Google and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Santa Cruz hosted an in-person training to help small businesses in Santa Cruz County and the surrounding region learn new skills to grow their businesses online.
Congressman Jimmy Panetta attended the July 19 event and spoke about the importance of California businesses learning digital skills.
“As technology evolves, it’s essential that small businesses learn the digital skills needed to grow, attract new customers, and reach their full potential,” said Rep. Panetta. “This workshop, organized by Google and the Small Business Development Center of Santa Cruz, provided the digital skills training and resources needed to empower local small businesses to use emerging technology and grow their businesses. Our community in California’s 19th Congressional District has always been at the forefront of innovation, and through community partnerships like this we are ensuring that every entrepreneur can harness cutting-edge technology.”
During the workshop, local businesses learned how to use Google Search to improve a website’s visibility with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The session also covered how businesses can use products like Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, Google Ads to grow their businesses and reach new customers.
The workshop also included an introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI), and how the technology can help businesses become more secure, productive and customer-focused.
“We are thrilled to partner with Google to provide this hands-on training for small businesses in Santa Cruz and the surrounding communities,” said Alexander Pedersen, director of the Santa Cruz County SBDC. “There is an incredibly vibrant business community here in Santa Cruz, and we are committed to ensuring those businesses remain strong and continue building their digital skills.”
Google’s workshop was led by Roberto Martinez, Grow with Google’s California-based Digital Coach, who hosts ongoing small business workshops in California. Martinez’s 15 years of digital marketing experience gives him the chance to use his knowledge and skills to become a hands-on coach and help small businesses reach their potential.
To learn more and sign up for an upcoming local workshop, visit g.co/grow/digitalcoachCA.
“As a Grow with Google Digital Coach for the past seven years, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative digital skills training is for the growth of small businesses in this new digital era,” Martinez said. “I’m thrilled that our work with the Small Business Development Center of Santa Cruz will help local businesses and entrepreneurs leverage technology to reach their full potential.”
