By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A digital presence, a business plan, increasing sales; all will be topics discussed this week during Entrepreneurship Week on the Missouri Western State University St. Joseph campus.
Director of the Craig School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship, Annette Weeks, says a digital presence is necessary, because consumers turn to the Internet to learn more about businesses.
“A lot of them are wanting to know more about the business owner now, because we had strong promotion about shopping local and so they’re understanding the importance of supporting local business owners, because we all rallied around them to survive through the last year and a half,” Weeks tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “So, you have to make sure to have your digital presence connecting with the consumer.”
This is the sixth Entrepreneurship Week sponsored by the Craig Center. It had to cancel the week last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Weeks leads the first session this morning on how to write a business plan. Other sessions focus on sales, protecting a business, marketing plans, and the role of social media for small businesses.
Weeks says a business plan is more important than ever.
“So, for those thinking about (starting) a business or if you already have an existing business, this helps you re-look at your plan and how have you adjusted post-pandemic?” says Weeks, adding. “I don’t if it’s really ‘post’ quite yet.”
Miu Edlin with the Craig Center will hold a seminar on creating a marketing plan.
“Cause not all business understands that, hey, you need a target market and you need a goal for your business and those will lead to, ‘How much time to I need to spend on my digital presence or is my target market wanting a traditional marketing?’” Edlin says.
Entrepreneurship Week, this year entitled Road to Success, begins this morning at Spratt 214 and runs through this week. The week wraps up on Friday with guest speaker, Joe Gray of Gray Manufacturing, at the Capstone Business Luncheon at the Fulkerson Center.
Walk-ins are welcome, registration is preferred.
Click here for more information.