry Chase's list of best e-commerce blogs. http://www.wdfm.com/publish/e-commerce_blogs/ Sign up for the free Web Digest for Marketers while you're at it. Great stuff! http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/best-e-commerce-blogs/ Do you use WordPress? Do you want to optimize your blog (or Web site built using WordPress) for search engines? See Michael Gray's killer list of SEO plugins. Love the Gray Wolf logo! http://www.talkingfeathercommunications.com/blog/top-seo-plugins-for-wordpress/