• The GROW Store in the Kearney Hilltop Mall is a year-round retail venue which offers a wide variety of products from over 140 GROW members. This location opened in August of 2007 and provides a unique blend of products including soaps and lotions, candles, food items, jewelry and wearables, fine art, music, books, gift items and much more all created by Nebraska entrepreneurs. Shopping at the GROW Store sustains Nebraska’s economy by putting dollars back into the hands of Nebraskans rather than some large corporation. The GROW Store also functions as the e-commerce and eBay distribution center where online orders are filled and shipped. Another benefit of the Kearney Store is that it acts as a training model for members to learn about various aspects of retail operations. Members who choose to work at the store gain valuable information on how to run a credit card processing machine, how to display products effectively, how to use a scanner with a POS system and how to interact with potential customers.
  
  
• Reduced registration fee to GROW Nebraska™ workshops. The workshops GROW Nebraska™ offers are designed to assist entrepreneurs at all levels in their product development, business training, and marketing skills.
  
  
• Access to member resources. GROW Nebraska™ provides listing state and national organizations, publications, and services geared specifically to entrepreneurial businesses. We also refer businesses to funding and resource providers.
  
  
• Subscription to GROW Nebraska™ Monthly Updates. GROW Nebraska provides information on upcoming events, membership news, services, marketing opportunities, and educational tips.
  
  
• E-mail alerts on time-sensitive items such as upcoming marketing and training events.
  
  
• A voice in determining GROW Nebraska™ services and institutional direction by providing feedback and exercising member voting privileges.
  
  
• Free GROW Nebraska™ member technical assistance for entrepreneurs at all levels.
  
  
• Referral Service Benefits. GROW Nebraska™ will refer businesses to existing entrepreneurial programs that can also provide assistance, such as REAP, EDGE, NBDC, New Community Development Corporations and other microenterprise programs. GROW believes strongly in not duplicating services that are already in existence. We encourage collaboration between programs.
  
  
• Free Publicity/News Release Service. GROW Nebraska provides members with news releases about their business successes and/or expansion. Generate publicity for businesses through special presentations and displays.
  
  
• Reduced Rate Cooperative Advertising. Cooperative advertising offers members the opportunity to take part in cooperative advertising in statewide and national magazines. The cooperative reduce rate is generally more than half what non-GROW Nebraska™ pays.
  
  
• Reduced Rate Cooperative Radio Advertising offers members the opportunity to take part in cooperative advertising in statewide radio opportunity. The cooperative reduce rate is generally more than half what non-GROW Nebraska™ pays.
  
  
• Reduced Rate Internet Representation. GROW Nebraska has the capability to build a home page for entrepreneurs and offers reciprocal links for member sites. We also offer different Web development packages for members wanting to develop a Web site.
  
  
• GROW Book. GROW Nebraska™ members can participate in the GROW Book. Circulation is 10,000 catalogs. The catalogs are distributed to prospects and retailers.
  
  
• Exclusive Marketing Opportunities. GROW Nebraska™ can help entrepreneurs display their products at several places, including the GROW Gallery, the annual State Fair Store, the year round Kearney Retail Store, the GROW Holiday Store and the Affiliated Foods Show.
  
  
• Reduced Rate Product Evaluation/Web site Evaluation. Members can have their products evaluated for labeling, pricing, packaging, and marketability by a panel of five storeowners 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 ¼ the cost of what a private business evaluation would cost.
  
  
• Funding Opportunity Direct GROW Loan and the Quick GROW Loan. In collaboration with the Rural Enterprise Assistance Program (REAP) to help microenterprises access quick start cash for their businesses.
  
  
• First Fridays Training - Join GROW Nebraska™ from noon to one on the first Friday of each month for a presentation on a topic pertinent to growing your business more effectively. Topics will cover a wide range including financing, marketing, product development and all kinds of promotion. Members may suggest topics, whether it's a challenge or an area where you have overcome challenge and want to share your experience.
  
  
• Event Postings - GROW Nebraska will list upcoming events for our members on our online calendar. To post an upcoming event, please fill our our online form.
  
  
• eBay Store - There are many online avenues for businesses to develop a customer satisfaction experience. The University of Nebraska Extension is partnering with GROW Nebraska to develop one type of experience - an Online Auction store. The Store provides an opportunity for GROW members to explore an online auction presence and enables University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension to research and analyze online, auction-based marketing efforts. UNL Extension will provide classes to GROW members on the use of auction sites and ways the businesses might incorporate this type of outlet into their online marketing efforts.
  

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