Learn about Black Friday deals on Twitter

As thousands of shoppers kick off the holiday shopping season Friday in Cape Girardeau, I hope they'll share their experiences as part of a Twitter experiment.

I'm embarking on a social media project that seeks to connect area shoppers through Twitter.

I'll be using the Twitter hashtag #SEMOBlackFriday and Twitter ID @semissourianbiz to communicate with local shoppers about deals at area stores and their Black Friday experiences.

If you are a local retailer, I encourage you to use the hashtag #SEMOBlackFriday to tweet about your store's special offers for Black Friday too.

I'll be looking for tweets with the hashtag #SEMOBlackFriday and I'll be re-Tweet them to my followers throughout the day.

If you use Twitter, join me on Black Friday by including #SEMOBlackFriday in your tweets.

* Speed marketing event Tuesday: The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce will host a speed marketing event Nov. 30. The event begins at 2:30 p.m., with registration starting at 2 at The Plaza by Ray's. The cost is $49 for chamber of commerce members and $79 for nonmembers. "This event is like speed dating for your business," said Tracey Glenn, chamber vice president for organization and leadership development. The event will conclude with a networking reception at 5 p.m. Door prizes, including an 8GB Apple iPod Touch donated by Best Buy, will be awarded. Participants must be present to win. Registration is required, and there are still spaces available. For more information, contact the chamber at 335-3312 by 5 p.m. today.

* Sub shop opens: Penn Station East Coast Subs is now open in Cape Girardeau at 127 Siemers Drive, in Lambert Plaza. This is the first Penn Station restaurant in Cape Girardeau and the 20th location in Missouri. Penn Station East Coast Subs is known for its Philadelphia cheesesteak sub sandwich. The restaurant features an upscale, fast-casual atmosphere, serving a variety of hot and cold subs, as well as fresh, hand-cut, made-to-order french fries, hand-squeezed lemonade and chocolate chunk cookies. Penn Station has almost 220 restaurants in 12 states including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

* Rehab center planned in Jackson: Premiere Rehab will open a second location in December at the Main Street Station building, 2480 E Main St., in Jackson. The 2,000-square-foot facility will feature an aquatic therapy center and a certified hand therapist. Premiere Rehab has been operating at its Cape Girardeau location, 1405 Mount Auburn Road, for the past five years.

* Small-business course offered: A course for people interested in starting their own business will be offered from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 1 at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Jackson. Cost is $40 before Wednesday and $50 after that date. Registration is required. For more information, call 243-3581.

* Domian on the move: Timothy R. Domian of the financial services firm Edward Jones has moved to 258 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau. The new phone number is 335-3675. Domain has been serving the area since 2008. Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada.

* Lawyers launch website: Dix and Glaus, Attorneys at Law, has launched a website, www.dixandglaus.com. The site features a detailed explanation of the firm's practice areas, lawyer biographies, a client consultation contact function, as well as photographs of Cape Girardeau sites. The site was designed by a new Cape Girardeau media consulting business, The Print & Pixel, owned and operated by Kyle Dewitt.

* Holiday wines released: River Ridge Winery has released five new red wines for the holiday season, according to owners Jerry and Joannie Smith. The couple also own The Yule Log Cabin, which recently began selling fraser fir Christmas trees and making fresh wreaths.

Southeast Missourian business reporter Melissa Miller may be contacted at 388-3646 or mmiller@semissourian.com