How 3 customers use Amazon Business to grow
Running a small business is not for the faint of heart. Between managing day-to-day operations, keeping costs in check, and planning for growth, it can feel like there’s never enough time in the day. But what if you could simplify some of those tasks and focus on growing your business and serving your community?
That’s exactly what three small businesses—Little Glass Art, Brass Bear Brewing, and Aldevra—are doing with the help of Amazon Business with tools and saving programs like Amazon Business Analytics, Approvals, Budget Management, Quantity Discounts, and more. Let’s take a closer look at how these tools are helping them run their businesses efficiently.
Little Glass Art: from hobby to hustle
Justin and Jordan, the husband-and-wife duo behind Little Glass Art, run a vibrant art studio in the heart of Colorado that offers community repairs, commissioned artwork, and in-person classes. Their mission? To bring the community together and honor Jordan’s mother’s stained glass art legacy.
With a growing team, they needed a way to manage employee purchases without losing sight of their spend. That’s where Budget Management and Approvals came in to simplify the process while the two can remain in control. When an employee needs to make a purchase, like supplies for students taking an art class, an automatic approval workflow kicks-in where either Justin or Jordan can quickly approve or deny the purchase request with ease, ensuring their team can get what they need while maintaining oversight. But that’s not all. The pair uses Amazon Business Analytics for next-level insights into their purchasing trends, helping them predict future orders and manage spend more efficiently. Plus, with Reorder Lists, they can quickly restock routine supplies like towels, paint, and paint brushes for community art classes, helping save time from having to search for the same items over and over and instead can easily replenish items from the list.
"Earning Business Prime Rewards also helps us know we’re getting money back on the stuff we buy every day.”
— Justin Williams, co-owner, Little Glass Art
What do they love most? Selection, fast delivery, and savings. With Amazon Private Brands and Quantity Discounts, they can stretch their budget without sacrificing quality. As an art studio, Amazon Business has helped them get the unique, industry specific supplies, like soldering irons and glass cutters. With the Amazon Business mobile app Justin and Jordan easily place orders for their studio on the go, so they can keep their studio running smoothly—even when they’re not there.
Brass Bear Brewing: hopping to new heights
Lindsay and Seth Anderson, the owners of Brass Bear Brewing, came up with the name of Brass Bear Brewing during a cross-country National Parks road trip and while they didn’t know what type of business they’d open at the time, they knew that Brass Bear would be perfect name to remind them to face their fears and keep going. And that’s what they did. In their first year, they quit their corporate jobs, moved to Santa Barbara, signed a lease, got married, bought a house, and had their first kid all while starting a new business. Now with 85 employees, a second location, and a bustling events calendar, they’ve turned their brewery into a community hub.
From day one, they’ve relied on Amazon Business to simplify operations and support their growth, allowing them to seamlessly Add Users as they’ve scaled their business over time. Business Prime has also been a game-changer when it comes to fast, free delivery. They use it for everything from cups and plates to more commercial grade equipment like their new ice machine—all of which helped them open their second location 2.5 months ahead of schedule.
Amazon Business Analytics For day-to-day operations Seth and Lindsay lean on the Amazon Business QuickBooks integration that brings all of their purchases from Amazon Business into their books so they can easily review everything in one place without having to manually enter and track purchasing data. This integration is key for organizing their expenses, automating their spending, and letting them see how their business is preforming with a single click. They also rely heavily on features like Amazon Business Analytics to help them track what’s being ordered, who ordered it, what card they put it on, and Manage Your Delivery to see when it’s coming—all business critical information for a small business owner.
“With it just being Seth and I and one other employee, I feel like [Amazon Business] was our other employee. Always there for us. Always had our backs.”
— Lindsay Anderson, co-owner, Brass Bear Brewery
Beyond general operations, each member of their team counts on Amazon Business in different, but equally important ways. While their Event Planner, Emily, leans on Business Lists to deliver a consistent experience to those dining or booking events like rehearsal dinners or celebrations, their Chef, Martin, uses Amazon Business to get the food prep supplies he needs to keep the kitchen going and the dishes delicious. Amazon Business has ultimately helped this team grow from just an idea to two businesses, addressing a wide range of needs and users.
Aldevra: supporting diversity and saving time
Aldevra was started in 2009 by veteran Rodney Marshall who at the time was a basketball coach and stay-at-home dad who admittedly felt a little lost after his military service. He started his small business with a tiny office in the corner of his son’s bedroom. Today, that son Alex is the head of his Food Service Department. From bedroom to brick and mortar, Rodney has created more than just a business, he’s created a legacy for his family and community.
For Rodney, time is everything. He relies on Business Prime for ordering the supplies he needs because he knows he’ll get fast, reliable delivery, with the added bonus of getting rewarded on eligible purchases with Business Prime Rewards. As Aldevra has grown its business, they’ve needed to grow their office supplies alongside it. Courtney Cline, the admin coordinator for Aldevra, uses Amazon Business because of the wide range or materials offered. From paper towels and coffee pods to more industry specific supplies like food warming trays, she knows she can get just about anything, quickly. As with any small business, days can be unpredictable, but with Manage Your Delivery, the Aldevra team can count on orders being delivered during business hours when they know a team member is in office to receive the package.
“The way Amazon has come along with us on this journey is always being at the touch of a button for anything that is necessary or needed for whatever my mission is.”
— Rodney Marshall, owner, Aldevra
Amazon Business Analytics has been another key tool for Aldevra, helping them compare and keep track of employee spending, detailed order history, and purchase trends from different categories. Admin Courtney Cline uses Amazon Business Analytics to track spending and in particular likes the annual spend comparison feature, that lets her better understand spending patterns by comparing monthly spending to the previous year helping to anticipate and forecast business needs. From there, she can get detailed order reports or manage her budget and see not only how much they’ve spent but who they are buying from so that it aligns with company values.
As a veteran and black-owned small business, Rodney makes it his mission to ‘send the elevator back down’ and support other small minority-owned businesses in the community when he can. He’s used his passion for family and community to create a business that not only lift’s up his team, but also the small business community around him.
Find the tools that work for you
While these three small businesses are in different industries, they all face similar challenges: managing budgets, simplifying operations for added flexibility, and finding ways to save time and money.
Whether you’re running an art studio, a brewery, or a foodservice business, Amazon Business can help meet you where you’re at and scale with you as you grow so you can work smarter, not harder.
Ready to get started? Visit business settings to use the tools mentioned or create a free Amazon Business account to get started and watch your business thrive.
