As Nevada enters Phase 2 of reopening after the COVID-19 shutdown, small-business owners need additional guidance to help them reopen their businesses and capitalize on opportunities to strengthen their business in the new economic climate the pandemic has created.
University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering a free webinar June 5, “Creating Your Reopening Strategy: Business Model Canvas, Marketing and Adapting.” The Canvas Model is a business model design that allows businesses to create, deliver and capture value by identifying and defining different components of their businesses.
The session is part of a series of webinars and town halls for small businesses being offered each week, in English and in Spanish. The question-and-answer “Coping With COVID-19 Town Halls” are held every Wednesday, and webinars on specific topics are held every Friday.
This week’s sessions include:
• The town hall, June 3, 9 a.m. for English speakers and at 2 p.m. for Spanish speakers. Panelists include:
— Reyna Mendez, Extension business development instructor
— Juan Salas, Extension business development instructor
— Mike Bindrup, Extension research associate
— Saul Ramos, Small Business Administration deputy district director
— Raj Tumber, SCORE mentor (SCORE is a nonprofit organization and partner of the Small Business Administration)
• The webinar, “Creating Your Reopening Strategy: Business Model Canvas, Marketing and Adapting,” June 5, 9 a.m. for English speakers and at 11:30 a.m. for Spanish speakers. Mendez, Salas, Bindrup and Tumber will discuss Learning the Canvas Model:
— Identifying customer segments.
— Analyzing a business’ cash situation.
— Retaining customer relationships.
— Marketing strategies for new customers.
— Pivoting and adapting businesses for crisis.
The town halls begin with a short presentation on a given topic or a preview of the Friday webinar. Then, the participants network with one another and drive the discussion, with a panel of professionals and educators helping them troubleshoot challenges they are encountering. The Friday webinars provide information on specific topics to help businesses plan strategically, adapt and succeed.
“Our goal is to provide resources and educational platforms to help our small businesses, statewide, cope and retool,” said Buddy Borden, economic development specialist with Extension’s Business Development Program. “Ultimately, our goal is that as we move out of the shutdown and transition into a new normal, we can help our state’s small businesses be even stronger than they were before.”
Both the town halls and the webinars are free, and usually run about an hour. To register for the June 3 town hall, click here. To register for the June 5 webinar, go here. For more information, go to the Extension Business Development Program website at extension.unr.edu/busdev. There are also other resources at the website to assist businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. For more information, email Borden at bordenb@unr.edu.
Extension is a unit of the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources engaged in Nevada communities, presenting research-based knowledge to address critical community needs. It is a county-state-federal partnership providing practical education to people, businesses and communities. For more information on its programs, visit extension.unr.edu.
