A Not-So-Official Statement From The CraftStar

I've received so many "Official Statements" from various companies after yesterday's Etsy news that it's quite a collection I've got going in my email!  So I thought, we'd do a "not so official" statement.

In fact, the "not so official" part of The CraftStar is one of its' charms and attractiveness as an e:commerce site for your small business.  While we do everything we can to help you build your business, we do this in a friendly, comfortable, supportive "community" environment ... and that is one of the keys to our success.

I was asked this morning to make an "official statement", so if you like official, here's what I said:
 

HANDMADE / SMALL BUSINESS:   The CraftStar was set up to create a community of small businesses who had a common interest.   "Community" being key, in that we all have the same goal:  to build our businesses.  As a community, we're a stronger force, we provide support for each other, and as we're seeing more and more, community is a key factor in the world we now live in.

The CraftStar supports our HANDMADE, VINTAGE, and CRAFTING SUPPLY sellers with a dedicated promotion team, innovative and unique features and a vision that goes way beyond being a one-dimensional e:commerce site.  Our regular LIVE broadcasts are just one example of that ... and The Trading Post (which is currently in Beta testing) is another.

We take our small businesses seriously ... as for us to grow, you need to as well.

We would love you to join The CraftStar community and we're offering your FIRST MONTH FREE.  Just click this link:  https://www.thecraftstar.com/Signup/WELCOME/

We look forward to seeing you on The CraftStar!

So, with the official out of the way ...

We have a fabulous PR agency working for us who booked me in for an hour long interview yesterday on a business radio network.  I spent the hour (with my phone off obviously!) talking about The CraftStar and how important small businesses, which for us includes HANDMADE, VINTAGE, and CRAFTING SUPPLIES, and our approach of "community" is to the world of e:commerce.  Little did I know, that at the same time, Etsy was saying exactly the opposite!  Funny timing ... and my phone just about blew up when I turned it back on after the interview.

I think we've all seen the writing on the Etsy wall coming for some time.  Although it's disappointing for many stalwart Etsy supporters, I'm pleased they have finally confirmed it.  They are not interested in small business and very sadly, not interested in HANDMADE which is what their whole business was built upon.

Thankfully, there are alternatives ... like The CraftStar.  While Zibbet keeps emailing me to tell me they're picking up all the unhappy Etsiers, I have to beg to differ.  Not only are we growing by the hour, but that growth includes unhappy Zibbeters!

I believe our focus on community is a unique and welcomed approach to our world of e:commerce. Over the past few weeks, after several interviews with business leaders, consultants, etc, they have confirmed we are taking the right approach in this new world we live in and have applauded us for being forward thinking.  I also believe that the way we've taken a one-dimensional web environment and turned it into an interactive / multi-platform is another major attraction of The CraftStar.

I'll leave it at that for now ... but if you want to see this multi-platform in practice, please join us tomorrow LIVE on The CraftStar while we talk about new features we're getting ready to launch, which includes a LIVE Online Craft Fair for holiday selling and shopping.  (7:30pm EDT / 4:30pm PDT)

All the best,

Bethan

http://thecraftstar.com
http://www.youtube.com/CraftStarTV
https://www.facebook.com/thecraftstar
http://www.pinterest.com/thecraftstar/small-business-community-board/