The the inspiring leader behind the FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab.

Retail businesses need online sales in order to succeed in today’s competitive market. But smaller businesses, especially those owned by women and people of color, often lack the resources or technical know-how to really make a splash in e-commerce. FedEx and nonprofit Accion Opportunity Fund teamed up to help change that through the?FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab , a philanthropic program aimed at bolstering the abilities of business owners in key e-commerce areas so their businesses can grow and thrive.

The Learning Lab would not be possible without implementing partner?37 Oaks , a social enterprise founded by Terrand Smith . Terrand and her team have brought a best-in-class learning experience to more than 300 FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab graduates so far. How does she do it?

What does 37 Oaks do to support underserved small business owners?

37 Oaks is a commerce development and learning laboratory that educates and prepares business owners for growth through e-commerce, wholesale, storefronts, and pop-up markets. Since 2016, we have guided underserved entrepreneurs into growth through our 37 Oaks University Courses, 1:1 and group coaching, content, business support services, and welcoming community around like-minded business owners.

What inspired you to start 37 Oaks?

For over a decade, I was a national buyer for some of the largest retailers in the US. In that role, I worked with national and local brands that wanted to get their products in the stores or on the e-commerce sites of those retailers. The larger brands had budgets, resources, departments, and experience to get the most out of these opportunities. The smaller brands were where the innovation started, but if they did not have the commerce, retail, and distribution acumen needed to be successful in these spaces, often this growth opportunity would do more harm to their business than help it. With all of my experience in retail, e-commerce, strategy, and operations, I knew I had a good foundation to help them take their product-based business to the next level.

What is the purpose of the FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab collaboration between FedEx, Accion Opportunity Fund, and 37 Oaks?

This program offers a robust curriculum that strengthens the strategies and improves the operations of women and minority-owned businesses building an online presence. Business ownership can be a challenge for anyone. So, when you layer on unique challenges that disproportionately impact these communities, like access to industry-specific knowledge, resources, capital, coaches, mentors, and a community of like-minded business owners, it can make this process even more difficult. We need our small businesses to succeed, as they are the engines that power the neighborhoods where we live, work, and play. Their economic impact is profound.

Supporting small business owners toward growth is a process and requires a lot of resources. Many organizations do a lot on their own, but they can’t do it ALL by themselves. This is why the relationship between FedEx, Accion Opportunity Fund, and 37 Oaks is powerful. With the education, program infrastructure, experience, coaching, relationships, marketing support, sponsorship, capital infusion, shipping systems, (and more) that we each bring to the table, we deliver a program that adds value to hundreds of small business owners across the country.

Who is a good fit for this program?

The FedEx E-commerce Learning Lab is perfect for any owner of a product-based business that commits to growing and scaling through e-commerce. They tend to be in the early stages of growth and may not have an e-commerce site, or may have one that is considered “stale.” They feel stuck in making progress and need support in getting “unstuck.” The great thing about this program is that it has a national reach, and we have worked with businesses from California to Vermont to Florida and all in between. We also support a variety of categories such as health, beauty, food, beverages, pets, books, accessories, apparel, home decor, and more.

What topics do you cover in the FedEx E-Commerce Learning Lab?

This program’s curriculum is very robust. Between the 37 Oaks University courses, workshops, study hall sessions, and exercises, we cover topics such as understanding where you should sell online; defining your online shopper; writing effective shipping and return policies; conducting competitive analysis; writing effective product descriptions; driving site conversion; developing winning marketing strategies and campaigns, and more. If business owners need information on a topic that is not covered, our 1:1 coaching sessions fill in the gaps.

What makes this program different?

What makes this program different is its robust and holistic design to educate and prepare. We talked about all the education and coaching received, but another key part of the experience is the SOKONI e-commerce marketplace that allows participants to apply what they learned. We provide that extra layer of support to help them see what works for their business, and what doesn’t.

Learn more about our opportunities for e-commerce: https://fedexcares.com/stories/global-entrepreneurship/meet-terrand-inspiring-leader-behind-fedex-e-commerce-learning-lab