WAILUKU – The county Mayor’s Office of Economic Development offers free workshops at the Maui County Business Resource Center in Maui Mall across from Pizza Hut.

Seating for all workshops is limited, and all workshops are subject to change or cancellation. Workshops are free unless noted otherwise. To reserve a seat, call the center at 270-5770.

“Beginner’s Guide on How to Use Facebook Ads” with instructor Nicole Fisher will be held on Wednesday, May 18, from noon to 1:15 p.m., followed by questions until 1:30 p.m. Learn how to use Facebook ads and ad campaigns to make your online marketing much more effective. Fisher will offer a Facebook overview and information on ad products. Attendees will also learn how to target their audience and structure/manage marketing efforts. Discussions will include “define your audience,” “cost effective vs. traditional ads,” ad types, and “why Facebook ads?”

“Starting a Business in Maui County” with instructor Karen Arakawa is scheduled for Tuesday, May 24, from noon to 1 p.m. In this workshop, Arakawa, an economic development specialist with the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, will cover general information and requirements for starting a business in Maui County. A handy resource guide and handouts, and other useful information will be provided in this informative workshop. In addition, the requirements for a Maui County Vendor Business License will be covered.

“Grow Your E-mail List: Quick, easy ideas to expand your marketing reach” with instructor McKenna Hallett is set for Tuesday, May 31, from noon to 1 p.m. According to Hallett, e-mail marketing is 40 times more effective at gaining customers than Facebook and Twitter combined. This workshop will help you identify how to gather contacts and provide tips, technologies and tactics for keeping your contacts organized and segmented for easier, more effective targeted marketing. Learn how to get started with gathering e-mail contacts, establish an organized contact segmentation process, grow your e-mail lists online and in person, and keep your subscribers interested and engaged after they sign up. A free guide to the anatomy of an e-mail is included for each attendee.

A special evening workshop for $45, “Quickbooks for Small Business” with Richard Kehoe, will be held on Thursday, May 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. Learn to set up your company’s QuickBooks in a small class setting with personalized tutoring. This class for new users will teach you how to record sales, receive payments, prepare invoices and balance your checkbook. Get customized answers and schedule a follow-up appointment at no cost to discuss your solutions. The workshop is sponsored by SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) and presented by Kehoe, CPA and lead SCORE counselor.

Free counseling sessions with experienced SCORE and Small Business Development Corp. counselors are offered Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. and Thursday and Friday mornings from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

The public is invited to the third annual Maui Small Business Week on May 9-13, 2016. Visit www.mauibusinessweek.org for more information on this free, five-day educational event.