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Oklahoma State University Program to Boost Online Retail Opportunities in Rural Areas [1]
['Kristi Eaton', 'The Daily Yonder']
Date: 2024-02-26
A new program from Oklahoma State University aims to offer support to rural retailers as they transition to more online sales, and an expert in the field and fellow e-commerce owner say they believe the program is a step in the right direction.
The Oklahoma Rural E-Commerce Academy is a two-year, grant-funded program that will support rural business owners with technical assistance, training and digital retail workshops. The Academy will focus on five counties in the state: Garfield, Grant, Kay, Noble and Payne.
“This program is a small business development tool that should yield immediate benefits for rural retailers, enabling them to compete in regional and global markets,” Andrew Van Leuven, assistant professor in the OSU Department of Agricultural Economics in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, said in a press statement.
“The accompanying research will provide feedback to continually improve and refine the training and workshops as well as practical, evidence-based knowledge for policymakers and community leaders in Oklahoma and other states.”
Rasha Ahmed is an associate professor of economics at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and as part of her work she analyzed the competition in the retail sector that led to the demise of “mom and pop” stores, and currently examines the rise of online shopping in the age of information technology.
Many such programs like the one at OSU are subsidized by the government, Ahmed said. When those subsidies go away, the costs may be more for the consumer, and that’s where it’ll be interesting to see if the consumer is willing to pay more for online purchases, she added.
Lou Haverty, meanwhile, owns an e-commerce business that caters to farmers and other rural customers. He sells water tanks and fuel tanks to customers all over the country.
“It’s a little bit of an obscure market where a lot of people may not have thought about it. But I think that’s part of why it works well,” he told the Daily Yonder.
Haverty said he believes the OSU program is a good idea because the focus – like with his business – is on customer service.
“In fact, I picture my business as being a local, brick and mortar retailer from probably 10 to 15 years ago that, prior to the internet, if you needed to purchase something, you would go to your local store, and have a conversation with someone who was knowledgeable, friendly and easy to approach,” he said. “You didn’t feel like you’re getting sold to or someone was trying to jam something down your throat, but you got easy information, someone was there to ask questions when you needed to talk to them.”
He said he has tried to recreate that in the modern world.
“I have a pretty tight focus on very specific products that I sell. And I have extended calling hours, which is one thing that I think really separates me from other businesses,” he added.
He said programs like the one that will get underway at OSU are typically run on a trial basis, so it’s important that people sign up for them and take advantage of what they have to offer.
“Depending on what type of interest level they get, if they get a lot of people that pursue it, they’re liable to increase the program and provide more effective training over time,” Haverty said.
The OSU program, which is funded by a grant from the Small Business Administration, will allow OSU undergraduate students skilled in e-commerce web development and marketing to assist in digital modernization.
“Small-town rural retailers not only create jobs and encourage entrepreneurship but also provide a space that defines the cultural identity of a town,” said June Park, associate professor of design and merchandising in the College of Education and Human Sciences at OSU, in a press statement.
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[1] Url:
https://dailyyonder.com/oklahoma-state-university-program-to-boost-online-retail-opportunities-in-rural-areas/2024/02/26/
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