Small Town News

Workshops help small business

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A series of seminars and workshops designed to help small business owners succeed kicks off this week.

Hosted through the Yavapai College Small Business Development Center, the sessions will be held in Sedona as well but most will be in Clarkdale and Cottonwood.

The first one is set for 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, in Cottonwood at the Cottonwood Business Assistance Center, 821 N. Main St.

It's also one of the only ones that's free to attend.

The "three-hour class provides a cost effective overview of all aspects of starting a business," according to the development center. "From testing your business idea, determining your unique selling position, evaluating the ideal business structure, to low-cost marketing strategies, this class covers all topics that could be considered in starting a business."

The class will be led by Kathryn Bazan.

The next day, Thursday, Jan. 15, will see the workshop move to the Sedona Center for the Arts, where the focus will be on helping people learn how to successfully apply for grants.

The same day, from noon to 1 p.m., Stephanie Peters will start a multiple-part workshop designed to help businesses owners develop a presence on the Internet with their own websites at the Cottonwood Business Assistance Center.

"We're going to be helping people create their own websites using one of the most popular tools out there," Peters said.

Peters said the idea is to show business owners the importance of having a presence on the web and how to get that presence established.

The first class will show the basics of how the web works and what's required to get a place for a business on the Internet.

The classes usually accommodate eight to 12 students, Peters said, and they have proved popular in the past.

So popular that the first class was filled by press time. For those that can't take part this time around,

Peters said that another round of workshops was tentatively being planned for March.

"The more websites out there that are successful, the better it is for business and the better it is for the entire economy in the Verde Valley," Peters said. "It's a domino effect."

The other two parts of the web design workshop are set for Jan. 22 and 29.

The second part will be at the college's Clarkdale campus on Black Hills Drive.

That class will get into the nuts and bolts of creating a website.

The class on Jan. 29 will also be on campus and will further delve into web design, including how to effectively use social media.

The workshop will also focus on important details like setting up a website so customers can make purchases online.

For more information, call the development center at 776-2008.

Mark Lineberger can be reached at 567-3341 or email CVEditor@larsonnewspapers.com



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