Harper to put on Social Media Boot Camp for small business

The calls kept rolling in to Harper College's Small Business Development Center: Entrepreneurs were well aware they needed to jump on the social media bandwagon to boost their business, but had no idea how to start.

The answer? A social media boot camp tailored to new and existing Northwest suburban small businesses.

"Our role is to respond to the needs of our local entrepreneurs, and this program was based entirely on input from them," Small Business Development Manager Tom Cassell said. "The challenge was to create something simple enough for busy small business owners to grasp, but also robust enough to really affect their bottom line. I think we accomplished that."

The four-session workshop will teach small business owners and marketing professionals to capitalize on social media - from Facebook and Twitter to LinkedIn, Google Local and more. Instructor Corinn Hilbert founded Be XSible LLC to help local businesses avoid senseless social media activity and focus on marketing strategies that actually convert customers.

The boot camp runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays Nov. 4 to Nov. 25 at the Harper Professional Center, 650 E. Higgins Road in Schaumburg. Sessions are:

Nov. 4 - Social Media Marketing (an introduction to the fundamentals)

Nov. 11 - Social Media Engagement (creating a social brand and managing customer service using social media analytics)

Nov. 18 - Social Media Platforms (determining the best platform for a specific business)

Nov. 25 - Social Media Local (putting a business on the map)

The cost is $50 per session or $175 for all four. Class size is limited. The series is the latest boot camp offering from Harper's SBDC, which regularly provides training for small business owners and free one-on-one business counseling.

To register for the class or for more information on SBDC offerings, visit harpercollege.biz or call 847.925.6070.