Amazon to host Amazon Small Business Academy In Southaven. (Memphis: sales, community college)

[sammyreynolds1977]

Amazon representatives will soon be in North Mississippi to tout its resources for local businesses looking to grow.

The e-commerce giant is hosting an Amazon Small Business Academy event in Southaven Friday morning, the first time it's done so in the United States.

The event will provide expert advice and insight to help small business owners and those thinking about starting a business learn how to reach millions of customers and grow through the internet, according to Amazon.

As more businesses tap into the online shopping boom, Amazon and others with e-commerce expertise are pitching their services as the pathway to success.

Joel Sider, senior manager for corporate communications at Amazon, said the company is investing $15 billion this year “to help our selling partners launch and grow their businesses on Amazon,” which includes guidance and training investments.

Memphis-based FedEx, which publicly split with Amazon earlier this year, has an e-commerce center web page of its own with resources for growing an online business, managing inventory and shipping orders. UPS is also displaying e-commerce shipping solutions.

Why Mississippi for Amazon first?
Mississippi’s small- and medium-sized businesses selling through Amazon are growing faster than those in any other state, according to a company report. The report judged this by year-over-year sales growth.



Sider said Mississippi selling partners’ fast growth showed to Amazon it would be “a great place to start” the event series. Mississippi sellers have sold to 4 million customers in the past year, with the top product categories being automotive, sports and lawn and garden, he said.

“We think it is because more companies in the state are rapidly doing what the Chamber’s research encourages — adopting digital tools and capabilities to build their brands and reach more customers,” Sider said of why Mississippi businesses have grown quickly on Amazon.

U.S. senator among speakers
The event, which has already reached maximum capacity, will begin at 10 a.m. at Northwest Mississippi Community College’s DeSoto Center. Speakers include U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Amazon Vice President of Small Business Nick Denissen, Amazon Launchpad Head of Projects Prakash Somasundaram and local small business owners.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Amazon’s page for the event nods to the 95 million unique U.S. visitors that visit its site every month. The page also says event-goers can learn “about services to store, pick, pack, ship your orders, and manage customer service and returns — all so you can focus on growing your business