SBDC offers ways to fill cash registers

Local entrepreneurs in search for effective ways to reach out to their target markets are urged to attend a special workshop designed by the Northern Marianas College-Small Business Development Center to help small-scale investors keep afloat amid slow economic activity.

Workshop organizers said the training-seminar has good promise of translating new marketing innovations into increase in sales and growth in customer base.

Called Marketing Excellence: How to Multiply Your Profits and Have More Fun Growing Your Business, the workshop is expected to draw huge participants from business owners and operators throughout the Northern Marianas.

The workshop kicked off last week on Tinian and Rota was held at the NMC campus on each island. The same free-of-charge seminar will be held tomorrow at the NMC-SBDC Building in As Terlaje from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m..

Presentations that will be made by NMC business instructor D. Rik Villegas is anticipated to provide participants with the examples, tools and techniques that are sure to create a workable marketing plan.

Mr. Villegas has a Master of Science degree in Management and Human Relations from Abilene Christian University, a Master of Education degree in Instructional Technology from Utah State University and holds a Bachelor degree in Secondary Education/Speech Communications.

Participants will be presented with a model called Accelerated Marketing Process to help them understand the eight important steps to turn their prospect customers into advocates for their business.

Attendees are hoped to extract knowledge through instruction, class activities and workbook completion on the strategies and tactics available in each of the eight steps, as well as ways to develop and implement a focused marketing plan.

The workshop promises participants new innovations in improving the performance of their business, thus, helping them survive slow economic activities in the Northern Marianas.

Mr. Villegas said the workshop has the potential to assist entrepreneurs increase their customer base, as well as the amount of each individual transaction and the frequency of repeat purchases from existing customers.

Other areas that will be discussed in the workshop include the determination of a Unique Strategic Advantage for each business area and the utilization of the Accelerated Marketing Process to optimize marketing efforts.

Mr. Villegas also mentioned that participants to the training-seminar will receive the Savvy Marketers Checklist handout, which will help participants choose from hundreds of techniques and strategies in developing a marketing plan.