Once upon a time I was a gym rat. This term describes someone who spends most of his or her spare time around a gym, ball field or hockey rink. You name it ”“ as long as there was some type of athletic activity going on, the gym rat is going to be there.
As I got older I became a library rat. I”™m not exactly sure if there is such a term, but if I have an hour or so to spare I”™ll pop into the library. I”™ll browse through the stacks, check out the reference room, skim through some newly arrived books ”“ it doesn”™t matter much to me.
And if you”™re a small-business person the Fairfield Public Library may be the place for you to spend some time in the weeks ahead. Although public libraries are not generally thought of as business centers, the Fairfield library has organized a program titled: “Small Business Strategies 2011: A Special Series for Current and Prospective Entrepreneurs.” The series runs through the end of March.
The program includes business seminars aimed at small-business owners, networking opportunities and use of the library”™s vast financial and business resources.
The next seminar, “Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Business,” is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 7 in the Rotary Room. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for networking and the presentation begins at 7 p.m. The presenter is Carol McManus, who brings to the table more than three decades of business experience. She formed her own company, Ywait4success in 2007, which supports real estate and service industry businesses in growing revenue and developing talent.
McManus will discuss how social media has become an essential tool for professionals, marketers and business owners, and how to effectively build online relationships. She will point out how to get your company objectives and marketing message to your target audience by effectively employing LinkedIn.
Of course, the proliferation of the usage of social networking as a business tool has brought about a proliferation of lawsuits. Addressing these concerns on Tuesday, Feb.15 at 7 p.m. will be attorney Richard L. Santalesa, senior counsel for the Information Law Group. His topic, “The Legal Issues of Social Networking,” will include trademark infringement, terms of use, third-party content issues, employment policy issues and defamation.
The final two workshops are also subjects of interest to entrepreneurs. On Monday, Feb. 28, representatives of Greater Bridgeport SCORE will discuss that essential basic when starting a business: “Creating a Business Plan.” The forum will examine both quantitative and qualitative analyses, and help participants produce a timetable for their plan. Greater Bridgeport SCORE offices are on the campus of the University of Bridgeport. For more information, go to www.scorect.org.
Corissa St. Laurent, New England regional development director for Constant Contact, will review “The Power of Email Marketing” on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. St. Laurent will discuss using email as part of a business strategy and how to target specific markets.
While attending the workshops, take advantage of the library”™s many offerings, including online resources and business books from the Annual Register of Grant Support to the Harris Manufacturers Directory.
Needless to say, the library also offers dozens of business periodicals including Barron”™s, the Wall Street Business Journal and, of course, the Fairfield County Business Journal.
Rob Sullivan, a veteran Fairfield County reporter and editor, is a special correspondent for the Fairfield County Business Journal covering news and issues in Bridgeport and surrounding communities on the Sound.
