Small, rural businesses (e.g.  tourism & agritourism operators, artisans, craftspeople, “mom and pop” restaurants) face many challenges, especially when it comes to marketing and advertising their products and services. Business owners may be preoccupied with ‘traditional’ forms of advertising, which include signage, yellow page advertising (‘the book’), and the dissemination of information through other print media, including magazines and newsletters.  These approaches can be expensive and do not always target intended audiences.  Furthermore, some areas of the Virginia, including regions along the Blue Ridge Parkway, do not permit some forms of traditional advertising (roadside signage).

Advances in technology are resulting in a revolution in advertising.  Location and place-based services, made possible through the use of global positioning system (GPS) devices (including both portable and in-dash car navigation systems) can be used to geographically connect potential consumers with nearby businesses.  When integrated with the Internet via Smartphone devices, GPS applications provide a technical bridge, linking potential (and often mobile) customers with nearby businesses and specific products.  Likewise, business owners  are also able to target and “reach out” to potential customers through the use of virtual coupons and other marketing techniques.

This workshop, provided by the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program at Virginia Tech, walks business owners through the process of registering their businesses on multiple national business databases. These databases are then consumed by a  variety of location-based service (GPS) applications (TomTom, Garmin, iPhone/Blackberry  GPS applications, etc.).  Through the workshop, participants will also learn how to leverage free, online tools to support Internet marketing efforts. This is a hands-on workshop, and is conducted in a state of the art computer lab. At the conclusion of the workshop, business owners will have registered their businesses with national business databases. Several of these databases are used to populate GPS (car navigation) devices.

Workshops will be held at the following locations | dates:

• Blacksburg, Virginia - Virginia Tech Microcomputer Lab, 220 Cheatham Hall - January 8th, 2010 from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
• Stuart, Virginia - Patrick Henry Community College - January 22nd, 2010 from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
• Abingdon, Virginia - Southwest Higher Education Center - February 11th, from 12:30 pm- 3:30 pm

The cost of the workshop is $40 / participant (please checks made payable to: The Treasurer of Virginia Tech). Participants should register for the workshop online, or by contacting the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program (phone or email) . Once payment has been received, workshop registrants will receive a confirmation email and payment receipt. Online registration can be accessed here.

A printable registration application (adobe pdf) can be accessed here.