On Thursday, September 24, the UCA campus was host to the first session of the innovative Conway Small Business Institute (CSBI), a product of a partnership between the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and the UCA Division of Outreach and Community Engagement for Conway area small business owners. CSBI’s website describes the institute as:
“This four part series of workshops has been designed to help you, the small business owner, succeed in your quest to establish, develop, grow, and maintain your business. Each session will focus on a different organizational topic. At the end of this series, you will be well-equipped to put your business in position to prosper! The Institute will run from Fall 2015 through Spring 2016. All sessions will be held on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas at the Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center.”
The first CSBI session, entitled “Small Business Marketing,” focused on making small businesses successful by teaching them how to get attention from the right people at the right time. Many business owners would pose the questions, “How do I find the right people? How can I set my business apart from the competition?” The session aimed to explore how small business owners can use strategic, data-driven marketing (whether through direct mail or social media) to reach their ideal customer base. Participants received real-world examples from local businesses and experienced practitioners that “do marketing well” and learned about tools and technology available to expand their customer base.
Jamie Gates of the Conway Area Chamber presented “Fundamentals of Small Business Marketing,” Jeff Standridge of Acxiom covered “Making the Most of a Limited Marketing Budget,” a panel composed of marketing experts Drew Spurgers, Kim Herrington, and Jody Gatchell discussed “Smart Practices for Small Business Marketing,” and the day wrapped up with Adena White and Kara Darling of the Conway Area Chamber sharing their “Finishing Touches.”
Many golden nuggets and words of wisdom were shared by the presenters – our favorites included:
- Marketing is about being detail oriented. Small businesses need to understand this concept.
- The most difficult thing for small businesses is effectively marketing themselves to the right customers.
- If you own a small business, ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing right now leading to a sale?” If not, you need to change your strategy.
- Be different. You must stand out from the crowd – come up with fresh ideas on how to differentiate yourself through your marketing efforts.
- Marketing is not just sending something out in the mail… make it personal, pick up the phone.
- On a limited marketing budget focus your energy on your target audience; give them special offers.
- Social media content tips: 1) give behind-the-scenes looks, 2) post content people want to share, 3) don’t be too proud to beg, 4) piggyback on holidays and “themed” days, 5) position yourself as an expert, 6) have a contest, and 7) use hashtags strategically!
- Referring to design, spending more up front saves time and money. Look for an agency or a contract designer depending on your budget.
Trust us, there were plenty more golden nuggets to share, but instead of reading about them on our blog, we encourage you to get out there and experience what the Conway Small Business Institute has to offer! If you missed the first session, don’t panic yet – there are still plenty of other sessions you can attend. The following sessions are coming up quick so hurry and register:
Oct. 29, 2015: Veteran, Minority, & Women-Owned Business Certification
Feb. 25, 2016: Human Resources
Mar. 31, 2016: Small Business Finance
Even if you aren’t a small business owner, we bet you know one that could benefit from attending CSBI. Give them a helping hand and share this great opportunity with them!
If you have any questions about CSBI or any of the sessions, reach out to us at (501) 450-3429 or rshepherd@uca.edu
