DIGITAL EQUITY FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:
Digital Equity is Oakland Digital’s small business development program that educates business owners with tech-specific marketing tools with the aim of increasing their income and assets.
The ultimate goal of Digital Equity is to provide low-income small business owners with a new set of resources to tackle its socio-economic problems on the digital front, potentially serving as a prototype for other metropolitan areas to emulate.
By supplying underserved small businesses with access to access, knowledge and experience traditionally reserved as a class privilege, we can mitigate socio-economic disparity, increase business productivity, and strengthen the overall community of Oakland.
Oakland Digital (ODALC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that provides one-on-one online marketing and Internet education for local small business owners. The comprehensive 3-month program “Digital Equity” (starting July 18th, 2012) covers topics including social media marketing, improving your online presence, engaging with your customer base, and utilizing skills learned to attract customers to a capstone event.
2012 Digital Equity looked for (6) small businesses that best fit the following criteria:
- Eager to learn new ways to market his/her business
- Own/operate a brick-and-mortar business in Oakland, CA
- Business has 1-5 employees
- Owner is ideally between the ages of 49 and 65
- Business has been operating a minimum of 5+ years
- Willing to commit 3-months of time/effort
Oakland Digital is excited to announce the 2012 Digital Equity small business participants:
- Business 1 – Rocsil’s Shoe Co Inc (1701 Telegraph Avenue)
- Business 2 – Rosewood House (2523 Broadway)
- Business 3 – Head Designs Salon (4201 Market Street)
- Business 4 – Nneka (1427 Broadway Street)
- Business 5 – Uncle Willies BBQ and Fish (614 14th Street)
- Business 6 – Joyce Gordon Gallery (406 14th Street)
CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK!
| DATE & TIME | PHASE | DESCRIPTION |
| Wed. July 18th, 6pm-7:30pm | Orientation Meeting | - Digital Equity overview at Oakland Digital office |
| Wed. July 25th, 8:45am-1:30pm | City Hall Event | - Educational demos from Google, eBay, Yelp & Wix.com |
| Tues. July 31st - Group A |
- Business 1 – 10:00AM – 11:30AM
- Business 2 – 1:00PM – 2:30PM
- Business 3 – 3:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting 1: Assessment Stage- Initial site visit to select (6) small businesses
Thurs. August 2nd - Group B
- Business 4 – 10:00AM – 11:30AM
- Business 5 – 1:00PM – 2:30PM
- Business 6 – 3:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting 1: Assessment Stage- Initial site visit to select (6) small businessesTues. August 7th - Group A
- Business 1 – 10:00AM – 12:00PM
- Business 2 – 1:00PM – 3:00PM
- Business 3 – 3:30PM – 5:30PM
Meeting 2: Hands-on Digital Platform #1- Teaching first digital platform- Setting goal(s)Thurs. August 9th - Group B
- Business 4 – 10:00AM – 12:00PM
- Business 5 – 1:00PM – 3:00PM
- Business 6 – 3:30PM – 5:30PM
Meeting 2: Hands-on Digital Platform #1- Teaching first digital platform- Setting goal(s)Tues. August 14th - Group A
- Business 1 – 10:00AM – 12:00PM
- Business 2 – 1:00PM – 3:00PM
- Business 3 – 3:30PM – 5:30PM
Meeting 3: Hands-on Digital Platform #2- Teaching second digital platform- Setting goal(s)Thurs. August 16th - Group B
- Business 4 – 10:00AM – 12:00PM
- Business 5 – 1:00PM – 3:00PM
- Business 6 – 3:30PM – 5:30PM
Meeting 3: Hands-on Digital Platform #2- Teaching second digital platform- Setting goal(s)Mon. August 20th - Business 1 & Business 2
- Business 1 – 10:00AM – 12:30PM
- Business 2 – 2:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting 4: Digital Media Creation- Students generate photos, videos, design & social media contentTues. August 21st - Business 3 & Business 4
- Business 3 – 10:00AM – 12:30PM
- Business 4 – 2:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting 4: Digital Media Creation- Students generate photos, videos, design & social media contentWed. August 22nd - Business 5 & Business 6
- Business 5 – 10:00AM – 12:30PM
- Business 6 – 2:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting 4: Digital Media Creation- Students generate photos, videos, design & social media contentThurs. August 23rd - Students & Oakland Digital
- Students – 9:30AM – 11:30AM
VIA Student Presentations- Students present strategies createdThurs. August 30th - Group A
- Business 1 – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
- Business 2 – 2:30PM – 3:30PM
- Business 3 – 4:00PM – 5:00PM
Meeting 5: Special Event Preparation- Pre-event marketing and logistic overviewFri. August 31st - Group B
- Business 4 – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
- Business 5 – 2:30PM – 3:30PM
- Business 6 – 4:00PM – 5:00PM
Meeting 5: Special Event Preparation- Pre-event marketing and logistic overviewSpecial Event at Brick & Mortar Business
- Business 1 – Wed. Sept. 5th – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
- Business 2 – Thurs. Sept. 6th – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
- Business 3 – Fri. Sept. 7th – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
- Business 4 – Wed. Sept. 12th – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
- Business 5 – Thurs. Sept. 13th – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
- Business 6 – Fri. Sept. 14th – 1:00PM – 2:00PM
Meeting 6: Digital Equity Capstone Special Event- Final marketed event utilizing tools learned throughout Digital Equity program- Business owner collects digital, customer and sales informationThurs. Sept. 20th- Group A & B Assessments
- Business 1 – 11:00AM – 11:30AM
- Business 2 – 12:00PM – 12:30PM
- Business 3 – 1:00PM – 1:30PM
- Business 4 – 2:00PM – 2:30PM
- Business 5 – 3:00PM – 3:30PM
- Business 6 – 4:00PM – 4:30PM
Meeting 7: Post Program Assessment- Business owner reports digital, customer and sales information to ascertain effectiveness of tools and program
Digital Equity for Small Businesses 2012 made possible by:
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