Shop Manager, Terrie:
The Octagon Shop sells beautiful, handmade art from over 175 artists. I really love representing those artists and helping them sell their work. When we closed our doors in March 2020 to safeguard the community, it was very scary. I truly worried if I would still have a job in a few months. Our little nonprofit storefront had a small web presence, no online shopping, and a very lean budget. How could I possibly make any sales?
I had always wanted to create an online shop; however, a few years before, I had learned that technology issues with our current system made it impossible. Sitting at home, I began to search for solutions – I knew we needed to get online fast. I discovered technology updates had changed everything! I still had a lot of questions. Mindy Bergstrom (the owner of Cook’s Emporium, Nook & Nest, and ZW Mercantile) came to my rescue.
Mindy, despite working to keep her own businesses alive, took the time to give me advice, and even sat down with me for an in-depth tour of the software that she uses. She had 2 computers set up, so I could have hands-on learning! Her patience and willingness to help was priceless.
Creating an online shop was always a logical thing to do and seems simple enough, but it’s actually not so simple. The Shop has over 5,000 items, most of which are unique. We needed beautiful, high quality photos and great descriptions of each piece. Mark Looney (volunteer Octagon Board Member, and professional photographer) stepped in to help! Despite having to deal with the pandemic at home/work and take care of his children, he found the time to take
professional photographs of many items. He also helped us learn how to take photos in the proper format to speed uploading.
Another wrinkle developed. The Shop WIFI was so poor, it could not run the new system. A generous friend volunteered. Shalin Kowalke came in after work and on his lunch hour to set up a more powerful router and fix some techy WIFI issues. We haven’t had a problem since.
As the pandemic continued, our whole community began looking for ways to support local businesses, including the Octagon Shop! Sales in October, November and December 2020 met or exceeded previous years’ sales, providing much needed income for artists and the Octagon.
We are thrilled to have another way to help artists sell their amazing work, and we love that the Octagon Shop can now reach around the country. All this would not be possible without the generosity and skills of many people. We are grateful for our community. #bettertogether
We are better together. Membership is community. And you belong.
Stay tuned to hear more stories on membership and community at the Octagon. Have you got a #BetterTogether story about the Octagon? We’d love to hear it!
Click here to become a member today. Click here to visit the Online Shop.
