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My Crafted in Cape Breton Store launching soon

 


-by John Gillis

    Cape Breton Island has a new online arts and craft store.
    My Crafted in Cape Breton Store (Your Online Causeway) is the brainchild of Diane Gillis of Aberdeen, Cape Breton, which for anyone who doesn’t know is just down the road on the Trans Canada Highway towards Sydney from Whycocomagh.
    Diane says the website for the new store will be a full e-commerce service.  The website is still under construction and expected to be finished soon.
    Diane is a craftsperson herself who makes Gaelic greeting cards.
    “I’ve been making cards since the early 1990s, and I’ll also be promoting my own work online,” she said.


    Diane tells The Oran she hopes to have the site fully running by the end of this month.
    “It’s in the pre-launch stage, and it’s mostly information up on the site at the moment.  A lot of people may have a promotional web site, but they’re not always set up for e-commerce,” said Gillis.
    In the meantime, Diane is still looking for new artisans to represent on the site.
    “If people wish to sell products through the site and become a vendor they can go online and fill out the application.  We’re trying to provide a niche for Cape Breton artists and crafters who may not necessarily want to run their own online store.  We take care of that side of the business for them,” said Diane.
    Generally, Diane is looking for two things: 1) products that are handmade and of high quality and 2) for now at least, products have to have been made in Cape Breton.
    Although she is looking to sell high quality items, Diane says she’s not going to jury work.
    “There’s really no model out there yet that I have seen for what I’m doing, so we’ll see how it’s going to work.  I expect there will be a learning curve, but my business model shows it’s going to work, and we’ll try to be flexible enough to make it work for everybody,” she added
    Diane says she’s also promoting the business through social media with a Facebook page (My Crafted In Cape Breton Store) and a Twitter account.
    “I’m getting a good response on social media so far,” she added.  “Cape Breton will be making history with an online grass roots shopping experience for vendors and buyers alike,” says Diane.
    Over the past number of years Diane has been a regular vendor at the Mabou, Port Hawkesbury and Inverness farmer’s markets and she says she may keep up some of that work as well.
    “There’s a lot more to this than I initially thought, but the goal is also to employ people as well.  I’m a big supporter of buying local and staying local as much as possible,” she added.
    Diane says eventually she may purchase products herself from vendors, but for now it will remain on a commission basis where the vendor sets the price and she marks up 20 per cent.
    There would also be a monthly fee of $20 per vendor to be represented on the site.
    You will be able to visit the site at www.craftedcapebreton.ca.
    “We want to be Cape Breton’s connection to the online world,” Diane concluded.
    For more information contact Diane Gillis, owner/operator,  My Crafted in Cape Breton Store and Rural Route # 1 Designs by Diane/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. /1-902-574-2450 mobile/10783 Hwy 105, RR # 4, Whycocomagh, NS, B0E 3M0.

 



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