TEHACHAPI, Calif. -- Main Street Tehachapi hosted a free workshop for local business owners Wednesday night to help them with everything from customer service to making a marketing plan, all in an effort to make 2010 a successful year for everyone.

The free workshop featured four local speakers educating business owners in branding, customer service, building a marketing plan and e-mail marketing.

Michelle Vance with Main Street Tehachapi said, "It's going to be very small groups of 10 or 12 to be able to be one on one with that person who is speaking because we have four speakers tonight. So, we are going to rotate different tables so people can have that one on one contact not in a big classroom setting where you're afraid to ask a question."

The workshop wasn't only meant to educate the business owners, but it was also an opportunity for business owners to network and talk with each other.

Donna Fischman with Slick Fish Marketing Company said, "I think it helps them to see different ideas that may be new to them, and they can introduce into their businesses, some of them are low and even no cost marketing ideas, but a lot of it is the networking, getting to know what your other business owner neighbors are, sharing ideas and stories with each other and learning from that."

One local business woman, Susie Atherton, plans to share her success with evolving her business by utilizing free services like Twitter and Facebook to keep in touch with customers.

"You have to keep evolving with your customers and the younger crowd, they do connect with each other through Twitter and Facebook and texting and you have to adapt to that new technology and utilize it," said Atherton.

The tough economy has forced business owners to explore new options and even get creative, which organizers believe is for the betterment of not only the companies but also for the customers.

"I think they're making better decisions, providing better services, some of them have had to kind of step up their game which is fantastic for both business owners and consumers and freshen things up," said Fischman.