37 Oaks University | Course List
Take one refresher course or complete a channel development series. Join a live stream webinar, stop by our classroom or watch a video from the comfort of your personal device. 37 Oaks University is makes learning retail and distribution concepts more simple and affordable. Check out our full course and series list below.
(*Custom curriculums are available by request)
Wholesale Series
Your brand's growth strategy may include getting onto retail shelves or getting into the warehouses of distributors. Either way, understanding the details will save you time, stress and money.
Intro To Wholesaling (A101)
Wholesale Series
(On-Demand, Live Stream & Classroom)
Do you want your products on retail shelves? Does this process seem intimidating and complex? What do you need to know and where do you start?
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Dealing with retailers (brick & mortar, ecommerce, and of all-sizes) can be intimidating, complex, timely and expensive if you don't know what to look for or how to prepare. You typically get one chance to make a good first impression with a Buyer, so you need to make it count. This course is designed to help you prepare for your retail journey.
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Intro To Wholesale Distribution Partners (A102)
Wholesale Series
(On-Demand, Live Stream & Classroom)
When should you use a retail Broker vs. a Distributor? How do you know they are qualified? What are the different compensation structures?
You want to connect with more customers, so now, you are considering retail. There are many ways to get on store shelves, so having the right partners can save you time, money and stress.
This course is designed to help you understand the partner options that are best for your business.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Intro to Retail & Wholesale Distribution (A101)
Intro To Retail Promotions (A103)
Wholesale Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
What marketing & promotional programs does a retailer want you to plan for? What are budget and store execution considerations? What top mistakes do you need to avoid?
One of the top mistakes brands make regarding retail marketing and promotions is that they do not have a marketing strategy BEFORE approaching a retailer and they don’t maintain a strong marketing strategy once on store shelves. This course will provide insight to help you develop a strategy that is attractive to Buyers and will help maintain your space on retail shelves.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Intro to Retail & Wholesale Distribution (A101)
Budgeting For Wholesale Growth (A104)
Wholesale Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
What are major cost considerations for getting my product on retail shelves?
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As with any growth strategy, there is some level of investment. The process of getting your products on retail shelves is no different. This course will help you outline the various cost considerations of this process.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Intro To Retail & Wholesale Distribution (A101), Intro To Retail Distribution Partners (A102) and Intro To Retail Marketing & Promotions (A103).
Creating Business Development Collateral (A105)
Wholesale Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Sometimes you get one chance to make a first impression. In trying to get your products in the hands of retail Buyers and distributors, it is important that you have the information they need.
Show that you are prepared, professional and ready to business by learning the framework and structure of key band collateral that will get their attention.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Intro To Retail & Wholesale Distribution (A101) and Defining YOUR Unique Value (004)
Ecommerce Series
If you are in retail or consumer goods, then there is not much we need to tell you about ecommerce. Your customers are shopping more online and through social media. We are dedicated to making sure our local entrepreneurs get a piece of this pie
Intro to Ecommerce (B101)
Ecommerce Series
(On-Demand, Live Stream & Classroom)
Whether you are a brick & mortar business looking to be more competitive or a local brand looking to grow sales, ecommerce is an avenue that you must understand in this ever-changing retail environment.
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This course is will help you understand the importance of ecommerce; Learn the basics of starting and operating an ecommerce business; Understand tools, resources and solutions to run your ecommerce business.
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FREE for SOKONIstore.com members
Intro To Ecommerce Shipping (B102)
Ecommerce Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Shipping is such an important part of your ecommerce business. It impacts the price you charge to your customer experiences. This course will teach the basics of what you need to know in planning & executing a shipping strategy; tools; resources, best practices and top mistakes to avoid.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Intro to Ecommerce (B101)
FREE for SOKONIstore.com members
Intro To Ecommerce Photography & Video (B103)
Ecommerce Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
If you know about ecommerce, then you must know about photography & video. The use of these two elements can make or break the success of your site. This course will discuss how to get started; tools; resources; pitfalls of not having the right assets; and top mistakes to avoid.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Intro to Ecommerce (B101)
FREE for SOKONIstore.com members
Intro To Ecommerce Marketing (B104)
Ecommerce Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
"Build It And They Will Come" is a strategy. But, due to high levels of competition in the ecommerce market, it requires no shortage of marketing efforts. Let's ensure you understand the tools available to you and the tips and tricks to help you break through the clutter.
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FREE for SOKONIstore.com members
Create A Winning Ecommerce Customer Experience (B105)
Ecommerce Series
(Classroom)
Creating a winning customer experience is critical in brick and mortar, but we can't forget that it is just as important online. This makes a difference between customers browsing your site to clicking the "buy" button.
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Prerequisite Courses: Intro to Ecommerce (B101), Ecommerce Shipping Strategy (B102), Ecommerce Photography & Video Strategy (B103)
Mobile Retail Series
Mobile retail is a great way to grow your business without the commitment to a geographic location or storefront expenses. This series will prepare you for the ins and outs of a Food Truck and Pop Up Shop business.
Intro To Mobile Retail (C101)
Mobile Retail Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Mobile retail is a great way to grow your business. Food Trucks and Pop Up Shops allow you to connect with various markets without the full investment and commitment of a brick and mortar location.
Every product distribution channel needs to be thoroughly explored before taking that leap. Let's take a deeper dive into the pros, cons, myths, processes, expectations and more so you can be prepared.
Planning Pop Up Market Success (C102)
Mobile Retail Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
When should I participate in a pop up? What do I need to have a successful experience? What are the top mistakes to avoid?
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A great way to strategically grow your business is to participate in pop up markets. These have become wildly popular around the country. One of the biggest mistakes brands make is to look at this as purely a sales opportunity. As with any business opportunity, not having a strategic approach leaves money and other value on the table. 37 Oaks has organized and managed pop up market for years through our SOKONI brand. This course shares our insights and tips to help you get the most of these markets.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Intro to Mobile Retail (C101)
The Basics of A Food Truck Business (C103)
Mobile Retail Series
(Classroom)
Chefs and culinary artists love Food Trucks! In launching this type of business, there are many considerations that you need to be aware of on the front end as it will save you time, money and stress. We will help you understand your path to opening and operating a successful food truck business.
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Prerequisite Course: Intro to Mobile Retail (C101)
Storefront Series
Retail/brick-and-mortar business is not dead, but it is definitely shifting. We understand the investment, time and resources required to operate a storefront. So let's arm you with the information, knowledge and tools to make the best decisions.
Are You Ready For A Storefront? (D101)
Storefront Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Your business has been growing and now you are considering a storefront location. This can be an amazing and pivotal step in your business journey. This course will help you outline considerations, common mistakes, pitfalls to avoid and best practices.
Intro To Store Design & Merchandising Principles (D102)
Storefront Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Display and merchandising is the way to connect the customer with you product and brand experience. There are proven basic principles that retailers use to increase sales and profits. This course will help you understand these principles and best practices.
Designing Experiences For Brick & Mortar (D103)
Storefront Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Retail is NOT dead, but it is definitely shifting. This course outlines the unique value of Brick and Mortar retailers and how to use it to build your unique customer experiences.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Defining Your Unique Value? (004)
Choosing The Best Location For Your Store (D104)
Storefront Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Location, Location, Location!
Opening a retail store is a major investment, so it is important to understand the factors in selecting the optimal space. This course will help you determine the best location for your business and understand the information and data available to assist you in this decision.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Are You Ready For A Storefront? (D102)
Intro To Retail Technology & Systems (D105)
Storefront Series
(Live Stream & Classroom)
To operate a profitable, scalable and sustainable store, technology and systems are critical. This course will make this somewhat complex and intimidating topic, simple and digestible. Focus on better understanding the basics and the "need-to-knows" to take your business to the next level.
The Basics Of A Restaurant Business (D106)
Storefront Series
(Classroom)
Considering a restaurant? There are so many moving parts to the restaurant business that we want to make sure you understand the basics so you can plan to win.
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Prerequisite for Live Stream & Classroom Course: Are You Ready For A Storefront? (D102)
Strategy & Operation Courses
Whether you are a new business owner, experienced or a team member that supports the business, these strategy and operation courses are designed to drive you to profitable, sustainable and scalable growth. .
Intro To Retail Math (001)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Local retailers may not have as much time as they would like to financially plan and measure their businesses. How can we grow what we don't measure? How can we qualify for grants and loans if we don't capture performance? This can be a time consuming and intimidating process, especially if you don't have this background. We get it, and you are not alone. This is exactly why we developed this course.
You do not need to be a finance, math or strategy expert to attend this workshop. We will teach a simple and basic course that introduces you to basic business planning and profit & loss statement principles. You will have an understanding of why this process is important; gain awareness of the pitfalls & implications of not followed; and understanding of tools and resources to use for your business.
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Intro To Inventory Management (002)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Inventory management is a financial activity. If your inventory processes are not tight, then you are leaving money on the table. This workshop will discuss how inventory management impacts your overall business performance; Important metrics to use to track your inventory; Techniques, principles & best practices to get this in order.
Intro To Retail Pricing Strategies (003)
Strategy & Operations
(Live Stream & Classroom)
Your pricing strategy will not only impact what you sell and to whom you sell, but also how much money you bring into your business. This class outlines the various pricing strategies to consider and when to use each.
Assortment Optimization Strategies (004)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Do you have too many products, or maybe not enough? How do you determine which products to keep, create and sell? There is an analytical approach that we will walk you through so you can make the best decisions for your business.
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Prerequisite: Cost Of Goods Sold Analysis
Defining YOUR Unique Value? (005)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Why should people buy from you and not the competition? What message needs to be at the core of all your communications? How can you position your business to be more attractive to a retail buyer or customer?
If you have defined a strong business value and point of difference, it make it clearer and easier for people and businesses to buy from you. Your value statement needs to be unique and objective. We have used a proprietary framework in multiple courses that has helped businesses walk away with their clear unique value.
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This workshop happens over a series of time and requires prework and homework.
Seasonal Planning (006)
Strategy & Operations
(Live Stream & Classroom)
With Q4 representing upwards of 40% of annual sales, it is important for retailers to ensure they have a plan. This course will provide tips to create initial strategies that will help increase sales and profits for your business. We will discuss timing, customers, competition and marketing tips.
Annual Planning Session (007)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
This workshop is in a group setting and we use frameworks, tools and industry experts to outline critical strategies, paths and milestones for the full year.
What Makes Your Business Valuable? (008)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Having an exit plan is a good business practice, whether you tap into it or not. Some want to pass it down to a family member and some want to prepare to get bought out. Either way, as a business owner, knowing what makes your business valuable will help you make better business decisions now. This course will outline what you can begin to work on, today, that will increase the value of your business.
Retail Industry Trends (009)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Local retailers can learn a lot from big box retailers. The resources they have to understand innovations, technology, insights and industry trends can be used to help us better prepare for what's to come. This lecture discuses how this impacts customer shopping behavior and ways for us to run more efficient businesses.
The Basics Of Product Packaging & Labeling (010)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
As my business scales into retail, what are the packaging and labeling considerations? What are mistakes I need to avoid?
Transitioning your business from local and "direct to consumer" models to selling to stores, you need to keep in mind how your packaging and labeling will need to change to accommodate these new systems. This course will introduce you to these basics.
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Prerequisite Courses: Retail Readiness 101
Cost of Goods Sold Analysis (011)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Do you need help understanding how much your product cost to produce?
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This is a VERY important number to know as it dictates how much you can sell your product to a retailer, distributor or wholesaler. It also impacts how much you may want to spend on marketing, inventory production, materials, labor, etc.
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Co-packer Selection & Management (011)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
If you are ready to increase your distribution, then you are ready to scale up your production capabilities.
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When you go from making product yourself to a co-packer, you will have a lot of questions. Make sure you understand the questions to ask; misconceptions; roles; responsibilities; and best practices when selecting a co-packer.
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Simplified Value Stream Mapping Principles (012)
Strategy & Operations
(Classroom)
Value stream mapping is a lean management tool that helps visualize the steps needed to take a product from creation to delivering it to the end-customer. This course will introduce you to basic principles that will help you understand your business as well as analysis and process improvement
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