How to Speak Geek

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How to Speak Geek

• An Innovative Partnership
• For Small Business Technology Training
• From
• Palo Alto College
• The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Background

• In Fall of 2006 The San Antonio Hispanic Chamber
  of Commerce (SAHCC) received a grant from the
  ATT Foundation to develop technology training
  for its membership
• SAHCC subsequently contracted Galloway Research
  to conduct a needs assessment of membership
  training needs
• 500 SAHCC member businesses were surveyed with
  133 providing responses
• Businesses were polled about
• how they use technology
• what training they needed
• how much such training should cost
• ideal length and times of the programs

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Survey Results

• Smaller and younger companies had the highest
  percentage of employee workstation use.
• Most (gt90) respondents had networked systems
  with less than 10 computers.
• Almost all survey participants use email and
  Internet access.
• 90 had a company website, but only 25 used
  e-commerce applications.
• Almost all survey participants use office
  productivity applications such as email, word
  processing and spreadsheet applications.
• Most employees have basic computer and office
  application skills.
• More than half of survey respondents reported
  they would be likely to use HCC training at
  10/hr.

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Survey Results (contd)

• Preference for location of training for north
  side and downtown roughly corresponded to
  respondent location.
• Less than 25 expressed a preference for training
  times. Those that did wanted training in the
  morning, or between 1 and 3 in the afternoon as a
  second choice.

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Program Development
Palo Alto College formed an advisory board to
further define technology training needs for
small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in San
Antonio. Among the groups conclusions

• Program focus should be on technology
  applications typically used by small businesses
• Course price should include tuition and materials
• Short-hour courses (less than 16 hours)
• Course price should be all-inclusive
• For classes of 10 ore more training should be
  deliverable on site at the customer premise
• Small class sizes (less then 15 students per
  class)

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Memorandum of Understanding
On July 11th a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding
was signed between Palo Alto College and the San
Antonio Hispanic Chamber. Palo Alto College
agreed to

• Offer a 20 discount on training for SAHCC
  members
• Use Galloway research survey results for program
  development
• Split marketing and promotion expenses evenly
• Sponsor one student for every 5 enrolled
• Provide free training to SAHCC employees

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Memorandum of Understanding

• SAHCC agreed to
• Provide 18,000 in scholarships over 3 years
• Provide access to Galloway Study
• Promote program through chambers marketing
  material and website
• Split marketing and promotion expenses evenly
• The result of the partnership is the Access to
  Technology Program.

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Access to Technology
Access to Technology features a suite of 18
courses including

• How to Speak Geek or Turning Your Technology
  Vendor into Your Technology Partner
• Basic PC Maintenance and Troubleshooting
• Understanding the Windows Operating System
• Maintaining Your Office Network
• Taming the Internet
• Using QuickBooks for Accounting

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Access to Technology
Access to Technology features a suite of 18
courses including

• How to Speak Geek or Turning Your Technology
  Vendor into Your Technology Partner
• Basic PC Maintenance and Troubleshooting
• Understanding the Windows Operating System
• Maintaining Your Office Network
• Taming the Internet
• Using QuickBooks for Accounting

• Advanced Office Productivity Applications (Word,
  Excel PowerPoint, Publisher etc.)
• Beginning Graphic Design
• Online Bidding for Government Contracts
• Web Design Development
• E-Commerce for Small Businesses
• Data Security
• Open Source Software for Small Business

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Program Highlights How to Speak Geek
An overview of IT tools available to small
businesses today, where to find them, what to
consider in choosing between them and a lexicon
of terminology. Subjects included

• Technologies used by small businesses

• Mobile
• Networking
• Desktop computing

• Printing
• Voice and data communications

• Conducting a Needs Analysis
• Developing an IT plan and strategy
• Researching and Online Resources
• Vendor Selection and Contract Considerations

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Program Highlights Understanding Windows and
Basic Office Networking

• Installing, Configuring and Maintaining Windows
  XP Pro
• Using XPs on board peer-to-peer networking to
  set up a small office network
• Cabling and hardware considerations
• Outsourcing IT support

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Program Highlights Online Bidding for Government
Contracts

• Using online systems for vendor registration
• Walkthrough HUB vendor registration
• City, County and State resources

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Program Highlights Open Source for Small
Businesses

• Understanding Open Source and Free as in
  Freedom vs. Free as in Beer
• Open Source Software alternatives
• Desktop Operating Systems and the World of LINUX
  distros
• Desktop Applications
• OpenOffice Firefox
• The GIMPshop Antispyware and Antivirus
• Getting support

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Program Highlights E-Commerce for Small
Businesses

• An overview of using the tools available at the
  Yahoo! Small Business portal to develop and
  maintain a website with modular e-commerce
  components
• Creating a domain
• Using Yahoo! Finance for market research
• What is a Web 2.0 website?
• Security issues for online businesses

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Marketing and Promotion

• Palo Alto College
• Developed promotional Flyers
• Advertised in regional papers (Southside
  Recorder, military base newspapers, etc.)
• Conducted outreach campaign
• SAHCC
• Mailed promotional flyer to all members
• Distributed information at chamber events
• Interviews with Express-News editorial board
• Conducted two email blasts
• Developed 3-week long radio campaign

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Challenges

• Getting the word out
• Non-traditional training
• Differences in academic and business cultures
• Close coordination in all programrelated
  communications
• Delivering training where clients want it, when
  they want it, in numbers that will cover expenses

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Networking Getting the Word Out

• City of San Antonio Economic Development
  Department
• Bexar County Small, Minority, Women-owned
  Business Enterprise Program (SMWBE)
• National Association of Hispanic Professionals
• LAT TV
• South Texas Womens Business Center
• Alamo WorkSource

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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Questions Answers
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How to Speak GeekAn Innovative Partnership
Between the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber and Palo
Alto College
Thank You!