Jan. 26, 2012
For Immediate Release

 

By Christina L. Kern, office assistant

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky.— Chuck Crain, instructor in business and economics at Campbellsville University, encourages small business owners to stay connected and use technology.

Crain's presentation, “How to Promote your Small Business,” was given at the LaRue County Chamber luncheon sponsored by Campbellsville University and took place at CU's Brockman Center in Hodgenville.

Crain said small business owners must learn to operate their business “effectively (how well you accomplish goals) and efficiently (how well you use your resources).”

“If you're not using technology, you have to. Twenty years ago the technology generation entered. What will happen 15 years from now?

“If you want to be successful, you have to use technology,” he said.

Crain said there are three things customers must know about you: 1) who you are, 2) what you do and 3) where you are located.

How can technology help you with these?

Crain suggests a newsletter, Facebook profile and a website on the Internet.

“If you don't have a Facebook profile, you're missing out,” he said. “It's fast, fun, free and effective.”

Crain suggests posting three times a day even if it's just to say, “Hope everyone has a great day.”
“This gets your business' name out there and people will see it,” he said.

The business' Facebook page can include photos, contact information, a description of the company and other business information.

“Facebook takes you from being local to global instantly,” Crain said. “If you have 200 friends on Facebook, and they each have 200 friends who have 200 friends, you have 40,000 potential contacts.”

Crain also suggests small businesses get a website. With mobile technology, particularly with the new iPhone 4s and other similar devices, potential customers can “find your business within seconds.”

To demonstrate, Crain spoke into his phone, “flowers, Hodgenville, Ky.,” and the phone finds flower shops in the local area.

Websites are also a technology that can be controlled by the business and help with customer service, Crain said. In addition, websites can have a low cost of about $5 per month and some are free

Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 3,500 students offering 63 undergraduate options, 17 master's degrees, five postgraduate areas and eight pre-professional programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.