How Facebook plans to help Des Moines small businesses

Facebook wants to hear from small businesses in Des Moines.

The social media giant announced that Des Moines was among 30 cities selected for its Community Boost program, which is designed to equip small businesses with the digital skills they need to grow. 

The formatting of the program is yet to be determined, said Aneesh Raman, who works on Facebook's policy team in Menlo Park, Calif. Much of the specifics will be determined based on the feedback that businesses offer on the program's website.

"It will depend what we hear from local small businesses," he said. "The idea is to really let them see how this can help their business."

Facebook's program will help businesses build their digital presence — an ever-important part of operating a small business. Still, the training will stick to Facebook, not other digital tools like standalone websites.

Facebook officials say the company has invested $1 billion into supporting small businesses since 2011. In 2016, it offered similar training for small businesses in Iowa City and Altoona, where it operates a $1.5 billion data center.

"We’ll stay longer and we’ll train more people than anything we’ve done before," Raman said. "Our goal is not only to have an impact, but to have a lasting impact."

In surveys conducted by Morning Consult, 42 percent of respondents said Facebook helped them hire more workers since employing Facebook in their small and medium-sized businesses. More than half reported that Facebook helped them grow sales. 

Currently, 70 million businesses have a Facebook presence. Most of them are small and medium firms, Raman said. In Des Moines, Facebook's team could spend as much as a week working with small business operators. Raman said which businesses and how many attend will be determined on the online response from interested firms. 

"We’re coming to Des Moines," he said. "The call to action is we want to hear from the small business community. We want to know what would be the most supportive thing we could do to help them grow and hire."

In a news release, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie said the initiative should increase workforce development and job skills throughout the community. 

"This program will greatly enhance our residents', local business', and nonprofits' technological capabilities through training and support for the rapidly evolving online world," the mayor said. "We welcome Facebook to the City Des Moines and look forward to working with them.”