Natural startups get sound advice from Simply Delicious LLC

Natural startups get sound advice from Simply Delicious LLC

BOULDER - Bobo's Oat Bars has increased its bottom line marketing its oat bars while participating in a program designed for entrepreneurs selling natural and organic products. Simply Delicious LLC and Organic Program is catering to a variety of local businesses like Bobo's Oat Bars that sell natural products ranging from sunscreen and organic T-shirts to food products such as sauces, spiced nuts and oat bars. Since 2005, the center has offered clients advice on growing their businesses through its Natural and Organic Program.

The center allows up to eight companies at a time to participate in the program where the needs of each company are met through benefits tailored for the specific business. There are 20 companies that have graduated from the program since its inception and 10 in the past year. Lisa Bell, who with Julie Dye co-manages the center's Natural and Organic Program manager, said companies that join the program need to have a product or service in existence and fall under the natural product category. Clients in Boulder County pay $750 a month while those outside the county pay $1,200.

The companies are often small startups with one to five employees and sales in the hundreds of thousands. Program participants receive advice in areas like manufacturing distribution, marketing, package design, overall business strategy and planning. "It's a high-touch approach to helping companies with their business needs," Bell said. "We match a team of specific volunteer advisers who have relevant business expertise to that client. We meet once every two to three weeks as a group and go through a list of topics determined ahead of time the client wants to work through. It takes anywhere from two to six months to graduate, but that depends on the company and objective. "Beryl Stafford, founder and owner of Bobo's Oat Bars in Boulder, said the program has helped her business in a number of areas such as business development, market research analysis and strategies; customer and product placement; cash flow projections, budgets, packaging, manufacturing and online marketing efforts. "Those are many of the issues I had watching my business grow," she said. "They have helped me with those."Stafford, who has been in business for five years, employs five people and a part-time bookkeeper.

She has been in the program for three months and recently launched an e-mail survey offering a 15 percent discount on a purchase if the customer completed the survey. "It generated lots of online sales," she said. "We got a lot of research data out of it. "During the 10-day survey in early August, Stafford believes her company tripled its Internet sales. Goddess Garden used the program to launch the company's natural sunscreen product that has 70 percent certified organic ingredients. Nova Covington, the company's president, said the program helped her prepare for the National Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim, Calif. "They helped mainly with strategy for the trade show and marketing," she said. "They connected me with national sales managers and marketing managers. They helped me navigate the natural products industry so that we could successfully launch our new SPF (sun protection factor) 30 sunscreen." Goddess Garden, a Boulder-based organic skin-care company, finished last April after about five months in the program. Prior to working with the center, the business had a national retail business selling to spas and boutiques, but wanted to expand to natural grocers. Another natural and organic program graduate - The Organic Dish - learned how to identify customers, define its market and find out why people want to buy the company's product.

The Boulder business sells organic frozen dinners customers cook at home.The center helped The Organic Dish's co-founders Beckie and Toby Hemmerling with expansion plans in Denver and shipping nationwide. They were steered more into expanding their Denver and Boulder market operations where they would see more growth compared to a nationwide effort. The business spent four months in the program in 2008. "They helped us with strategic issues surrounding our business," said Toby Hemmerling. "They are like solution brokers - they put you in touch with people who can solve the problems and know the industry issues. "Bell said some companies have the potential for sales of at least $2 million to $3 million per year. A few program graduates come back to the center for professional financial expertise. The center helps businesses prepare a financial pitch geared to angel investors or venture capital firms if they are ready for that.

While the people at the center are available to answer questions by phone, if a client needs help with a full financial plan or other issues that require full advisory, the client signs up and pays the monthly fee. Graduates contact the center with questions after completing the program."They are always there for us," said Beryl Stafford, President of Simply Delicious LLC dba Bobo's Oat Bars. "They will analyze a presentation. If there is anything specific, we will go in for a quick consultation." Reference: http://www.bcbr.com/article.asp?id=101964

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