GROW News
June 30, 2010
New Members
Rustic Writing - Grand Island, NE
Decorate your house with this framed alphabet art.
Bob's Country Sales - Holdrege, NE
Enjoy these original photographs taken by Bob. They are enlarged to various sizes including 4X6 to 11X14. He also offers postcards.
Weeping Creek Creations - Weeping Water, NE
Jeannie creates fused and dochronic glass jewelry, wine bottle toppers and stained glass sun catchers. Learn more at
www.weepingcreekcreations.com.
RCK Creations and More - Alda, NE
Connie can personalize any smooth surface with text or art, including photo imaging on marble, granite. glass, acrylic, leather and wood. Learn more at
www.rckcreationsandmore.com.
Art Horizons Studio - Lincoln, NE
Kathy creates hand formed papier-mache and epoxy sculptures, painted stones, acrylic paintings, epoxy jewelry, and note card prints. Learn more at
arthorizonsstudio.etsy.com.
Prairie Barn - Bennington, NE
This natural handmade soap uses over 50% olive oil. Almost all the herbs used in the soaps come directly from come from Janet's garden. Learn more at
www.prairiebarn.com.
Howard Blue Bird - White Clay, NE
Tatanka Wicahpi-Buffalo Star - White Clay, NE
Faiths Handcraft Items
- White Clay, NE
Theresa Red Feather
- White Clay, NE
These Lakota Crafters offer everything from jewelry to Native American Art.
eValueWeb - Last Day to Sign Up!
Regular maintenance is a part of everyday living. Cars' oil levels need to be regularly checked. Children need yearly physicals. Even chimneys, air conditioning units and furnaces need looking after. Well, guess what? The same holds true for web sites.
Be sure to sign up to have your web site evaluated by industry experts. Hurry, sign up ends June 30!
Sign Up Now >>
GROW Nebraska to host Russ’s B&R Showcase
GROW Nebraska is proud to announce that we be hosting an opportunity for food members to showcase their products to the buyers and top management of Russ’s B&R Stores. This is only for food members that sell wholesale and have UPCs.
We are thrilled that Russ’s B&R wants to add more local foods to their shelves. The event is free but you MUST be signed up for the event.
Date: Wednesday, July 7
Time: 1:00 to 4:00 pm (set up will start at 11:00)
Place:
27th Street Conference Center – Lincoln, NE
Don’t forget ... if your business is interested in getting UPCs, we have them available to members at a cooperative discount. For more information please contact
info@grownebraska.org or 888-476-9632.
Video of the Week
Learn more about the GROW Nebraska Glass Reuse project and how your business can get involved. The Glass Reuse project helps recycle glass by allowing customers to return glass containers to the GROW retail locations for reuse by the vendor.
Fabulous Friends: A Little Help from Everyone Can GROW Nebraska
GROW Nebraska is launching their Fabulous Friends Campaign, searching for 1000 people to donate just $10 each who believe in GROW Nebraska and Nebraska businesses and entrepreneurs. Donating just $10 puts your name on our "
Partners and Donators" web site page. You can become part of the
GROW Nebraska Cause and track our progress in this quest. Donating is easy. You can donate through the
GROW Nebraska Cause, on our
web site, or by mailing in your donation to the GROW Nebraska headquarters in Holbrook.
P.O. Box 7
Holbrook, NE 68948
If you have any questions, please e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up for the State Fair General Store
Employees Needed
Are you interested in working in the GROW Nebraska General Store at the State Fair? It is a paid position and we are looking for all shifts. We prefer to hire members that can work three or more shifts. If you are interested in working please e-mail
info@grownebraska.org.
It’s A Grand Affair On The Presentation Stage!
The Nebraska State Fair will be upon us very soon. Plans are underway to again have demonstrations on the presentation stage. This is a great way to showcase your business. Show off your skill, whether it is cooking, wheat weaving, metal work or more. Be creative - the possibilities are endless. Times are available from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm beginning Saturday, August 28 through Monday, September 7. They are filled on a first come first served basis. If you are interested in participating please let us know at
info@grownebraska.org.
Have Your Product In the State Fair Store
Before we know it the State Fair will be upon us. Do you want your product in the store? If so, please sign up today! Prices are no charge for 2010 bundle members, $30 for members who work at least one 6 our shift, $50 for members who do not work, and $150 if GROW has to take down, haul and pack your product. This year's State Fair store is in Grand Island from August 27 through September 6. The store hours are 9am-9pm.
GROW will also be offering some training. Please let us know on the sign up form which topic(s) you like best.
If you have any questions about the 2010 State Fair store opportunity, please e-mail us at
info@grownebraska.org.
Sign Up Now >>
Who Sold Online This Week?
Member News
Thanks to Tammy’s Soap Shack for referring Weeping Creek Creations. She will receive a $25 referral check. Do you know someone who would be a good GROW Member? Earn your $25 check today by referring them to the program!
Do you have news about your business? Please let us know at
info@grownebraska.org.
Business Coaching Available Now
Business coaching is available through the Columbus Area Chamber. Much of the cost is being provided by a ‘BECA grant’ received by the Chamber through the Nebraska Rural Development Commission. Contact Sandie Fischer at the Chamber if you’d like to know more about this service. The cost to the business owner is just $20 per session with the remaining $80 paid through the grant. The deadline to access these grant funds is rapidly approaching so if you are interested, call Sandie at 564-2769 or e-mail
sandief@megavision.com.
Small Business Certification
FOR THOSE WHO MISSED OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY DUE TO OVERWHELMING
RESPONSE THE ADVANCED 8(a) WORKSHOP REGISTRATION
FOR 2010 HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL
FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010. $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
We at SBC know from discussions with thousands of small businesses that many of you have "thought about applying for the 8(a) certification", but for many reasons, including those shown below have stopped short of proceeding:
- Don't fully understand the 8(a) program.
- Don't know what benefits my company and I would get from being certified.
- Don't know if the Federal government buys what I provide.
- Have been told by the SBA that it would be useless for me to apply.
- Don't know where and how to start.
- Don't want to or can't spend much time on this application process.
- Don't want to or can't afford the investment required to let a professional organization, such as SBC prepare the application on your behalf, even if they do provide a 100% money-back guarantee.
Register for One of Our 2010 8(a) BD Workshops By Friday, July 9, 2010 and Pay Only $250.00
To See Our 2010 8 Hour 8(a) Certification Workshop Schedule Click Here
Cancellations & Rescheduling
All cancellations are non-refundable but you may reschedule at anytime. If you reschedule to attend another seminar, we will apply your payment toward your new registration fee. Personnel substitutions may be made at any time. Payment must be received prior to the seminar date. No-shows are liable for the full seminar fee.
Well now, the certification experts at SBC have eliminated any reasons to wait any longer before getting on with it. You can attend this program and get all of the information you ever wanted to know about the 8(a) program and also get your actual 8(a) application well underway. All attendees shall receive "unlimited telephone or email consulting" regarding the 8(a) program or the application,
at no additional cost to you.
What is the Required Investment for the above Workshop?
- If you register for our Workshop by Close of Business Friday, July 9 the price is $250.00 (This option includes classroom workbook and FREE Limited 8(a) BD Certification Package Review valued at $500.00) Click here for the details included in our Limited 8(a) BD Package Review.
- If you register for our Workshop after Friday, July 9 the price is $400.00 (Option 2 includes classroom workbook only)
- If you register for our Workshop after Friday, July 9 the price is $600.00 (Option 3 includes classroom workbook and Limited 8(a) BD Certification Package Review valued at $500.00) Click here for the details included in our Limited 8(a) BD Package Review.
- Payment may be made by Check, MasterCard, VISA or American Express.
When do I Register for this Workshop?
- All participants must register no later than Friday, July 9 for our scheduled workshop and can do so by registering online by accessing our web site or calling SBC toll-free at 1-800-927-7113.
- Attendance is limited in order to make it possible to fully address individual attendee questions and issues. There is limited space available to accommodate more than a single representative of each company. Kindly call ahead if you intend to have more than one attendee.
- A data collection packet will be provided to all attendees prior to the workshop to allow attendees to gather and bring along company and personal data required to complete your 8(a) application.
SBC personally looks forward to seeing and working with you at the workshop. If you have any questions about the above, just call and ask to talk to one of our professional certification experts toll-free at 1-800-927-7113.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW
