Update: Main Street Meet-Up Special Guest Will Be Livermore Business Consultant Thomas Petty

Livermore Patch is happy to announce that local business consultant Thomas Petty has graciously agreed to participate in Tuesday's Main Street Meet-Up, a lively workshop session designed to teach business owners how to improve their connection to the community online.

, a longtime Patch contributor, will host our Social Media table, where business owners can learn about how to take better advantage of sites such as Facebook and Twitter. There will also be mini workshops on how to use Patch and how to add your own content to the online conversation.

The event is 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the . We’ll serve breakfast and give out door prizes and cool Patchy swag.

So far we have about 25 businesses participating. Thanks to all who've signed up, and it's not to late to RSVP. Just add your contact information to the comments section below or email elizabethj@patch.com. 

What’s the catch? Just one! We’ll be helping business owners claim their Patch Places business page on our site, a free service that you can use to better promote your business. That’s it. It’s really that simple. And if you’re already an active Patch user, we’d still like you to come and help your fellow business owners and the Patch team learn more about what works when it comes to navigating the web.

(If you want to claim your listing NOW, here are some super easy instructions.)

If you're a new business that needs a listing created, click the green "Add it" button at the bottom of the Places page and fill out the form. Our directory team will get in touch with you in a couple of days when your listing is ready.

Main Street Meet-Up was born at a Patch.com leadership conference held in Atlanta, Ga., in January where more than 180 company leaders representing 864 community websites came together to form a vision for 2012 and beyond.

Main Street Meet-Up was one of 11 proposals chosen from more than 30 to be presented to the company's leaders, who see the success of small businesses nationwide as being integral to Patch's future and our mission of being a community information platform.

We hope you learn something, and we hope it makes Livermore Patch a better website.

About Patch:

Twitter: @LivPatch, @eastbaypatch, @ebaypatchbiz
Claim your business listing: www.livermore.patch.com/places
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/livermorepatch
Sign up for our newsletter: www.livermore.patch.com/newsletters
For more info: letsgopatch.com