Business Boot Camp set for Saturday

Small businesses in the Tri-parish area can receive intensive training in the newest marketing practices when the Bayou Region Technical Assistance Network holds its second Business Boot Camp on Saturday, Feb. 9 at the Plantation Suite in Nicholls State University’s Student Union from 8:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“It’s a great gathering event for small businesses,” said Charles Gaiennie, spokesman for the South Louisiana Economic Council, one of the event presenters.

The Technical Assistance Network, funded by Louisiana Economic Development, offers support to small businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profits in parishes affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The concept of the Business Boot Camp was created by LSU. “Universities are important resources for small businesses,” Gaiennie said.

The event is free and lunch will be provided. The Technical Assistance Network is footing the cost.

A panel of marketing professionals will discuss marketing concepts, market research, guerilla marketing, branding, advertising, Web and electronic marketing, use of public relations and networking.

“There were multiple initiatives after Katrina and Rita to revive the economy,” Gaiennie said. “Small business was particularly affected. It was difficult for them to come back. The Technical Assistance Network helps them to stay and to start up new businesses. Small business makes up the majority of the economy.”

The principal speaker will be Paul Chaney of Bizzuka, the Lafayette Web design company. Two sessions will be held, one on social marketing and the other on creating Web sites.

Social marketing involves the opinions of objective third parties about a product, Gaiennie said.

“Say you want a product,” he said. “You go to the Web. There are infinite resources to talk to people who’ve bought the product already. It’s a shared social environment.”

Social marketing includes blogs and the Web sites My Space and You Tube.

Craig Marinello of Next Step Resources will also discuss social marketing. Richard Drexel of the consulting firm Business Solutions will talk about networking.

The first Business Boot Camp, conducted in September, concerned starting and running a business. The event attracted more than 60 companies.