GROW News
April 18, 2012
Below is this week's news from GROW Nebraska. If you have questions, ideas or comments please e-mail
info@grownebraska.org. We LOVE hearing from our members.
Selling by the Case on GROW eCommerce
GROW Nebraska would like to begin selling food items by the case on our eCommerce site. Big Daddy's Salsa has sold two cases of salsa this year on our eCommerce sites. We've also had requests for some other products. If you are interested in selling your food item by the case please fill out the form below. In order to take advantage of this opportunity we would prefer that you can provide some sort of packing or box to ship the items in. If you have any questions please contact us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up To Sell Items by the Case >>
Promotional Opportunity for Graduation and Mother’s Day Gifts
GROW Members, Janell will be on NTV Good Life Show on April 30 promoting graduation and Mother’s Day gifts. Please let us know if you would like her to promote your product and why by filling out the form below.
If you have questions, please e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up Now >>
GROW Nebraska Gift Basket Opportunity
GROW Nebraska is considering having a "gift basket of the month" promotion where people can purchase one gift basket a month as a gift or for themselves. We are looking for vendors who are interested in having their products in the baskets. If you are interested please fill out the form below. We will see how many people are interested to see if we should move forward with this idea.
Additionally, if your business offers a similar program and you would be interested in GROW Nebraska promoting it, please e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up Now >>
Book and Music Fair/Signing at GROW Nebraska
GROW Nebraska is trying to put together a second Book and Music Fair in the GROW Nebraska Grand Island, Kearney, and/or Omaha stores on Saturday, April 28. You may sign up to attend one or several stores for morning or afternoon times. We are asking authors and musicians to come to the event and speak to people about and sign copies of your books or music.
If you are interested in coming and having a booth in the stores that day please fill out the form below. We will be promoting this event to help drive sales. If you have any questions, please contact us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up To Attend >>
Jewelry & Fine Art Promotion for Mother's Day
Jewelry and art is the perfect gift for Mother's Day! GROW Nebraska would like to have several jewelry and fine art vendors available in our store on Saturday, May 5 just in time for Mother's Day. If you are interested in having a small trunk show or table in our Kearney, Grand Island and/or Omaha stores that day please fill out the form below. If you have any questionsplease let us know at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up for Jewelry & Art Promotion >>
Member Appreciation Day
The next Member Appreciation Day is May 1. On that day you can receive 25% off items at any GROW Nebraska retail location. You can also receive the discount online by calling (402)742-3121 and placing an order. For all of the member appreciation dates please visit our
online events calendar.
Omaha Store Items Needed
Do you have items that you would like to donate to the Omaha Store? Items needed are a dorm refrigerator, 3-in-1 printer, small vacuum, hooks for slat wall, bubble wrap, and spring decorations. If so, e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Tips on Good eCommerce Photography
eBay understands the importance of good product photography - so much in fact that they created an entire informational web page on how to take good product photography. If you struggle with getting good pictures for your web site this is a great tutorial to read through. Be sure to send the pictures you take to GROW Nebraska so we can add them to your eCommerce listings!
eBay Photo Guide >>
Metro Omaha Women Business Center
Trista Koch of
Empowered Practice is helping to organize live streaming for the Metro Omaha Women Business Center events. She has attended the events in the past but it is too far for her to travel on a regular basis. She would like to know if you would be interested in watching these events live via the internet to see if there is a possiblity of the live streaming. If this is something you would be interested in please contact her at
tkoch@empoweredpractice.com.
Job Openings in Kearney, Grand Island and Omaha
GROW Nebraska is in need of part-time help in our Kearney store. We are also looking for help for our 2012 State Fair Store August 24-September 3 in Grand Island.
The Omaha Eppley GROW Store is now hiring staff for part-time positions. We are looking to fill these positions soon. Initial store hours will be 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday through Saturday and Sunday 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. One weekend a month is required for this position.
We value your connections, so if you have anyone who is interested you can have them fill out the form below or you may have them e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Work In Our Store >>
New Members
Country Drawers (Cambridge, NE) - Country Drawers is the largest natural family store between Omaha and Denver. They carry over 15 brands of cloth diapers as well as all the accessories you'll need. They also offer a wide selection of baby carriers, natural and organic bath and body products, natural and organic cleaners, toys, pregnancy and postpartum products and more. Learn more at
www.countrydrawers.com. Thank you to Ogallala Bay Rum for referring Country Drawers. They will be receiving a $25.00 check and will be mentoring Tara of Country Drawers so she will have a successful membership experience and stay in GROW family for many years.
Do you have someone that you would like to refer to GROW Nebraska? Just e-mail their information to
info@grownebraska.org and if they join we'll give you a $25 referral check!
Do You Have Recipes for Pinterest?
GROW Nebraska is looking for recipes to be used with your food products to place on Pinterest. If you have recipes, please submit them with the form below. We are looking at utilizing these recipes on our eCommerce site, web site and Pinterest page. Teri with Ricky and Lucy's Greenhouse submitted one and within 12 hours it was repinned once and liked once. Only recipes submitted with photos can be used on Pinterest. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity!
Submit Recipe >>
"Groupon" Type Service Available Through GROW
You've heard of Groupon and Living Social, now there's going to be the GROW Social program.
This program is designed specifically for GROW Nebraska service members. This is how it will work:
- Up to six GROW Social coupons will be offered monthly.
- The information for these coupons will go out in the GROW Nebraska newsletter monthly (approximately 4,500 e-mails) and on GROW Nebraska Twitter (1,700 followers), Facebook (5,350 followers) and Google+ Social Media.
- Information will be sent each week to GROW Nebraska members in the GROW Nebraska Weekly Update (approximately 350 e-mails).
- As a service provider you must take at least 40% off (Groupon and Living Social require 50% off) of a service and a dollar amount must be attributed (for example, instead of "save 40% on first order, it must be get "$100 worth of services for $60").
- GROW Nebraska will have a form on their web site for people to purchase the coupon and will collect the money. You will receive a check for 60% of the sale (Groupon and Living Social take 50% of each sale). Purchasers will receive an electronic coupon to print out and present to you. We will notify you when there is a sale.
- There is only a cost if people purchase your coupon.
If you are interested in this opportunity please fill out the form below. If you have questions, please contact at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up Now >>
May Membership Call
GROW Nebraska has scheduled monthly membership calls for 2012. These calls are a great way for you to get questions answered about your membership or anything GROW related.
The next call is set for Tuesday, May 1 at 12pm CT. GROW Nebraska staff will be available on each call to answer your questions and concerns. The calls will be held the first Tuesday of every month. Please be sure to sign up for the call so that you receive the call-in phone number.
Sign Up Now >>
Join GROW Nebraska on Google+ and Pinterest
GROW Nebraska recently added Google+ and Pinterest pages to our social media endeavors. Be sure to join our circle and follow us by visiting our pages.
Join GROW Nebraska's Google+ Circle >>
Follow GROW Nebraska on Pinterest >>
Member News
Member Geri Johnson of My Ear Jazz was invited by the Hobby Shack in Broken Bow to talk with Zach Richey when he did the "One Tank Trip" to the Hobby Shack in Broken Bow. As a vendor there, My Ear Jazz, and especially her hand-crocheted jewelry "Jazzy Trellis Jewelry" was discussed by Zach. The interview can be seen here.
Do you have news about your business? Please let us know at info@grownebraska.org.
Free Legal Workshop
Get your business and non-profit legal questions answered by Milo Alexander, director of Community Economic Development Clinic at the Creighton University School of Law on Thursday, April 19 in Hastings. The non-profit workshop is from 3:30 to 5:00pm and the business workshop is from 6:30 to 8:00pm at the Tri-City Auction Center, 121 East 2nd Street in Hastings. For more information contact Dena Beck of REAP at denab@crfa.org or (308)528-0060.
Charity Opportunity
We were recently contacted by a group that makes Christmas stockings for Marines in combat zones. They have three talented seamstresses who donate their skills to making these items. They are looking for donations of fabric, quilts, buttons or anything Christmas related. Everything is appreciated, even scraps! If you have something you would like to donate please contact Kelly Boulware at kellylboulware@ec.rr.com.
REAP Collaboration Opportunity for GROW Nebraska Members
REAP (Rural Enterprise Assistance Project), a project of the Center of Rural Affairs, would like to help GROW Nebraska members that do not have a business plan to develop one. They also help members that have a business plan but would like it reviewed.
Learn More and Sign Up Now >>
Google AdWords
GROW Nebraska received a Google Grant which allows us to use up to $330 per day in Google AdWord advertising. As of now, we are not using up our total daily budget, so we need your help. If you have products available on ShopGrowNebraska.org and would like FREE AdWords for them, please fill out the form here. This is a great opportunity to try Google AdWords for free before investing in them yourself.
Promote your Product or Art on NTV
If you have not been featured on NTV's The Good Life and are interested in doing so, please let us know so we can submit your information to the producers of NTV.
Learn More and Sign Up Now >>
Didn't get a chance to sign up? We are accepting walk-in's! Price today for the pre-conference (
