Benefits of GROW Nebraska Membership
Do you have a Nebraska based business or service that you want to take to the next level? GROW Nebraska works with companies of all sizes to use effective marketing strategies to grow your business.
GROW Nebraska’s mission is to create sustainable economic development by supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses through promotion, market access and education. Look at a few of the benefits membership in GROW Nebraska offers!
- Retail Training Centers – GROW Nebraska has year-round retail training centers in the Hilltop Mall in Kearney, the Conestoga Mall in Grand Island, and the GROW Gallery in Holbrook. There are additional temporary locations at the Nebraska State Fair, Wings over the Platte Gift Shop, and Holiday Stores. These locations are an effective test market. By working directly with consumers, members are able to see what sells and why.
GROW members also gain the opportunity to network with other entrepreneurs and learn how to create gift baskets that appeal to specialty markets or even work together to produce combination gift baskets. The collaborative nature of this project allows members to present their products in prime retail space they would not be able to afford as an individual business.
Prior to the opening of each holiday season, training is provided on display techniques in conjunction with a networking meeting. Members selected for the retail training program receive a stipend above minimum wage while receiving on-site technical training on how to run a credit card processing machine, effective product display, how to use a scanner with a point of sale system and how to interact with potential customers.
- Online Opportunities - Consumers can shop online for member products on eBay and the GROW Nebraska eCommerce site at shopgrownebraska.org or at the GROW eBay store.
- Evaluations - Members can have their products evaluated for labeling, pricing, packaging, and marketability by a panel of five store owners and/or graphic designers. Members can also have their existing web sites evaluated by web development experts to get feedback on their current web sites. The product evaluation and web site evaluation are one-quarter the cost of what a private business evaluation would cost.
- Reduced Rate Cooperative Advertising - Cooperative advertising offers members the opportunity to take part in cooperative advertising in statewide and national magazines, television and radio. The cooperative reduce rate is generally more than half what a non-GROW Nebraska member pays.
- Discounted Web Services - GROW Nebraska has the capability to build a web site for entrepreneurs and offers reciprocal links for member sites.
- GROW Book - GROW Nebraska members can participate in the GROW Book. Circulation is 5,000 catalogs. The catalogs are distributed to prospects and retailers.
- Event Postings - GROW Nebraska will list upcoming events for our members on our online calendar.
- Mark it for Market Cooperative UPC Program - GROW Nebraska has barcodes available are the standard UPC as applicable to all products, and used to market your products to stores like Amazon, Whole Foods, and Russ’s IGA. Technical assistance is provided to all participants.
- Weekly E-mails - GROW Nebraska sends weekly e-mails about upcoming services offered by the program and partnering programs. View past issues >>
- Technology Assistance - GROW Nebraska offers technical assistance such as web design, photography, and workshops.
- Loans - GROW Nebraska offers the GROW Direct Loan program in collaboration with the Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP). GROW provides the loan loss reserve and REAP administers the loan program, allowing GROW to offer access to capital up to $5,000.
