El Cerrito to Hold Small Business Workshops

The City of El Cerrito will hold four workshops in April and May designed for "the small business or entrepreneur looking to improve their bottom line and presence in the marketplace," according to a city announcement.

Each workshop costs $20 (cash or check payable to City of El Cerrito only). You may attend one or all four. RSVP at (510) 215-4362 to reserve a spot.

All workshops will be held at El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave.

For more details, visit discoverelcerrito.com.

Here's the workshop line-up:

SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL MARKETING

Tuesday April 9, 2013 8:30 am-10:30 am

ln this two-hour workshop, participants will learn how to find and keep customers using Social Media, Productivity Tools, and EmaiI Marketing. Learn best practices from an industry expert on how to increase sales and customer loyalty. The seminar wiil cover Social Media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest, along with productivity tools including Evernote. Presented by David Mitroff, Ph.D and co-hosted by the ContraCosta Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

MARKETING MOJO FOR SOLOPRENEURS & SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Wednesday April 24, 2013 8:30 am-10:30 am

Are you a solo practitioner or small business owner? Need more time, money andsuccess in your life? ln this workshop, you'll build your marketing plan in three easy steps. From building an understanding of your target audience to getting the basics of your marketing mix frgured out, you'il leave with a plan to build your marketing machine. Build a step-by-step plan to grow your business and get your marketing in place for an awesome 2013!

MAKING CONNECTIONS COUNT

Thursday May 9, 2013 8:00 am-11:00 am

Face-to-face networking is an essential skill to master, and is a complement to using social media. This interactive workshop will cover the "true" definition of networking, networking opportunities, principles and etiquette of networking, common points of interest, the elevator speech, social media and reciprocity.

THE TRIPtE BOTTOM LlNE: PEOPLE, PLANET, PROF!T

Thursday May 23, 2013 7:00 pm-9:00 pm

Hear from a panel of sustainability experts in this fascinating workshop. The panel wil linclude Chinook Books, a national leader in the publication and distribution of green coupon books. Learn from them how to bring the values of People, Planet & Profit to your business and customers, to benefit your bottom line, longevity and the entire community. They witl also share how local merchant partners are thriving and inspiring by bringing their values to life and creating a more sustainable local economy.

We will also hear from the Contra Costa County Green Business Program. Learn what it takes to be a Certifred Green Business, and how to engage the County program to support your efforts to transition to being a Green Business.

More details are available at DiscoverElCerrito.com, the city's web page for current and potential El Cerrito businesses.