Selling your products on 3rd party websites. The question we are ultimately attempting to answer is should you sell your products on 3rd party websites? What does it ultimately take to get on those websites and how do you get there?
I’ve been working on Amazon for 5 years. Along with my partner, we’ve built a business of managing the Amazon account of over 30 businesses. My background is in economics & accounting and I live in Lincoln, NE.
Learn what to ship and how, pricing strategies, and see some examples of problems and solutions. Get tips and strategies to provide cost savings, service improvements, and other benefits to your bottom line and customer experience with our package shipping services.
Zoe Terry is our in house shipping expert! She has been finding the perfect way to ship all of our products for a while now. She enjoys finding new ways to ship better, safer and more cost effectively. Zoe is young and ambitious and sure to show you how you can improve your bottom line.
Emily Malcom is a social media marketing guru who has grown her brand through social media marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. In 2021, one of her dresses was featured on Season 25 of “The Bachelor”. Emily also has experience creating websites and implementing traditional marketing strategies through her business, Simply Blessed Boutique.
This webinar is presented by Lindsie Breazeale of Director of Marketing and Business Development at GROW Nebraska.
She has years of experience with buisnesses big and small. As a previous marketing director at a mall she knows first hand how hard it can be to wear many hats and perform many jobs. Finding time for social media and other small marketing can often be overlooked but in this training she will give you her personal tips and tricks for getting the job done!
Brownie Bar expanding with new location in West Omaha
OMAHA – If there’s anything we love more than seeing one of our members gain enough success to expand operations and open a new location, it’s when one of our members gains enough success to expand operations and open a new location because of dessert!
Michael Mitilier, co-owner of The Brownie Bar with Jim Friedman, took some time to tell us about the company’s exciting new developments, as well as provide some insight into their success. After the challenges that small businesses endured due to the pandemic, it’s especially encouraging to see such dynamic growth from one of our members!
After seeing so many cupcake, cookie, and donut shops around Omaha, Michael and Jim realized there was an opportunity in the dessert market for something different, and in 2019, the Brownie Bar was born.
If you haven’t heard of (or visited) the Brownie Bar, here’s a quick rundown of the innovative concept:
Step 1: Choose from 3 types of signature brownies: Traditional, Blonde, and Dark Chocolate
Step 2: Choose 1 of 9 different toppings
Step 3: Enjoy them for yourself, ship them to a loved one, or make a large order for an upcoming event!
This simply delicious business model not only helped the Brownie Bar get on its feet, but kept it upright throughout the pandemic. In addition to producing a high-quality product that people love, their active presence on social media has been extremely useful in not only getting the word out, but actually expanding to a new location.
“We were getting so many people who were coming down to our location in the old market,” said Michael. “I think a lot of those people were traveling from West Omaha, and would say things like, ‘We would have gotten down here sooner but we just don’t get downtown as often,’ or ‘We’ve been following you for about a year and finally got down here.”
So when it was time to expand, how did Michael and Jim decide where the next location would be? They took it to Facebook and let the people decide. They offered three zip codes and, after around 300 people voted, it was clear that West Omaha was the right choice.
Michael had plenty to say about the benefits of social media. “Social media is probably one of the biggest factors of our success. It gets the word out there quickly, and we can adjust it and play with it to see what’s working and what’s not working. Email marketing has been pretty good for us, too, allowing us to constantly remind clients and potential clients of our presence. That helps a lot.”
The ability to ship their brownies was a big help during the pandemic. “We do a lot of shipping. That saved us through COVID for sure, especially for the holidays and Valentine’s Day. We also have a food truck/van for private things and corporate events, which helped a lot, too.”
The fact of the matter, though, is that The Brownie Bar provides a unique, delicious dessert option that is consistent in quality and hard to forget.
“Everything is made from scratch.” Michael laughed, “Some days I’d love to find out how many pounds of butter we go through a month! The packaging has a lot to do with it, too: cute little boxes with our logos on them. And if they order a 6 pack or 12 pack, there’s crinkly paper and an instruction sheet on how to heat your brownies. It’s the little things that make it just a little more memorable.”
Michael also believes in the power of simplicity, when it comes to success. “Keep yourself lean; don’t offer 5000 products. You need space, and you need the people to do all that work, and you need to be able to do everything well.”
GROW Nebraska would like to wish a hearty “Congratulations!” to Michael and the whole Brownie Bar team. Your hard work, ingenuity, and talent has certainly paid off!
Story by Lauren Bonk, owner of the Curtain and Pen Copywriting Services, a GROW Nebraska member. Lauren hails from Kearney, NE, where she works as a freelance copywriter for small businesses, startups, and even larger corporate entities in need of professionally-written marketing content for their businesses and organizations.
Do you take credit cards? Do you want lower credit card processing fees? We have a merchant program with risk free comparison options that can save you money.
In the prior PRIME grant, GROW Nebraska® purchased technology equipment for 50 low-income participants and began an intensive training program to teach them to use the technology effectively. The current grant extends that training and allows those who came in at the end of that project to receive additional training as well as bringing in new low- and very-low-income entrepreneurs and small business owners for exceptional training and market access services.
GROW Nebraska partners with organizations like Nebraska Enterprise Fund, Center For Rural Affairs, and Small Business Association (SBA) to help connect members with micro loans.
Through a Google AdWord Grant, GROW Nebraska® offers the opportunity for members to explore this feature at no cost, which can be a great addition to your marketing plan. Google AdWords is an online advertising program used to create ads to reach people that use the Google search tool, who are looking for specific products–like yours. All ads run through the GROW Nebraska Foundation's Website.
MarkeTech is more than a conference. It’s cutting edge training, valuable networking, and a technology showcase. Be inspired, be engaged, and work hands on with today’s most innovative tools.
MarkeTech provides organizations with tools and ideas advancing their businesses through collaboration between marketing and technology. As a member, save $100 on registration, learn more at www.marketechconference.org.
Twice a month, on the third and fourth Thursdays, GROW Nebraska hosts free, open-to-the-public trainings. Participants can tune in from any location where they have phone or internet service. Each month GROW Nebraska® features different presenters and topics related to marketing or small business.
GROW Nebraska® also offers free Grow With Google Trainings the first Wednesday of every month. Our Google Trainings are offered in English and Spanish.
GROW Nebraska® Members are encouraged to tune into our "Tuesday Member Talks" which are for GROW Nebraska® Members only. Within these you can chat with staff and experts.
Need help getting on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google Places? We offer free individual assistance to get you started in the social media world. This can be a valuable addition to your marketing plan. We will also post or repost information about your business on our social media platforms to make our followers turn into your followers, too, and you can feature videos about your business on our YouTube Channel.
GROW Nebraska® offers a series of workshops focusing on technology and marketing for entrepreneurs. In today’s chaotic world, it is easy to get distracted by advertising proposals that derail our marketing budgets. Attending these workshops gives you a firsthand look at marketing and technology methods to increase the success of your next trip.
Business owners, community leaders and marketing staff can accelerate their skills with a small investment of time and money.
We pride ourselves in communicating with our members about what they need and want. This service includes an initial consultation and as many follow-up conferences as each member desires.
"GROW Nebraska has provided marketing leads and encouragement to expand my markets." -Sharon Walde, Heirloom Treasures
"GROW Nebraska helped me find my niche in the market. I've been really happy with the services and opportunities that GROW has provided for me." -Ima Gene Mason, Im's Countryside Painting
With the help of our ecommerce sites, our GROW Nebraska® members benefit from a strong web presence. Sell your products through our online platforms including BuyNebraska.com, Amazon and Ebay.
Members are able to join our Mark It to Market UPC program. ($25/code with $5 annual renewal fee). GROW Nebraksa has a UPC Program to help GROW Members get on Amazon and work with large businesses. GROW Nebraska works with number of partners for wholesale opportunities.
GROW Nebraska members have opportunities to sell their products at our Kearney retail location on the Younes Campus, in pop-up stores and at the Nebraska State Fair.
GROW Nebraska® is very active on social media, and we use these platforms to reach thousands of fans and followers with information about our members. Read our blog and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, and Tiktok.
Through our market testing program, you can take advantage of mall and airport traffic that you otherwise would not have access to. You can set up a table any day of the week at our Kearney retail store. You can offer samples or just talk about your product to potential customers. Customers want experiential shopping; they want to meet the artist, author, designer or manufacturer. Think about it like a farmer's market or craft show but without the booth fee! It is a great opportunity to launch a new product, get feedback on a current product, and build your brand.
GROW Nebraska's connections offer members the opportunity to take part in valuable promotional spots on television that have a statewide audience. The cost of these spots would be prohibitive for small businesses, but GROW members can be featured on the NTV Good Morning Nebraska television show through the GROW Nebraska® spot at no cost. Being featured on these shows gives GROW Nebraska’s clients state-wide exposure and helps them brand their name and product. Thousands of potential customers listen to these shows. This is a media that is effective, and thanks to GROW’s efforts, members can access this remarkable marketing asset at no cost.
We provide all of our members with a webpage within our website. It's easy for members to update with the latest information, videos, photos, events, and job openings. This platform for the webpage is a powerful successful tool for search engine optimization (SEO) and is key for small businesses looking for exposure in today's marketplace.
In the age of online shopping, stunning product photos are more important than ever. GROW Nebraska can help you make your products shine with professional photography.
