Made By Hand. By ME.

Getting to know cosa verde

cosa verde is "a new marketplace connecting independent and emerging artists with environmentally-conscious customers." Following is my interview with the owners, Liz and Jeff.

Who is behind cosa verde?

cosa verde is the creation of (soon-to-be) husband-and-wife team Jeff Fein-Worton and Liz Grotyohann. Liz is a graphic designer and maker of found-object art and recycled paper homegoods. Jeff is a web developer and maker of things always looking for a new project. We've always wanted to collaborate and build a business together, and when we had the idea for cosa verde, it was the perfect combination of our skills, talents and interests.

Liz has been selling her crafts online for over a year, and had noticed a lack of venues dedicated solely to earth-friendly, handmade goods. She had the same issues that everyone experiences getting work seen on larger websites devoted to handmade goods. We wanted to create an intimate, easily-browsable site, where shoppers would know that all of the items showcased are environmentally friendly and offered directly from the artist.  We also wanted an opportunity to give something back to both the creative community and the environment--we donate 10% of all of our shop fees to charity, and plant 10 trees for every store opened through Trees for the Future.

Who can register at cosa verde?

Anyone who makes eco-friendly, handmade goods can sign up. We jury potential sellers' work with a simple, one-page application, which we use to ensure that the work is well-made, well-presented, and a good fit for our audience.  Because we don't handle sales directly (meaning we take no commisions on sellers' work,) our sellers must already have an online shop. This could be their own websites, or through one of the many venues for handmade goods.

How can cosa verde help handmade artisans?

cosa verde allows artisans to connect directly with a targeted group of consumers who share their interest in sustainable goods.  We're small--and we plan to stay that way--keeping the site easily browseable, and providing our sellers with lots of exposure.  We promote our sellers through features on our site, on our blog, and through a growing number of collaborations within the handmade and green communities.

What are the fees for promoting one's work at cosa verde?

We offer three different showcase levels on cosa verde: free, $20, and $30 per month. The level of the shop determines the number of items an artist can showcase, as well as the number of photos per item and the number of categories in which an item can be listed. Every new member to the site receives a $30 credit so that she can try out any shop level for free her first month. There are no contracts, commitments or hidden fees. We also offer discounted 3-month, 6-month, and year-long subscriptions, and a referral program where sellers gain credit every time someone they refer pays her shop fees.

What tools do you provide for buyers to make shopping easier?

Buyers can shop cosa verde using traditional methods like searching, or by browsing through categories, shops, and gift guides. We also have pages devoted to the most recently listed items, and our popular "surprise me!" button that displays a random item. What really sets us apart, however, are our "badges", which allow shoppers to filter goods by ideology.  One click shows shoppers everything on the site that is, for example, cruelty-free or organic.

In what ways are you advertising to bring in buyers?

Right now, cosa verde is focusing on a grassroots approach to advertising: building up a presence in the crafting and green communities. We're promoting our sellers to blogs, guest blogging on design and green sites, speaking at the upcoming Summit of Awesome (sponsored by Hello Craft,) and partnering with other websites in the handmade community. We're collaborating with Modish on a huge giveaway to promote our sellers in celebration of Earth Day, which is going to be a big driver of traffic. (Keep an eye on our blog for details.) We have plans in the works to launch a more traditional ad campaign soon.

Interested?

Register at cosa verde and receive an extra $15 introductory credit with the code BYHANDME.