Business Workshops

Upcoming business workshops offered locally include:

Making Your Website Work for You
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 9 am – noon;  Krug Event Center at Sonoma Valley Inn, 550 Second St. West.
You’ve got a website … now what?  This workshop will focus on how to make your website an effective component of your overall marketing strategy. Learn how to bring potential and existing customers to your website, how to turn visits into action, and how to track and evaluate the effectiveness of your site.  Topics covered will include search engine optimization, keyword advertising, and website metrics.  Bring your questions and get them answered in a non-intimidating setting!
Registration fee:  $20 per workshop (50% discount for 2nd person from the same business). Space is limited; advance registration/payment required.  To register, contact the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce at 996-1033.

Social Media Marketing: What, How, Why?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 9 am -noon; EOC Community Meeting Room, 175 First St. West (next to Police Department)                                           
Social media marketing is about engaging with online communities to generate exposure, opportunity, and sales.  Is it a good fit for your business and your marketing strategy?  This workshop will cover the 5 steps to social media success including the pros and cons of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter as marketing tools; how to find other social networks suitable for your type of business; the benefits of blogging and video marketing; and the importance of online reputation management.  Learn how to establish realistic goals, develop an action plan, measure results, and what not to do.
Registration fee:  $20 per workshop (50% discount for 2nd person from the same business). Space is limited; advance registration/payment required. To register, contact the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce at 996-1033.

Immigration Law:  How to Maintain a Legal Workforce
Location:  Rohnert Park.  Date/Time:  7:30 a.m. - noon, March 17, 2010.
Presented by the Sonoma County Employer Advisory Council.  Click here for the flyer.

From Kitchen to Market.  February 17 in Santa Rosa. Redwood Empire SBDC.

Marketing Your Small Winery.  February 24 in Napa.  Napa Valley SBDC.

Retail Academy.  March 2, 3, and 4, 2010 in Santa Rosa.  Redwood Empire SBDC.

Quickbooks for Start-Ups.  March 20 in Santa Rosa.  SCORE.

Retail Sales Training.  April 15 in Sonoma.  Sonoma Valley Adult School.

The Business Side of Art.  April 21, 2010 in Napa. Napa Valley SBDC.

Wired Sonoma has several upcoming events and workshops for and by the digital technology community.

Other workshops offered through the Redwood Empire Smalll Business Development Center (SBDC) include So You Want to Start A Business; Product Development; and Success Through Invention (all offered monthly), as well as a variety of online classes. For more info on this and other workshops, visit the SBDC website event calendar.  

Workshop offerings at the Community Education Program at Santa Rosa JC include Business Blogs Using WordPress, Marketing Your One-Person Business, Do-It-Yourself Websites, Small Budget Advertising, and more. 

The Napa Valley College Tourism & Hospitality Program has new classes starting January 20, 2010, including Principles of Hotel Administration; Hospitality Law; Food, Beverage & Restaurant Management, and an online class in Hospitality & Tourism Marketing.

The Sonoma Valley Adult School's offerings include a variety of business workshops, and the SVAS Workplace Training program for employers offers customized on-site training in computer applications, Spanish language training, and English as a Second Language.

SCORE is offers a variety of low-cost workshops, including Quickbooks for Start-Ups (a hands-on lab), Writing an Effective Business Plan, and How to Start and Manage a Small Business.

In addition, a variety of business workshops can be found through the Napa Valley College SBDC .