When businesses think about how to attract new customers by giving back to a community, they often only think in terms of gifts of money or merchandise in exchange for displaying their company name and logo as a sponsor. But why not give information instead or charge only a nominal fee? Almost all companies have advice to offer in their area of expertise.
We have all seen community education classes. Writers’ conferences are packed with presentations from authors, booksellers, and publishers. Home supply stores regularly hold classes on how to lay tile or paint an interior room. Medical conferences have lectures from pharmaceutical researchers and marketers. Plant nurseries run workshops on creating Christmas wreaths or succulent bowls. Art supply stores and craft stores have classes on using various materials artistically. You’ve probably received catalogs of community education classes from colleges or senior centers, or perhaps you belong to a club that regularly hosts speakers. All of these organizations welcome experts who want to come and share their knowledge.
The list of possibilities is practically endless. If your business is in graphic design, consider taking a short workshop on how to use colors for emotional impact or how to choose the best fonts for print or use online.
If you have a home remodeling business, you could teach a class on planning a kitchen upgrade, demonstrate how to draw a blueprint to scale for a contractor, or discuss how to evaluate new fixtures for durability or energy efficiency. If you have an investment business, host a session on planning for retirement or college expenses. Develop websites? List and discuss all the elements that people need to consider when creating a website, and compare and contrast existing websites on their effectiveness. Are you an accountant? You can teach a class on basic bookkeeping or how to set up a spreadsheet to track expenses. Are you in the restaurant business? Teach how to make a healthy vegetarian dish or talk about using spices in recipes. Do you sell clothing and accessories? Give a class on how to choose appropriate styles for all body shapes or 10 ways to tie a scarf, and the audience will attend.
There is no need to reveal all your secrets. The idea is to share a bit of your knowledge with the audience. They will leave grateful for your expertise and will remember your name as the person to go to for help in that area. For example, an editor who teaches a class on basic proofreading is not creating competition that will take away business, but is more likely to create new clients because their audience will realize how challenging and time-consuming editing can be. you will learn a new appreciation for it. skills and be more willing to pay for an expert to take on the task.
Many companies have also found that hosting workshops is a profitable endeavor in itself. Many photographers organize paid workshops to teach amateur photographers and other professionals. General contractors can run paid workshops for DIYers.
Target your workshop to the group that is likely to contain new customers for your business. For example, people contemplating starting their own businesses need to educate themselves on how to raise funds, how to advertise, how to keep their books and pay their taxes, what regulations they must obey, etc., so aspiring entrepreneurs are a large group for banks, marketing firms, accountants and lawyers to market. So are new and prospective homeowners, new parents, and many other groups.
Don’t be afraid to partner with another complementary business to offer a workshop as well. For example, a landscaper might partner with a nursery owner to discuss how to create the perfect shade garden; a hairdresser might team up with a cosmetics expert to offer makeover tips; a personal trainer with a nutritionist to teach a class on how to get fit for the summer.
How should I offer a workshop? You can always lease a space, hire caterers, and do all the advertising yourself, but that’s usually not the best route to take, unless you’re marketing to a wealthy clientele expecting fancy presentations. Ideally, you want to offer a workshop in a location that will help you advertise and present your class. Many community organizations are eager to partner with great presenters to create an event that benefits the audience, presenters, and event hosts.
Community colleges and local clubs are always looking for ideas for continuing education classes. So are all kinds of business conferences. (Note that well-established conferences often end their speaker schedules more than a year in advance.) Even local libraries and retail businesses are often looking for event ideas. It’s okay to first casually discuss an idea with the local head of the organization to judge their willingness to participate. However, if you want the organization to host your class, advertise the event, and encourage your clientele to attend, you’ll probably need to write a proposal to explain what you have in mind.
A workshop proposal should be as sophisticated as the organization you are pitching your ideas to, but each proposal should contain some necessary information.
These are the basic elements:
A catchy title (eg, “When can you afford to retire?” or “Update your home decor without breaking the bank”) and a brief description of the proposed class
A description of the audience you are targeting and why they would be interested
An explanation of how hosting the event can benefit the organization by providing space and publicity.
A list of all the topics you plan to present and the activities you plan to do
The length of the class (probably two to three hours)
A recommendation of the best dates, days or times to hold the event.
A list of requirements (if any) for the class, such as desks, notebooks, laptops, work coats, gloves, etc.; whatever attendees need to bring to class to participate
A description of any participation fees, such as class fees or supply fees.
A description of the items the audience will take from the class (brochures, a piece of jewelry created in class, etc.)
An explanation of why you are the perfect person to teach this class.
If the above list has you staring uneasily at your word processor screen, you should also know that help is available in the form of specialized packages, such as a Proposal Kit, which also includes all the theme templates you need to describe any presentation. . as an extensive library of sample proposals that you can study for inspiration. Whether you’re writing your first proposal or planning to write dozens, a proposal kit is a good option for anyone looking to market and grow a business. They’re also great tools for creating grant applications and writing reports, studies, and all kinds of basic business documents.
So what kind of information are you willing to share? Write that proposal! Chances are good that you’ll find an audience eagerly waiting to hear your ideas and pick up your business card for future reference.