"I started to do my wedding invitations and then friends had me do theirs. It sorted spiraled from there," says Ellen Albertson, owner of Makery Maven.
Before the pandemic, Ellen and her Makery Maven team would create products together to fill boutiques across Wisconsin.
"I have a team of five part-time girls and we would all go to the office together and assemble everything. Clearly, that stopped, so now we've adjusted and worked from our own homes," says Ellen.
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While logistics of how things would continue to be made were easy to figure out, with stores closed, the business would be forced to move online. That is, until Ellen's friend Abby, turned a set of wheels into a mobile market.
"I think it's everything to have someone to lean on with your different ideas. This cart was one of those where I said I want to do something with this trailer I have, something we can take to people's homes. Then Ellen took that idea to the next level," says Abby Burmeister, owner of ABCraftery.
Setting up in driveways, both companies can bring their creations straight to customers.
"Floored by how much support for small businesses I've seen. Just Christmas shopping, people are focused on it, people do it, they are showing up for things," says Ellen.
You can still order online, but check out Makery Maven's Facebook page, to see where the mobile market is heading next. Ellen and Abby would love to safely thank you for shopping small and keeping their dreams alive.
"To feel like we can be with people safely, outside right now, and to share the stuff that we love has been an incredible experience for us," says Ellen.