MSUFCU Grant Helping Saginaw Street Consignments Tackle Online Sales & Website Needs
(Mark H. Stowers, Oct. 21, 2024)
Pontiac, MI – Working in Pontiac, April Ogg owns Saginaw Street Consignments and her business requires quite a bit to keep up with. And as any good businessperson might do, she kept her eyes and ears open for opportunities that could benefit her business and her clients.
She had worked with Oakland County Main Street on events in Downtown Pontiac, and while perusing their website for other pertinent information, she discovered the Digital Technology Grant offered by MSU Credit Union.
“I’m always looking at the different programs that they have, whether it’s a seminar or online Zoom or something just to always better myself or maybe here’s something again new like working with AI or different things like that. And I saw that there was this grant opportunity through the Michigan State Federal Credit Union,” Ogg explained.
From the website the explanation included, “The Main Street Connected Grant Program awards eligible businesses up to $2,500 in technology and digital support toward a list of projects that include the development or use of data analytics software; payment processing software or equipment purchases, including Point of Sale (POS); website creation and e-commerce support; social media or digital marketing costs; cybersecurity and data protection; customer relationship management (CRM) costs; project or inventory management software costs; or creation or implementation of pop-up operations or public markets. Applicants must provide one-for-one matching dollars to receive the grant.”
This opportunity was just what she needed after a big set back earlier in the year. “In December and early January, I got a notice from my inventory consignment program company that runs my business and has my online store and does all my stuff for my brick-and-mortar store. I found out that they had so many small mom and pop shops that didn’t survive through COVID that they were actually going to close down. I was going to have to find a whole new consignment program to run my business.”
With a huge need, Ogg applied for the grant. “I already figured out what I wanted to do on my social media platform and so I needed to implement it now and there were two ways I was going to implement it,” she explained. “I spoke about on the application one of them was to have my program engineer that I worked with on the first site helped me along create the new website and then also helped set up the Shopify store and then the other one was a social media marketing company.”
Using the quotes she had attained for the work that needed to get done to “restart” the digital part of her business, she was one of eight people in Oakland County who were awarded the grant, and the only one in Pontiac.
“I asked for the $5,000, and so I will receive $2,500. I have to pay $2,500 towards social media marketing,” she said. That’s what I would be using it for and then they will match the money. It’s nice to have the extra help… every little bit helps. The $2,500 will help me get my setup on my Shopify and my website setup.” She’s also active on the Shop OC Main Streets online shopping platform, which will easily integrate with her Shopify account.
Once the new platforms are set up, she’ll work with Rochester-based Walker Publicity with her social media needs. “She’s willing to work with me on certain things and to get me going and then once hopefully rocking and rolling with this new direction that I’m going to take the shop and sales, then, hopefully then that will kick in, more money will come in, and then I can also pay out more money for help with the marketing and social media.”
In addition to the consignment shop, which features antiques, furniture, art, fine china, silver, and crystal, decorative accessories and more, Ogg has worked in interior design for 35 years.
Saginaw Street Consignments is located at 150 N. Saginaw Street in Downtown Pontiac. While a new and improved website is coming, visitors can still check out https://saginawstconsignments.com/ Also shop online at Shop OC Main Streets.
