CTAM’s MSO corporate partners, Bloomberg Television and Cisco – all members of the Business Services Council – are collaborating on Solutions for Small Business, an initiative that offers a comprehensive slate of free educational resources, including webcasts, white papers, case studies and podcasts to small business executives. The initiative is in response to a growing demand for knowledge about flexible solutions that will help drive revenue for small businesses.
Overview
The goals of the initiative are to build national awareness and enhance the perception of cable’s business services among small business decision-makers, while reinforcing cable’s position as a strong competitor and thought-leader.
Among the virtual resources provided to small businesses are webcasts hosted by Bloomberg Television anchor Monica Bertran. These interactive online video programs offer participants direct access to leading experts who provide advice on topics critical to helping small businesses thrive, such as maximizing marketing dollars, accessing capital markets and increasing productivity.
The live Webcast discussion formats were enabled by Cisco's WebEx and TelePresence® collaboration solutions. Cisco also manages participant registration, communications and data collection. Bloomberg Television helps secure A-level experts, and develops content for the webcasts.
Recent Webcast
| The most recent webcast, “Boost Productivity using Powerful Web-based Tools” took place on June 9, 2010. Speakers included Jim Blasingame, host of The Small Business Advocate syndicated radio show, and author of Small Business is Like a Bunch of Bananas and Three Minutes to Success; and Steve Hilton, lead analyst for Analysys Mason’s Enterprise research program, with 17 years of experience in technology and communications marketing. |
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Activities and Results
To date, three Webcasts generated more than 1550 registrations and 428 participants. The first two webcasts featured were:
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“Implementing Big Marketing Ideas on a Small Business Budget,” featured Jane Applegate, the renowned author of 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business. |
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| “Accessing Capital in a Cash-Constrained Environment” featured Dr. William Dunkelberg, Chief Economist of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and Professor of Economics at Temple University. |
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Archives of all Webcasts, along with complementary reports, white papers and podcasts can be accessed at www.solutionsforsmallbusiness.com. Nearly 100 business executives have now viewed the on-demand versions and the site has garnered nearly 12,000 visits.
National media outreach efforts have resulted in online news placements at Yahoo and Google, along with radio feature placements in markets including New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Sacramento and San Diego – combining for nearly 70 million earned media impressions.
A two-page advertorial in Business Week Small Business magazine reached 675,000 small business owners.
For more information, email info@ctam.com or call 703.549.4200 and ask for Sharon Radziewski.