Well hey there, fellow San Antonians. As y’all probably know, it’s not easy running a business yourself. Instead of paying out the wazoo to attend a conference across the country, you can get the marketing help you need right here in the Alamo City.
There’s certainly no shortage of online resources these days, but sometimes you just like to keep it local. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of some of the best marketing resources available right here in San Antonio!
Associations and networking groups
With things starting to get back to normal post-pandemic, I’m happy to see that in-person networking opportunities are ramping up again! Here are a few of my faves.
National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
This is a national networking group, but there’s a local chapter right here in San Antonio! They have tons of networking opportunities, including:
- Lunch, coffee, and cocktail connections
- Monthly meetings
- Annual summit
They also have various dues-based peer groups you can join depending on where you are in your business:
- Digital Up: For businesses that utilize digital components in their business (marketing, CRM, virtual staff, etc.)
- Scale Up: For successful businesses ready to meet or exceed the $1M mark
- Million Up: Support for businesses that are hitting $1M+ in sales
Friday Networking Lunch
This is a free (🙌) networking group that focuses on building high-quality, profit-generating partnerships and friendships that extend beyond business. They have weekly meetups to help you build connections quickly.
The Friday Networking Lunch meets weekly at Walk-on’s Bistreaux at 11:30. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates before you go!
1 Million Cups
1 Million Cups is a free program to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. It’s based on the notion that “great ideas are discussed over a million cups of coffee.”
This isn’t technically a networking group, although it can be a great way to connect with other local business owners. The true purpose is for entrepreneurs to present their new business or idea to the community in a supportive forum where people can ask questions and give feedback. You can apply to be a presenter or simply show up to learn more about what’s going on at local businesses.
Conferences
Smaller networking groups are awesome, but there’s nothing quite like attending a large conference with other like-minded people. It’s just a different feeling—bigger, buzzier, and more fun. Here are a few local conferences that happen every year in San Antonio. Be sure to add them to your calendar!
DigiMarCon
This is traditionally an in-person conference, but they kept it online in recent years. It’s still a live event though, with on-demand videos available for those of us who might be too busy to attend real-time. 😉 DigiMarCon covers topics like digital marketing best practices, the latest trends, marketing strategies, and networking.
“Marketing for Success” HUB expo
HUB stands for “Historically Underutilized Businesses”, and caters to minority, women-owned, or Service-Disabled Veteran-owned businesses. This annual event is a great opportunity for current and aspiring business owners to connect with vendors, state and city agencies, and representatives from other minority and women-owned business programs.
San Antonio Entrepreneurship Week
San Antonio Entrepreneurship Week is an annual event held every June. Like DigiMarCon, it’s traditionally an in-person event that takes place at various locations throughout San Antonio. However, you can also check out their digital offerings and recordings if you can’t make it in person. As the name suggests, San Antonio Entrepreneurship Week is week-long event that covers different topics every day. Attend their events to learn more about marketing, goal-setting, scaling your business, and community building.
Free classes and resources
Don’t let the word “free” fool you—there are some value-packed resources available here in San Antonio that won’t cost you a dime.
Small Business Development Center (UTSA)
The Small Business Development Center at UTSA is a HUGE resource for entrepreneurs in the San Antonio area! Besides its extensive referral network, the Small Business Development Center also offers no-cost, one-on-one business advising.
If training and workshops are more your thing, they’ve got you covered there, too! The Small Business Development Center has free on-demand training as well as live training events—all of which are free or low-cost.
Meltwater Academy
Meltwater Academy has an office in Austin, but they actually offer a lot of free online courses, certifications, webinars, and masterclasses. Most of their content is focused on social media strategy and marketing, so if you need some extra help in those areas, you should check them out!
Launch SA
Launch SA is a small business center located at the downtown San Antonio Central Library. Launch SA offers personalized support and mentorship as well as regular events and networking.
Paid classes
If you want to take it a step further and go for a paid course, UTSA is where it’s at!
I know I mentioned them in the “free resources” section, but UTSA also offers a bunch of reasonably priced business/marketing courses as well! Whether you’re looking for self-paced or instructor-led, it’s worth checking out what they have to offer.
Most individual courses, like Small Business Marketing on a Shoestring, cost $115. They also have bundles, like the Digital Marketing Suite and Small Business Suite that cost $300.
Local Event Calendars
You can always check local event calendars for smaller or more niche-based events and resources.
The San Antonio Business Calendar provides a daily list of business events in the San Antonio area. You can view the current day’s events on their website or subscribe to their email list to see weekly events.
Eventbrite also has a pretty robust list for the San Antonio area that includes both training and networking. The great thing about Eventbrite is you can filter to find the specific results you’re interested in, so it’s a great resource no matter your industry.
The bottom line
Sure, Austin gets all of the attention for being the marketing mecca of Texas, but San Antonio has so many amazing resources, too. Don’t make the long drive to Austin: look in your backyard for small business marketing resources here in San Antonio.
Did I miss one of your favorites? Comment below and let me know which marketing resources you use in San Antonio.