Springfield restaurant owner teaching digital skills to support local businesses | Local News

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP)- A Springfield business owner is creating a workshop to help other businesses expand their digital presence and draw new customers.

As instruction is set to begin in just a few weeks, NewsChannel 20 and Fox Illinois spoke with the owner to break down why these types of courses are important.

The co-owner of The Lumpia House and Truck, Rolando Cabral, told me this idea came after noticing the closure of many Springfield businesses.

“Business owners … they don’t even have an online presence,” Cabral said. “They don’t know how to market themselves. I don’t even see them on Facebook … There are some comments on Facebook that say, ‘I don’t even know you.’”

With more than 30 years of technology experience, Cabral is hoping to spread his knowledge to other Springfield business owners. He is hoping to help food business owners thrive in digital marketing.

“I don’t treat those other restaurants as competitors,” he said. “We are in this together. I think if we can develop our food service community here, we can improve the food service economy.”

Cabral said some business owners are already showing interest in the free sessions. He said he has a plan mapped out of what they will cover, including dealing with customer reviews.

“How are you going to manage those bad reviews, good reviews and things like that, and can you propagate your reputation?”

The sessions are set to start March 29 and will be held every Sunday until April 19.

Cabral said business owners will also tackle promoting themselves on social media and taking the right pictures to draw customers in.

He said there are 30 slots open for business owners, and the goal is to have fun while also thriving in Springfield.