The Nice Center at NDSU is helping local businesses create online stores to allow them to continue business during this period of physical distancing. All North Dakota businesses can sign up for this free service, and a team of NDSU students will help their business launch in 24-48 hours.
“During this COVID-19 pandemic, we are especially concerned about our local community members and businesses, thinking about how they will be able to survive and thrive during this time of crisis and afterwards,” said Scott Meyer, Ozbun Executive Director of Entrepreneurship at NDSU and The Nice Center. “The Nice Center has identified that one way we can help is to support businesses in continuing to sell and connect with customers during the crisis. We are offering to help get their stores online and promote them.”
Some of the ways The Nice Center is looking to support local businesses is through setting up an online store, branding and design, online ordering and sales processes, and marketing the new ways you continue to serve your customers during this period of change. Businesses just need to fill out the online form, providing their contact information, business name, website, what support they are seeking and any other details they are able to share.
“The Nice Center’s programs manager Dane Johnson will schedule an intake call with you to learn more about your business, how we can get it online and suggest the best ways for our team to do that. Our students and staff are excited to help out. We understand that businesses are the backbone of our community, and we really want to help them through this,” said Meyer.
The Nice Center has supported nearly a dozen businesses across North Dakota and Minnesota so far. Some of the businesses include studio e, Wild About Play, Chisholm Trail Farm, Front Street Taproom, and Game Giant. Services range from making artwork available through Shopify to creating a marketing campaign highlighting products for kids stuck indoors during quarantine.
For more information and to fill out the form, visit thenicecenter.org/shoplocal/.
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