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Q&A
Technology adoption and digital marketing support for small businesses
1:30:01
ยท
3 min
Council Member Feliz inquires about SBS initiatives to help small businesses leverage technology and digital marketing. Commissioner Gross outlines various programs and services offered by SBS to support small businesses in this area.
- SBS provides business solution center courses on marketing, including digital marketing
- They connect businesses to Link NYC for free marketing opportunities
- SBS offers webinars on search engine optimization for small businesses
Oswald Feliz
1:30:01
Thank you so much, council member Paladino for those, questions and comments.
1:30:07
Yeah.
1:30:07
It seems like, by the way, we're hearing about regulatory compliance and that we shifted quickly to vacancy.
1:30:12
But I have a few more questions on vacancies, on that same issue.
1:30:17
So vacancies and also technology.
1:30:20
Are we taking any steps to make sure that small businesses, could take advantage of the different technologies that we have available?
1:30:27
And I guess on the issue of vacancy, this perfect example is not only Amazon versus the other stores, but also just thinking about the taxi industry.
1:30:37
Uber, Lyft versus those smaller mom and pop taxi companies.
1:30:41
It it seems like Uber just fully took over or took over for the most part from a year to the next.
1:30:47
And due to that one single factor, the fact that the smaller companies didn't have good access to technology, something as simple as being able to call a cab through your phone.
1:30:57
So and that that would make a great hearing, a future hearing.
1:31:00
But just curious, any steps you're taking to
Dynishal Gross
1:31:03
Council member, you can't expect me to endorse my oversight hearing topics.
1:31:07
This is that's tough.
1:31:10
That's a tough one.
1:31:11
No.
1:31:11
But in in answer to your question regarding, we do provide business solution center courses.
1:31:18
I mean, we provide hundreds of courses every year, and many of them are focused on marketing, including digital marketing.
1:31:26
And I I think, you know, this is also an area of of change.
1:31:30
You know?
1:31:31
Small businesses used to want support launching their own websites.
1:31:36
Does that continue to be the most important thing, or is it your Google Maps profile?
1:31:41
Is it, you know, how you might appear in a delivery app?
1:31:46
What is the most efficient investment in order to create access to folks who wanna find you on the Internet?
1:31:54
I think we have to continually innovate.
1:31:56
If we wanna serve entrepreneurs in a way, we have to be entrepreneurial.
1:32:01
So we're a city agency, but we can't be static, and we are constantly trying to learn and adapt our work in that way.
1:32:08
But, absolutely, we are, trying to educate businesses about digital marketing.
1:32:13
We are also directly connecting them to Link NYC.
1:32:17
For example, I think earlier this week, Link NYC celebrated its 10th year.
1:32:23
We do courses through our business solution centers and through our programs to connect, business owners, which include brick and mortar businesses and those who operate their businesses virtually could be an author or home based businesses to the marketing on those Lincoln YC kiosks, and it's they've done a fabulous job of creating free access to marketing on those beautiful screens that cost the business owners nothing, and it's also a very easy interface.
1:32:50
So for small business owners, they can see the immediate impact of, you know, an investment of time, if not money, in marketing, have the clients who come customers who come in and say, I saw you on linked NYC, and they're even further improving that service this year by allowing business owners to add, you know, additional unique features for their business and QR codes so they can track conversion from those screens.
1:33:16
So those are some of the ways we're supporting small business owners using technology.
1:33:20
Also, webinars on search engine optimization, for small businesses, and we'll continue, working to adapt our work in that way.