GROW News
April 14, 2010
Marketing Workshop in McCook
Twitter Tense? Facebook Frets? Utterli Uneasy? Social Media Stressing You Out? We Can Help!
GROW Nebraska has teamed up with the University of Nebraska Extension Specialists to help you reduce your anxiety in keeping up with the social media marketing craze.
Social media marketing is essential to increasing brand awareness and expanding your online business presence. However, if you don’t understand how it works, thinking about posting tweets, updating your Facebook page and incorporating your blog into the media mix seems overwhelming.
Not only will we teach you how to save time by being more efficient when using social media, but we are bringing the "Get Social Sessions" to you. Spots are filling quickly! Price is $10/person. If you have questions, call us at 888.GROW.NEB or e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org. If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please sign up
HERE.
- May 4 - McCook - 9am - 12pm
Earth Day Promotion
Join GROW Nebraska as we celebrate Earth Day at the State Farm Campus in Lincoln on April 21, 2010 from 11:30am-1:00pm. You can do this prior to the pre-conference. This opportunity is limited to the first five that sign up. This is a promotional event. You will not be able to sell items but sampling is encouraged.
Sign up here to participate in this great event. If you have questions, please e-mail
info@grownebraska.org.
GROW Food Members: Important Network Meeting
GROW Food Members:
GROW Nebraska is going to host a network meeting for Nebraska food businesses. The purpose of the meeting to discuss marketing needs of businesses and how we can better work together. If possible, please bring something everyone can taste that contains your product so everyone can try your product – remember word of mouth is still the best form of advertising.
- When: Thursday, April 29
- Where: Conestoga Mall Grand Island Social Room
- Time: 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Please respond by or before April 15 by clicking here.
*Please note if you are unable to attend this network meeting, please plan to attend the GROW Nebraska MarkeTech Conference on April 22. During the conference a network meeting is also going to be held for industry specific products. Click here to sign up.
FREE Photo Days!
GROW Nebraska will be offering FREE photography at the Pre-Conference and MarkeTech Conferences in April. This is a great time to get your items' photos taken for the GROW eCommerce site. This service typically costs $15/photo, so this is a wonderful opportunity! Please note: You MUST sign up to receive this free service.
If you are planning on attending either the Pre-Conference or MarkeTech conference and would like photography taken, please sign up today so we can be prepared. Please note all photographs will be taken on a white background with no "props" and will be for individual products only; no group shots allowed. Limit 20 photos per member. Remember, you MUST attend the conference to qualify.
Sign Up Today
>>
MarketTech Conference
The GROW Nebraska Annual Meeting is now called the GROW Nebraska MarkeTech Conference. This year's conference will be held in Lincoln on April 22 from 8 am-5 pm.
The conference will also feature the annual product evaluation, a service business trade show, a wonderful meal and many great speakers. Chris Russell, operations manager at Google, will be the keynote speaker. View the speaker's profiles and the conference agenda here.
Food and beverage members, if you are attending the conference, you are eligible to promote your food product by providing a snack during breaks at the conference.
E-mail us if you're interested.
Sign up for MarkeTech here. If you have any questions, please contact us at 888.476.9632 or e-mail us at info@grownebraska.org.
Pre-conference: For Members Only!
The 2010 MarkeTech Pre-Conference will feature GROW Member, Michele Johnson of Art Cottage Web Site Development and Michele M. Johnson Fine Art. Michele will be covering many aspects of successful web sites and will touch on how to incorporate social networking into your web site for a larger web presence.
After the presentation, GROW Staff and UNL Extension will also be available for one-on-one technical assistance in the areas of product description and pictures, social networking, and adding the affiliated program to your web site.
The pre-conference will be held April 21, from 2 pm – 5 pm at the Holiday Inn Express & Hotel Suites, Lincoln Airport. The pre-conference is for GROW Nebraska members only and has a limited space. Sign up now to register!
Rooms are available for the discounted rate under GROW Nebraska. Call 402-464-0588 to reserve a hotel room.
Google AdWords Pilot Project
GROW Nebraska is starting a pilot project for Google AdWords in conjunction with GROW Member eGrowth Marketing. This project will allow members to access Google AdWords for FREE. If you sign up, we will help to promote your product using our Google AdWords account to try and increase sales on our eCommerce site.
To participate, you must have your items on the GROW eCommerce site at shopgrownebraska.org. To find out if your product is available on our site, click here and to see if your business is listed. Please remember that to have items on our eCommerce site you must have them available in the Kearney retail location.
If you are interested, please sign up today. If your items are not available on the eCommerce site, you will be required to submit photos and descriptions for your product. Members will be limited to 5 products each to open the opportunity up to as many members as possible. If you have any questions about this service, please e-mail us at info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up Now >>
New Members
Zooreka - Alma, NE
Sara creates 100% certified organic cotton clothing for ultra soft fabric against baby's sensitive skin. See her products here.
Windcrest Winery - Raymond, NE
Spend an afternoon in their tasting room sampling a wine selection that is sure to please every palate. Relax on the patio overlooking the majestic view of the nearly five acres of French hybrid grapes growing on a rolling northward slope. Learn more here.
Lucky Chuck's Pool Hall - Eustis, NE
Enjoy a bite to eat at Lucky Chucks!
Member News
South Fork Vineyard has earned certification through Greener Byways of Nebraska for its use of environmentally friendly practices in daily operations. The self-certification program helps businesses along Nebraska’s nine scenic byways demonstrate a dedication to protecting the environment. Learn more here.
Deb Brooks of From the Heart Creations is looking for people to donate for a benefit for Jennifer Andersen.
She has gone missing in Omaha and they are trying to get some donations for gift baskets. Jennifer is the daughter and sister of the people who farm her parents ground near Edgar.
They will be putting together made in Nebraska gift baskets among other gift baskets for a silent auction. They are also taking other donations besides the gift basket products.
The date is not set but they are looking at May 15th from 1 to 4 in Omaha at this time it is set to be held at the Lift.
If you have any questions or would like to donate, please let her know at craftyladygma@yahoo.com.
Fran Schaffer's cookbook SHORTCUTS TO GOURMET COOKING has received honorable mention cookbook category at the Nashvilled Book Festival and New England Book Festival. Congrats!
Pur Java will be featured on Lance's Journal on 10/11 News today at 6pm. Be sure to tune in and watch!
Preserve Your Communities Assets While Being Green
Join Heritage Nebraska in Nebraska City on Friday, April 16, 2010 to learn what you can do to preserve your community’s historic assets while saving the planet and impacting your bottom line. Heritage Nebraska Main Street is sponsoring this workshop hosted by the Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce’s Main Street program.
The cost is only $5 and includes supper. Seating is limited so please register soon! You can reserve your spot at the workshop by calling (402) 873-6654.
The workshop starts at 4:30pm with a social hour and supper and we’ll be done by 8:00pm.
For more information and registration information, download the flyer here.
This workshop is open to everyone so please share this with your downtown property owners as well as owners of older residential properties in your communities.
We encourage you to spend the weekend in Nebraska City if you’re coming in from afar. Visit www.nebraskacity.com for travel information and activities.
Extension eShip Webinar: "Marketing Research – Moving It to the Top of Your ‘To Do’ List”
April 20, 10:00 a.m.. CDT
This UNL Extension eShip Webinar: “Marketing Research – Moving It to the Top of Your ‘To Do’ List” will be on Adobe Connect Pro at http://breeze.unl.edu/extension/eship. Get it marked on your calendar Now!
The monthly eShip Webinars are coordinated by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Entrepreneurship Initiative. The intent is to expand adoption of entrepreneurship strategies by communities and rural businesses and introduce new potential resources.
Marketing Research – Moving It to the Top of Your ‘To Do’ List
You may have often thought that doing some market research to help you better understand your customers would help you improve your business, but it somehow always gets moved to the bottom of your ‘to do’ list. You often come up with a variety of reasons why you can’t, or don’t, move ahead. It’s too expensive, the results can’t be trusted, you’re too busy running the rest of the business or maybe you believe you already know how the research will come out. Join Dr. Steve Pharr, Market Research Analyst at The UNL Food Processing Center, to enhance your understanding of market research, learn strategies for overcoming our tendency to put it off, and, most importantly, why you shouldn’t.
Marketing for the Ag Entrepreneur - A Professional Development Opportunity
Do you work with agriculture producers who have entrepreneurial ideas?
Do you want to learn how to effectively create a feasibility plan?
Do you want to better understand marketing concepts?
Do you want to learn about online direct marketing?
Then you need to sign up for the AgriMarketing Professional Development opportunity created by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Entrepreneurship Work Group. This professional development training will:
- increase your entrepreneurial marketing knowledge, skills and confidence while working with agricultural producers on value added ideas
- help improve your ability to work with clientele to develop
- sustainable value added ag-business feasibility plans,
- understand general marketing concepts, and
- develop online direct marketing strategies.
The 2 year program includes:
- three face-to-face market focused trainings and a series of follow-up webinars:
- Building Feasibility – June 24 and 25, 2010
- AgriMarketing Concepts – Feb. 15 and 16, 2011
- Online Direct Marketing – Nov. 9 and 10, 2011
The promotional flyer includes more detailed information on the program highlights, workshops and expected long-term outcomes. Registration and scholarship information can be found at
http://go.unl.edu/marketingforag.
Application deadlines: scholarship - April 16; registration - June 3.
Space is limited so sign up NOW!
The UNL Extension Entrepreneurship work group is excited to bring this opportunity to you. This professional development opportunity is funded through a USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE) grant.
If you have questions, feel free to contact Jim Crandall - crandall3@unl.edu, Charlotte Narjes -
cnarjes1@unl.edu, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel -
cburkhartkriesel1@unl.edu, and
chancock1@unl.edu.
2010 Advanced Workshop with Business Plan
THE ADVANCED 8 (a) WORKSHOP REGISTRATION FOR 2010 HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR TWO WEEKS UNTIL
FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2010
* IF YOU SIGN UP DURING THIS PERIOD YOU WILL RECEIVE A FREE BUSINESS PLAN DETAILS ARE BELOW
$250.00 | 1-800-927-7113
The
SBA's 8(a) BD program is a business development program created to help small disadvantaged businesses compete in the American economy and access the federal procurement market.
Below are just some of the advantages of participating in the 8(a) program.
- 8(a) certification can help you land sole source contracts, some up to $5.5 million each.
- 8(a) set asides mean that when you do compete, you do so against other small businesses, not the large firms; these set asides do not have a dollar ceiling limitation!
- 8(a) certification all but ensures your state MBE or DBE certification.
- 8(a) certification grants you preferred vendor status with large Federal contractors.These contractors must,by law, subcontract to certified 8(a) contractors.
Do you really believe that you can get 8(a) certified in a day? We at SBC don't, and we are the nation's experts in certification focusing on the 8(a) program.
What we do believe is that in just one day you will:
- Be guaranteed to complete your 8(a) application in a day.
- Learn "everything worth knowing" about the 8(a) application process from persons who have prepared and reviewed thousands of successful applications.
- Discuss what it means to be 8(a) certified with individuals who have "been there" having operated among the largest, most successful 8(a) companies in the history of the program.
- Find out why being 8(a) certified can give you a tangible competitive edge over even the "big guys".
- Dispel the myths about the program that have been created by persons, even some within the SBA, to keep you from applying, despite your qualifications and right to be certified.
- Find out whether or not you are really qualified to be 8(a) certified, once and for all.
- Identify the specific items about you and your company that the SBA will likely challenge when you submit your application, unless you address these in your original submission.
If the day provided you with just the above information it would certainly be a worthwhile use of your time. However, there is much more available to you! During this same day, you will actually begin and complete your 8(a) application package under the guidance of "real certification experts".
This is what the remainder of your day will contain:
- SBC will review your booklet piece by piece in its entirety.
- SBC shall guide you through the new online 8(a) application process, pointing out the issues, challenges and shortfalls in the process that you must avoid to have your online application accepted by the SBA.
- SBC shall provide you with your own 8(a) Application Package Notebook, in the same form provided to our "full-price" 8(a) Package Preparation Service clients. This shall ensure that your application is organized in a way, i.e., table of contents, checklist, tabs and section separator sheets that will contain everything that the SBA evaluators will look for and where in your application they can easily find it.
- SBC will tell you and assist you with completing every data field of each form that is required within the application, including of course, the SBA Form 1010, "Application for 8(a) and SDB Certification".
- SBC will demonstrate how you must respond to any question on the SBA Form 1010 to which you have disclosed applies to you, your other team members or your company.
- SBC will review every enclosure document that is included on the SBA's checklist of documents required to accompany your application and equally important, will tell you which documents you must provide, even though they are MISSING from the SBA's checklist.
- SBC will tell you and assist you with evaluating the acceptability of the specific data items that are contained within each enclosure document (e.g., company and personal Federal tax returns) that the SBA will seek to extract from these documents.
- SBC will review your company's financial statements and show you how they may have to be changed to be acceptable to the SBA.
- SBC will show you how to prepare your own personal financial statements, tell you where the "SBA traps" are within these statements, and coach you personally how to avoid or overcome any personal financial issues that will get your application challenged.
- SBC will show you what a successful "economic disadvantage narrative" must consist of and provide you with a template to assist you in the preparation of this document required of ALL applicants, as well as coach you how to prepare your own narrative.
- For those individuals who are not members of what are called "designated groups" Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Sub-Continent Asian Americans and Native Americans, e.g. Caucasian Women, and Service Disabled Veterans, SBC will show you what a successful "social disadvantage narrative" must consist of and will provide you with both a template to assist you in the preparation of this document required of you, as well as coach you how to prepare your own narrative.
- Workshop will be conducted in a classroom setting.
- You will be required to bring all the necessary documentation to complete your application.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW
