City to host free business seminars

After a successful inaugural year, Airdrie Economic Development is hosting its second season of free business webinars starting Sept. 19.

Build Your Business Skills Webinar series will kick off with The Power of E-newsletters and Social Media Marketing at City Hall from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

The series, which began last year as a pilot program initiated by the City and The Business Link, a not-for-profit organization supported by the provincial and national governments of Canada that provides information and resources, gives Airdrie businesses the opportunity to learn business skills.

“We see this as a great opportunity to offer businesses local learning opportunities,” said Sara Chamberlain, economic development officer with the City of Airdrie.

“The Business Link offers high-quality sessions with knowledgeable presenters on a variety of relevant topics. The best part is businesses don’t have to travel out of the city to build their skills.”

Eight webinars will be offered in the series, including Starting a Business, Setting up a Facebook Page for Business, How to Create a Twitter Profile, How Do You Know You’re Making Any Money?, How to Secure Contracts, An Introduction to Drafting and Using Contracts and Marketing for the New Millennium.

The sessions will take place throughout the months of October and November and will conclude the first week of December.

Last year, Airdrie hosted 21 webinars that attracted 129 participants.

More than 75 per cent of attendees said the information they acquired would help them achieve business results.

While business people also have the option to watch the webinars on their own for a fee, Chamberlain says there is a real advantage to being part of the group.

“It gives businesses the chance to get out and meet other business owners and share ideas,” she said.

“Plus we chose to offer the webinars free of charge.”

Registration is required for participants of any webinar.

For more information, a full description of the sessions, or to register for a webinar, visit www.airdrienow.ca or call 403-948-8844.