Submitted by teh Economic Development Council
The Economic Development Council invites business owners and startup entrepreneurs in San Juan County to participate in Online Business Bootcamp, a series of introductory courses designed to help entrepreneurs establish and optimize their online business presence. This Bootcamp is part of the EDC’s Tech Training Accelerator Initiative.
For the first six weeks of the Bootcamp, this cohort will have self-paced online lessons on: starting a business website on Squarespace or Shopify, creating a strong Google business profile, and building business profiles on Facebook and Instagram. Participants will complete 2-4 hours of online coursework per week on their own schedule and will attend weekly online advisory meetings led by the EDC Tech Training Coordinator, Lara Braithwaite, an experienced ecommerce consultant.
At the conclusion of the six weeks of online coursework, participants will continue to meet online monthly for six months with their EDC advisor. These meetings will give the cohort additional opportunities to discuss course subjects and their progress with the advisor and with each other.
This low-cost Bootcamp is limited to 10 participants from San Juan County, ages 18 or older who are interested in establishing or improving an online business presence. No prior knowledge of the course subjects is necessary. Participants will need basic computer skills and access to a laptop or desktop computer less than five years old.
Details: The six weeks of coursework start on Oct.8 and end Nov. 19. The first online session will be a hybrid online/in-person kickoff event on Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. at the Orcas Island Community Foundation. Participants will have the option to attend that kickoff event via Zoom or attend in person. The five other weekly online Zoom advisory sessions for the coursework weeks will be on Tuesdays from 10 – 11 a.m., from Oct. 15 through Nov. 19. After the coursework ends, monthly online check-ins will take place from 10 – 11a.m. on Dec. 3, Jan. 7, Feb. 4, March 4, April 1, and May 6.
The course fee is $100 to cover materials and fees, and advance payment is required. Please visit https://sanjuansedc.org/tech to reserve your space. For questions: 360-378-2906, or lara@sanjuansedc.org.
The EDC thanks the Orcas Island Community Foundation and San Juan County for their support of this program and other EDC initiatives.
The San Juan County Economic Development Council strives to support small rural enterprises, and conduct projects to stimulate new job creation, strengthen the economic base for working families, and support overall quality of life for islanders.
