Business owners and professionals can learn how to connect with customers at a marketing workshop held in recognition of National Small Business Week, May 5-11. The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Missouri S&T is partnering with Phelps County Bank to host a workshop with marketing expert Melissa Forziat.

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Missouri S&T will host a workshop with marketing expert Melissa Forziat.

“Effective marketing is all about relationship building, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money,” says Melissa Forziat, owner of Melissa Forziat Events & Marketing. “In this workshop, attendees will learn how to make the most out of referral marketing (word of mouth), partnership marketing and social media to create strong connections with their target market.”

The seminar will be held 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at the Rolla Public Schools Administration Building, 500 Forum Drive in Rolla, Missouri. The seminar fee is $10, which includes lunch. Registration is required. Visit smallbiz2019.eventbrite.com to register.

“Area business owners have told us through our annual business needs survey that they really want help with marketing,” says Karen Leatherman, business development specialist at Missouri S&T SBDC. “Melissa presented virtually at the Women in Business seminar in March, and we’re happy to partner with Phelps County Bank to bring her here in person for this workshop.”

Forziat is a Seattle-based marketing consultant, author and speaker who works with small-business owners to develop and execute strategic marketing plans. She has worked with brands ranging from the Olympic Winter Games to language immersion schools to jewelry companies trying to build an international clientele. Forziat is the author of the free eBook and companion workbook “Small Business Marketing on a Budget” and board president of Ventures nonprofit, which helps low-income entrepreneurs in Seattle gain self-sufficiency through business ownership.

For more information, contact Karen Leatherman, business development specialist for the SBDC at leathermank@mst.edu or 573-341-4551. Missouri S&T’s SBDC provides business counseling and assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs and small businesses in the areas of management, new business creation, business acquisition, business sales, marketing, financial analysis, human resources, operations management, succession planning and technology commercialization. Most services are provided at no cost.

SBDC is a University of Missouri Extension partner and part of the Missouri SBDC statewide network, which is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. For more information about workshops, resources and programs offered by Missouri S&T’s SBDC, visit ecodevo.mst.edu.