How GS1 US Works with Small Business

Whether you are bringing your product to market for the first time or taking your company to the next level, see how GS1 US makes it easier to do business

GS1 US® helps more than 280,000 small businesses to do business better. We help improve identifying, capturing, and sharing your product information. Through GS1 Standards and leveraging GS1 US’ experience, we can help you run your business with greater efficiency, enhance product safety, and much more.

We work closely with a variety of industries through collaborative, industry-driven initiatives and business readiness programs. Large and small growth-minded business from 25-plus industries rely on our globally accepted GS1 Standards to:

Help them get their first barcode(s)
Bring their products to market (right the first time)
Meet many of their trading partners’ requests
Integrate new technologies
Be easier to do business with companies they want to work with
Grow their business

Through GS1 Standards, businesses, like yours, are empowered to identify and move their inventory efficiently and safely.

How GS1 US is Ready to Help You

If you are asked by your retail trading partner to:

Place a Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) barcode on your product
Communicate your information via EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Share product information via the Global Data Synchronization Network™ (GDSN®)

GS1 US is here to help you implement those standards with tools, training, and education.

GS1 US Member Benefits for Your Small Business

When you obtain your GS1 Company Prefix, you instantly become a member of GS1 US. As a member, we will help you make the most out of your GS1 Company Prefix by giving you unique access to tools and resources, including:

GS1 US Data Hub | Product. For small businesses, GS1 US Data Hub® | Product is an essential online tool that takes the guesswork out of creating product identifiers and barcodes—helping the small business avoid costly mistakes
GS1 US Certified Content Provider Program. Looking for help creating and managing your product information and images? Want to get your product in front of more buyers? Need to understand complex compliance requirements? Connect with our Certified Content Providers to grow your business through better product content today.
Priority Member Support. Our Member Support team is only a toll-free phone call away, with reduced wait times and extended hours to answer your questions
Access to MyGS1 US. This member-only area of our website gives you access to all of your need-to-know information in one place. It also gives you access to our Resource Library, an online, searchable reference source of standards, guides, and implementation documents
On-Demand Training and Ask the Experts Webinars. Get direct access to GS1 Standards experts in our monthly webinar series

GS1 US Small Business Success Stories

Herman Kay Co.
Taking a customer-first approach, Herman Kay partnered with GS1 US and several solution providers to implement EPC-enabled item level RFID at every step of their internal fulfillment process—optimizing operations and increasing internal confidence levels that the right garments, in the right sizes and colors, have been delivered to the right customers.

The Blessing Basket Project® (Blessing Basket)
Partners with 3,000 artisans in some of the world’s most geographically dispersed countries. With a supply chain so widespread and artisan suppliers difficult to reach, managing inventory, quality control, on-time delivery, and cash payments were onerous for this non-profit organization. To uniquely identify each woven basket, Blessing Basket assigns a GS1 Global Trade Item Number® (GTIN®), which is encoded in a Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) barcode that is printed on the label applied to the basket.

The Neiman Marcus Group (NMG)
As a specialty retailer, NMG thrives on offering the latest from upcoming designers and artisans. Since many of them are small enterprises, NMG was especially sensitive about providing them with the hands-on support they might need for a successful transition. With help from GS1 US and two GS1 US Solution Partners (Intertrade and DiCentral), NMG educated and supported its 2,700+ vendors—both large suppliers and small artisan companies—in executing NMG’s supplier enablement solution.

Herbal Destination & Voodoo Ride
Herbal Destination and Voodoo Ride, both small growing businesses, were working to expand their distribution channels to include large, national retailers. Each was using barcodes purchased from online barcode sellers, but soon discovered they needed to use the GS1 Company Prefix and other GS1 Standards to conduct business with these mass retailers. They contacted GS1 US—which is authorized in the U.S. to license the GS1 Company Prefix—and now, each business creates U.P.C.s for its products that protect its company’s brand identity as they travel through the supply chain. By using additional GS1 Standards to identify cases and locations as well as share and synchronize data, the companies can start to realize operational benefits and growth.

SunFed
With help from HarvestMark and GS1 Standards, SunFed has made case- and item-level traceability an integral part of its business and has full visibility of its produce traveling from fields to kitchens.

ENMON
GS1 US Data Hub® | Product enables smaller size companies to trade products with larger retailers. There is no need to invest in a lot of training on GS1 Standards, since the tool complies with the standards and facilitates the creation of GS1 standard-compliant barcodes.

Print Media
Print Media developed a GS1 Standards-enabled business process by implementing Global Location Numbers and the GLN Registry™ (now GS1 US Data Hub® | Location) for healthcare.

Join the other 280,000 small business members

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Solution Provider Finder

Search this interactive database to find knowledgeable GS1 US-certified standards experts as well as qualified service providers and implementation consultants.

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In this publication, the letters “U.P.C.” are used solely as an abbreviation for the “Universal Product Code”, which is a product identification system. They do not refer to the UPC, which is a federally registered certification mark of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) to certify compliance with a Uniform Plumbing Code as authorized by IAPMO.