Small-business owners looking for help finding and keeping customers can join a free roundtable on Thursday, Oct. 8, at the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce.

The San Jacinto College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is hosting the two-hour session starting at 7:30 a.m. in the Chamber's boardroom at 1201 East NASA Parkway in Houston, the San Jacinto Times reported. The topic: customer acquisition and retention.

The format skips the usual lecture setup. A moderator poses questions and gives each participant time to respond. Other attendees then weigh in with their own experiences.

"There is no instructor or 'expert' presenting information on a topic. This is peer-to-peer shared learning," Rob Carlson, a business advisor with the San Jacinto College SBDC, told the San Jacinto Times.

Carlson said the roundtable addresses a challenge every business faces but not every owner knows how to handle. He called one common mistake the assumption that everybody is a potential customer. Narrowing that focus, he said, matters because gaining a new customer carries a real cost.

"There is a cost to gain a new customer. Once you have paid that cost … you want them to come back so that you can recover the 'customer acquisition cost' and make money for the business," Carlson said.

The session is open to both new and experienced business owners. Carlson said attendees are encouraged to share not only what has worked but also lessons learned and ongoing challenges. He said participants often walk away with two takeaways: that they are not alone with their anxieties and fears, and that other people in the room can be a resource when questions come up later.

The event is free. Preregistration is recommended.

To register, visit sanjac.edu/calendar and search for the Small Business Roundtable, or contact the SBDC at 281-485-5214 or [email protected].