Leading up to its Grow with Google tour event next week at Service Brewing Co. in downtown Savannah, Google announced today it would be giving free, customized marketing materials to 1,000 local Savannah businesses.
 
The Small Thanks kits are created to amplify positive customer reviews with designed materials. The kits include a custom printed poster, sticker, window decal and table sign as well as social media assets featuring excerpts of real customer reviews. Small Thanks is part of the Grow with Google initiative — a new program to help create economic opportunities for Americans through digital skills trainings and workshops.
 
The Grow with Google tour — coming to Savannah next week on April 25 — brings the digital skills initiative to life in select cities across the country, offering greater access to trainings and inspiring local businesses to learn more and take advantage of them. The Grow with Google event in Savannah will feature many local partners, including Goodwill of Southeast Georgia, the Creative Coast, Step Up Savannah and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce.
 
In addition to Small Thanks, Grow with Google offers a number of additional tools for small businesses including Google My Business, to help small business owners build a website in minutes and claim a free Google listing so customers can find them on Search and Maps; Primer, a mobile app with quick, interactive lessons on writing a business plan, making a great website, and marketing a business online; and Startup with Google, a collection of online tools and best practices for getting businesses up and running, from raising funds and hiring the right team to developing new products.
 
Interested Savannah business owners can sign up to receive a Small Thanks kit at g.co/smallthanks. Space is still available for the Grow with Google Tour, and business owners can register at https://events.withgoogle.com/join-google-in-savannah/.