May 6, 2020 – In response to the immediate and essential need for small businesses to establish an online retail presence, Rebound Nevada County is launching the E-commerce Business Ignitor Course. This course is primarily geared toward local brick-and-mortar retailers who understand that adding online sales is critical to business operations going forward.
The ambitious goal of the project is to help 50 local businesses launch revenue-generating online stores by June 1.
Rebound Nevada County is a collaborative group including the Sierra Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Nevada City and Grass Valley Chambers, the cities of Nevada and Grass Valley, Sierra Commons, Grass Valley Downtown Association, Nevada City Film Festival, Bear Yuba Land Trust, Miners Foundry Cultural Center, Nevada County Arts Council, Nevada County Economic Resource Council (ERC), and the Sierra Business Council.
The one-week five-part class series will be held online for interactive participation and recorded for later viewing. Classes will be hosted by Sierra Commons and led by a team of local professionals — web designers and developers, photographers, marketing and publicists, and bookkeepers — who will walk businesses through the process of getting online.
Opening an online store requires a lot more than understanding the steps and strategies for launching a shop. It also takes hours of focus, dedication, and resources. The entire process can be daunting for someone who has never done it before—especially during a crisis. Luckily, we live in a community where people come together and support each other.
Enrolled businesses can request two hours of one-to-one time with members of the Rebound Consultant Team. They can help you with “boots-on-the-ground” jobs such as setting up payment systems, taking product shots, writing copy, adding items to your shop, social media, and graphic design. Many of the consultants are offering steep discounts for additional hours completed by June 1, 2020. SBDC also offers free one-to-one consulting to advise businesses on technology, business strategy, financing, and marketing—also free of charge.
This project is coming together very quickly and is only being made possible by the passionate people behind Rebound Nevada County and the generous financial support of the Sierra SBDC and the ERC. The team is dedicated to strengthening our local economy and building a more resilient community. We are offering this program free of charge to local businesses. However, we have limited capacity to support this effort. Therefore, we want to ensure that businesses that participate in this program have the time and capacity to dedicate to launching an online business in this accelerated timeframe.
If you are interested in applying for enrollment, please visit http://www.sierracommons.org/ignitor by Thursday, May 14th to begin the process.
Classes are held Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Enrollment is limited to 50 students. Pre-registration is required.
For more information, contact Sierra Commons at 530-265-8443 or info@sierracommons.org or www.sierracommons.org
What: E-Commerce Business Ignitor Course
Who: Rebound Nevada County
Where: Online
When: Monday, May 18 through Friday, May 22
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Cost: FREE, pre-screening required
More information: (530) 265-8443, info@sierracommons.org or www.sierracommons.org