Whether you have an idea for a business, are well on your way to establishing one, or are looking to grow your existing business, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) has a door for you to walk through.
Throughout 2024, PKED is offering three different in-person workshop series led by industry experts that will target areas essential for business growth, opening a door — or multiple doors — for small business owners in the city and county of Peterborough.
The three workshop series are called Business Fundamentals, Small Biz Social Navigator, and Digital Excellence Unleashed, with the first two workshops — “Small Business Websites 101” and “Developing Your Marketing Plan” — happening on April 9 and 11 respectively.
“These workshops serve as a gateway to further support opportunities with the experts involved,” says Jamey Coughlin, Director of Business Attraction, Retention & Expansion at PKED. “Whether you are testing an initial idea, scaling success, or considering a future exit, it all comes down to fundamentals.”
Each of the three series are designed to help business owners not only hone their skills and understanding of their own business, but to do so through a local and contemporary lens from experts currently in the field.
“The internet provides infinite resources and information,” says Coughlin. “Local experts, however, not only know that content, but they better understand the opportunities and challenges of operating a business locally.”
Coughlin also notes that in comparison to learning online, business owners who gather together in a physical space to learn from experts can connect with others who are in similar situations, asking the same questions and overcoming the same obstacles.
“There is power in peer support,” says Coughlin. “Only fellow small business owners can really understand what a small business owner is going through, be it learning new technology, retaining staff, or adapting to changing costs and consumer demand. We intentionally wanted to provide a space where these businesses, at all different stages and industries, could network and share their experiences with one another.”
Business Fundamentals workshop series
PKED will be hosting the Business Fundamentals workshop series three times this year in the winter, spring, and fall. Presented in collaboration with Community Futures Peterborough and the Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas, this series is ideal for those looking to launch their business or seeking a refresher.
“Each organization has a specialty and niche to support businesses, but all of our clients have a lot of common needs,” says Coughlin, referring to the partnership with Community Futures and the Innovation Cluster. “These joint Business Fundamentals workshops ensure we are working efficiently, connecting attendees with experts, and sending the message that there is no wrong door to get support.”
The six Business Fundamentals workshops are focused on marketing strategies, financial management, writing a business plan, learning about market research, the Lean Canvas model, and more. Thinking about these fundamentals can not only help business owners map out their strategies but can be stepping stones to other support systems.
“Attending the Writing a Business Plan or Cash Flow workshops help entrepreneurs build a solid foundation that will increase their odds of qualifying for a small business loan,” adds Coughlin.
The workshop series provides access to additional resources including templates, toolkits, forums, and mentorship programs for business owners to access beyond the workshops. The next cycle of workshops will be launching early May.
Visit investptbo.ca/business-fundamentals/ for updates on workshop schedules.
Small Biz Social Navigator workshop series
Kat Tepylo-Murphy, a certified social media strategist and head of strategy at Peterborough-based Social Kat Media, is hosting the Small Biz Social Navigator workshop series to help participants thrive in today’s digital age. Designed especially for newly established small businesses, the workshop series is all about honing the skills necessary to maximize reach and impact in an online realm.
The first workshop in the series, called “Developing Your Marketing Plan,” will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 11 in the Everest Boardroom of Peterborough’s VentureNorth Building. Participants will walk through setting up their marketing strategies, with templates and workbooks used to determine social media channels, campaigns, and content focus.
That will be followed by the “Social Media Essentials” workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, May 15 at Cavan Monaghan Community Centre in Millbrook.
“Social media can help every business increase their visibility, help them stand out in their market, and attract more customers in a way that feels authentic and genuine,” says Tepylo-Murphy. “It’s hard to beat face-to-face connection, but having a social media hub gives your customers somewhere to connect with you even when they can’t physically stop by. Regularly posting on social media provides a powerful opportunity to build your community and sales.”
To create these communities and convert that community into revenue, Tepylo-Murphy notes small business owners need to first establish their own “core content” and the messages their audience wants and needs from them, before they can even think about adapting and using ever-changing content trends to maximize viewership.
“These messages help build connections, grow your audience, and foster sales,” she says. “Once you have those established for consistency and reliability, you’ll be able to jump on trends and create content that feels right for your business and your goals.”
Discovering this messaging and understanding their audience is one of the components explored throughout the four Small Biz Social Navigator workshops. Other key topics include components of good content creation, how to turn followers into customers, effectively using hashtags, understanding analytics, step-by-step tutorials for creating memorable Instagram reels, and more.
“The Small Biz Social Navigator workshop series will make establishing and growing your social media presence more clear, straightforward, and strategic,” Tepylo-Murphy says. “Business owners will become more confident in showing up online, allowing them to boost their visibility, drive traffic to their site, build their email lists, and sell their products and services.”
Visit investptbo.ca/small-biz-social-navigator/ for more information and a schedule of future workshops.
Digital Excellence Unleashed workshop series
For established small businesses and solo-preneurs, another door opens with the Digital Excellence Unleashed workshop series, launched in February in collaboration with Camp Tech, a Canadian leader in digital marketing and tech skills training.
This curated series of immersive digital marketing workshops will equip a business owner with the knowledge and skills to transform their business into a digital powerhouse.
“By stepping through our door, businesses will learn to harness the power of digital marketing, gaining hands-on experience and expert insights to effectively engage their audience and elevate their brand online,” says Avery Swartz, CEO and founder of Camp Tech. “Participants in our series will gain the skills and practical knowledge to navigate the digital landscape confidently, learning how to use tools and strategies that will help grow their businesses.”
Participants of the series will learn to evaluate and compare software and apps for navigating small business, building or redesigning a website and securing it, which AI tools can assist in marketing and administrative tasks, beginner-friendly TikTok fundamentals, and more.
“Our immersive approach focuses on practical learning,” Swartz says. “The workshops break down digital marketing into understandable, actionable steps, and are designed so that even those new to technology can easily grasp and apply what they learn right away.”
The next workshop in the series, “Small Business Websites 101,” takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, April 9 at the Cavan-Monaghan Community Centre in Millbrook. As its name suggests, the workshop will give participants all they need to know about building a new website or redesigning an existing one, from choosing and registering a domain name to ensuring the website is secure to getting a matching email address.
Visit investptbo.ca/digital-excellence-unleashed/ for more information and to access a full schedule of workshops.
While each workshop series represents a door for a specific stage in the business journey, Coughlin notes that business owners will have to go through all the doors eventually.
Regardless of where an entrepreneur is in their business journey, attending any of the workshops can provide valuable information and resources to help manage and grow a business.
“A workshop from earlier this year helped one participant inventory how much they were paying in monthly fees and subscriptions — some of which were beyond their scope of need,” says Coughlin, noting the business owner took immediate action and ended up saving a lot of money every month. “There is never a bad time for entrepreneurs to take a step back and work on their business.”
This story was created in partnership with Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
