Small-business owners are invited to a free, virtual workshop next week to improve their online presence and marketing strategies.
James Czarski, a Hilo-based adviser with the Hawaii Small Business Development Center, or Hawaii SBDC, will be teaching Hawaii small-business owners how to create and manage a Google Business Profile from start to finish.
In the virtual session, Czarski will show attendees how to create or claim a Google Business Profile, manage business information that appears in Google searches and maps, and use the business profile to connect with potential customers.
“People are mostly using cellphones to find what they are looking for, and if you’re running a business, you want to be found,” Czarski said. “This is meant to help owners get higher up on the searches and make the business easier to find. If you aren’t listed online, it’s going to be a lot harder to get customers.”
Hawaii SBDC was established in 1990 to provide professional business advice, research and training to business owners and new entrepreneurs in order to promote growth, innovation, productivity and management improvement.
According to its website, SBDC strives to accomplish these objectives by linking business owners to federal, state and local resources, the educational community, and the private sector to meet their needs.
Advisers with Hawaii SBDC host a variety of online workshops that cover subjects like starting a business, writing business plans and financing. There also is the opportunity to receive one-on-one consulting from advisers.
“We’re open to anyone. It’s a free service, so anyone who wants to sign up can have free consulting. Most people using the services are people starting businesses,” Czarski said. “We get a lot of different questions on how to start financing and write business plans. We offer all kinds of services for those interested.”
Czarski teaches at the University of Hawaii at Hilo where he teaches business, economics, management and leadership from the undergraduate to doctoral level. This will be the first workshop he leads for Hawaii SBDC since joining in January.
“I get a lot of thanks and appreciation from the people I have consulted with, which is really nice,” Czarski said. “While it’s not the best paying, it’s very satisfying. I know I can look back and see that I really helped some people get started or improve their businesses.”
Hawaii SBDC has physical locations in Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Oahu, Kauai and Maui, and small-business owners can attend any online workshop.
Some workshops require a fee, but Czarski’s will be free over Zoom from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 21.
More information and to register for upcoming events and workshops, visit Hawaii SBDC’s website at tinyurl.com/29n3v94y.
Email Kelsey Walling at kwalling@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
