The History and Mission of GROW Nebraska
GROW believes there is nothing more important in sustaining a business than marketing. We agree with this analysis from About.com: Entrepreneurs: "'Marketing' encompasses everything you do to attract customers and persuade them to buy your product, including advertising, public relations, publicity and selling. Marketing is the primary factor that determines how much your business will grow." You can read the entire article here.
History
GROW Nebraska is a 501(c) 3 non-profit Entrepreneurial Service Organization for Nebraska entrepreneurial businesses. It was established in 1998 under the Central Plains Foundation as a statewide outreach program. Headquartered in the Central Plains Development Center in Holbrook, Nebraska, this program focuses on building successful Nebraska businesses one at a time. In 1995, Central Plains Foundation, Inc. received a USDA Rural Development Grant to create a business plan and solidify objectives. After significant research into similar state-based programs and hosting a showcase event in November 1996, the GROW Nebraska™ Program officially began accepting members in 1998 and created the first annual GROW Nebraska™ Market. The initial membership included 61 businesses and five services. It currently has over 300 members and offers over 20 services.
GROW Nebraska™ has received support from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to expand its services aimed at helping entrepreneurs boost their profits. A statewide Board of Directors was created in 2003 to govern the program.
"We believed in the whole concept of buying local long before it was the 'cool' thing to do," says CEO Janell Anderson Ehrke. "It's not always easy to compete with large international companies, but we realize the value buying locally has for our small business owners, for our local economies and on minimizing our carbon footprint on our world."
GROW Nebraska currently has two year-round retail and training centers in the Kearney Hilltop Mall, and the Grand Island Conestoga Mall.
Mission
GROW Nebraska’s™ Mission is to create sustainable economic development by supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses through promotion, market access and education.
Vision
GROW Nebraska’s™ vision is to create awareness of Nebraska businesses and services through the “Buy It Local Nebraska” campaign, in turn, increasing additional revenue, jobs and Generating Real
Opportunities for Wealth.
Theme
GROWing one Nebraska business at a time since 1998.
GROW Nebraska™ is an Entrepreneurial Service Organization, which is membership-based and driven. GROW provides "entrepreneurial coaching" and market access opportunities to its members. Entrepreneurial coaching includes initial consultations, counseling, product evaluation and market access assistance. GROW Nebraska’s™ goal is to connect entrepreneurs and small businesses to the world marketplace.
