Not long ago, an ad in the local Yellow Pages and word of mouth advertising spread by satisfied customers was all many small enterprises needed to attract enough business to keep them going in good times and bad. But now, things have changed – really changed!

As people move to the internet for information of all kinds, the print Yellow Pages are rapidly heading into extinction. While the online Yellow Pages seem like the logical replacement for the printed books, they are used by only a small percentage of web searchers. So, what do local business owners need to do to keep their marketing messages in front of prospective buyers?

They need to understand how to best use online Local Search to effectively promote their products, their services and themselves effectively on the web. That is the goal of GetListed.org’s new Local University, a non profit group dedicated to educating small businesses in the ways of the web.

For decades, I was a serial entrepreneur running small and very small enterprises, so I think I have a pretty good feel for the problems of many small business owners. Their major limitations all revolve around resources. They have small staffs and small budgets. Very often, they are selling themselves more than anything else, so they must spend their time personally fulfilling the needs of their customers, leaving them very little time to market their own products and services.

Many are becoming lost or being mislead- they desperately need help in navigating the complex world of Local Search, but reputable internet marketing agencies, including most of the online Yellow Pages, are not swarming to help them because of their relatively small advertising budgets.That’s where Local University comes in.

This outrageously cheap workshop series kicks off in Spokane Washington on February 4, 201, with 2 identical 4 hour sessions – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It will be held at the Northern Quest Resort and is being conducted in partnership with Google and several local sponsors, including the Spokane Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

See the full Local University agenda and who the expert Local Search presenters are here. Then, register to attend using the code “bowling2010″ to save $50 off the already low price of $129.  If the event is successful, it will be scheduled for other cities, so stayed tuned!