New small business education training offered

The Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Governments working in conjunction with the Cowlitz Economic Development Council and Lower Columbia College, is offering three new education workshops for businesses. These workshops are designed to provide businesses with the knowledge needed to improve business performance with step-by-step tasks to apply what is learned.

Each class will include in person instruction with an experienced small business owner instructor, online course content and materials accessible for one year and networking with other local small business owners.

Participants will utilize current market research to identify customers which are more likely to make a transaction, become repeat customers, and marketing agents. Participants will identify target audience segmentation and build separate marketing strategies to attract individuals to increase profits. March 7 - March 28, Tuesdays 9-11 a.m. $99.

Utilizing Social Media And Influencer Marketing: Large corporations utilize social media marketing to effectively promote their brand and attract customers. Social media influencers collaborate with these businesses to harness endorsements creating interest among target audiences and converting followers into customers. Best practices, legal obligations, and content management across various platforms. April 18 - May 9, Tuesdays 9-11 a.m. $99.

Website Development & Digital Storefront Management: The final session is an open date training including three 1-hour meetings with the instructor.

Whether you are selling products online or simply showcasing products on the showroom floor, building, and maintaining an active digital storefront is critical to the success of every business.

Learn how to build, manage, and integrate a digital storefront with platforms like Amazon, Etsy, and Shopify. They will also cover the processes involved in identifying client needs, target audience, and content management for website development. Three 1-hour individual meetings with Mark Gaither by appointment. $99.

Contact ehoff@lowercolumbia.edu to register or with other questions.

If you need special accommodations to participate in this process, call 360-577-3041 by 5:00 p.m. two days prior to the event. Ask for the ADA Coordinator. For TDD users, access the state's toll-free relay service, (800) 833-6388, and ask the operator to dial 360-956-7575.