Small Business Development Center to offer week-long series of seminars

Oct. , 2008 -- The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Arkansas State University will offer a week-long series of seminars addressing marketing a small business through technology, Oct. 7-10.

“Search Engine Optimization” will be Tuesday, Oct. 7, from 6-9 p.m. at the ASU Technical Center, 5504 Krueger Drive in Jonesboro. “How to Write a Marketing Plan” is set for Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 9 a.m.-noon at the East Arkansas Planning and Development and Development District, 2905 King Street in Jonesboro. On Thursday, Oct. 9, participants may attend “IT Issues for Every Small Business” from 1-4 p.m. at the East Arkansas Planning and Development District.

“Generational Marketing” is offered Friday, Oct. 10, at the Liberty Bank main branch in Mountain Home from 9 a.m.-noon.

The “Search Engine Optimization” workshop, hosted by Jim Bryant, IT Associates LLC president, covers enhancing each page of company websites in order to attract qualified customers. Attendees learn how to find search terms and strategically place them for optimum page usage. In addition, information about free online tools for researching keywords and tracking and analyzing a company’s online customers is available.

Cost is $49 per person and the seminar is co-sponsored by East Arkansas Planning and Development District, the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce and IT Associates, LLC.

John Riggins, president of the Riggins Group, Inc., will speak at the seminar, “How to Write a Marketing Plan” and offer common sense ideas on creating and using a marketing plan to guide small businesses.

Cost is $35 and the seminar is open to ASU faculty, staff and students for half price. The workshop is co-sponsored by the Riggins Group, East Arkansas Planning and Development District, IT Associates and Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Today’s business owners are faced with many decisions when it comes to information technology, and “IT Issues for Every Small Business” addresses these issues, including the pros and cons of available options. Claire Chitwood, executive vice president of Enformix technology services is the featured speaker. Sponsored by Enformix, the seminar is free of charge.

The week concludes with “Generational Marketing.” This seminar, sponsored by Liberty Bank, the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce and the Baxter County library, provides demographics, influences and ways to target generations in the market.

Services are provided by James Atkinson, UALR marketing research specialist at the Arkansas Small Business Development Center in Little Rock. Susan Glasgow, ASU SBDC training coordinator, is the featured speaker. Registration fee is $35 per person with ASU faculty, staff and students attending for half price.

For more information, view http://sbdc.astate.edu/Training_Calendar/TrainingCalendarSept08.html.
           

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