How An Artist Started A Handmade Marketplace During Covid
What is your name and where are you from?
My name is Edward Fisher JR. I am a Wordpress Developer from Wales, Massachusetts. Wales is a very quiet town near the Connecticut border.
Edward and his wife, Emma in Old Sturbridge Village
My wife and I met working at the living history museum, Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, MA.
How did you come up with the business idea?
The business idea came about during Covid, when Emma began selling on Etsy. Emma makes pottery and jewelry from recycled metal. I thought it was crazy Etsy charged almost 30% in transaction fees. From scrolling on Etsy, the majority of products sold for less than a handmade business could make them.
I saw a need for a marketplace exclusively of handmade and vintage goods. My Community Made is a community of artists, crafters, and vintage collectors from the United States. Categories include Art, Jewelry, Clothing, and Home Decor.
Customers like that every customer support request is answered personally by me, the founder, and not a chatbot.
My Community Made also has an events page of Craft Fairs and Art Shows across the United States. Visitors to the site can see which sellers will be at the listed events. The events are also mentioned in the My Community Made newsletter.
How have you grown the business?
Currently, the marketplace has grown to 3750 sellers, primarily by word of mouth. Seller membership is based on the number of items listed. The basic tier, listing 50 products at a time, is $5 per month. Pro tier, listing 100 products, is $10 per month.
“Not many people know about us yet,
but the ones that do, love the platform.”
Your future goals?
Our goals for the future are to continue to improve the reach of our site and continue to increase sales for our sellers. We plan to build a custom site solution so sellers can have their own website, custom domain, and can use the platform to market their art and crafts.
Your favorite books, podcasts, motivational quotes, etc?
I am currently reading 'Bowling Alone' by Robert D Putnam and am enjoying it. Another recent favorite was 'The Design of Everyday Things', By Donald Norman.
Do you have a pet?
My cat named Minty enjoys standing on office supplies.
Minty, Edward & Emma’s cat.
Where can you be found online?
https://mycommunitymade.com/store/the-science-of-living/
https://fishertechsolutions.com/
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Deborah@HandmadeTo100k.com