Ash O鈥機onnor has long been an advocate for locally made goods and for individuals brave enough to start a new career.
O鈥機onnor, herself, has a lot of experience with starting new careers. She has been a musician, artist, bookkeeper, bartender and manager of a small newspaper. She鈥檚 worked as an operations manager in manufacturing, and spent time fixing flutes and clarinets.
Considering her own crazy-quilt life, O鈥機onnor appreciates others courageous enough to try something new. Those core values prompted her to launch , an online sales platform that champions area creators.
O鈥機onnor鈥檚 digital marketplace hosts 150-plus artists, designers and producers making everything from furniture to any number of self-care items. In simple terms, Made Cleveland is the North Coast version of the well-known online marketplace Etsy, acting as a platform for makers and creators to sell their products.
The site鈥檚 communal aspect is crucial, as it builds camaraderie among entrepreneurs 鈥� not to mention a giant megaphone for artists seeking to out-shout big box establishments, said O鈥機onnor.
鈥淲hen I think about what Made Cleveland is, it鈥檚 about gaining access to locally made goods as easily as possible,鈥� said O鈥機onnor. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not only beneficial to vendors, but to the community itself.鈥�
Post-COVID changes to how America approaches work is an inspiration for O鈥機onnor. alongside their regular job, whether to supplement income or for a creative outlet. Although O鈥機onnor started Made Cleveland in late 2019, the shut down of farmer鈥檚 markets during the pandemic quickened the need for an online shopping solution, she said.
Prior to the pandemic, Cleveland Heights-based entrepreneur Andrea Oliver offered in-person facials and skin-care regimens for clients sensitive to over-the-counter beauty products. After COVID-19 halted face-to-face appointments, Oliver brought her line of skin-saving products to O鈥機onnor鈥檚 marketplace, then brand new.
鈥淎fter COVID happened, I could no longer meet my clients,鈥� said Oliver. 鈥淚 started Botanixx so people could keep up with their skin care even though we couldn鈥檛 see each other.鈥�
Today, Oliver hand-makes plant-based soaps and moisturizers, then ships them directly to the consumer in recyclable packaging. Made Cleveland gives Oliver an audience, not to mention a means for people to purchase her wares from a personal shop page with a single click.
鈥淚 was just interested in getting myself out there more, and Made Cleveland was the first opportunity I saw where this was being done locally,鈥� Oliver said. 鈥淎sh also gave me free counseling on branding and marketing. She鈥檚 been a friend as well as a mentor.鈥�
Lifting up local small businesses
Small businesses are the lifeblood of their communities, noted O鈥機onnor. As about at a small business stays in the neighborhood, the Made Cleveland founder wanted to create this same 鈥渃ircular economy鈥� in her hometown.
Poor regional representation for artists 鈥� along with difficulties connecting to makers on the consumer end - led O鈥機onnor to conceive the site. Made Cleveland, which bills itself as 鈥渁 one-stop shop for local Cleveland culture creators,鈥� also acts as a community for those same producers, O'Connor said.
For example, artists spinning out pottery with the same type of clay can get together to buy materials in bulk. Ultimately, the platform is powered by this level of business-minded camaraderie, O鈥機onnor said.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e competing with people that have deep pockets,鈥� said O鈥機onnor. 鈥淲hen it comes to Google searches or being found on social media, the big-box stores of the world can outspend you. That鈥檚 why places like Made Cleveland are really helpful, because, collectively, we leverage our voices to bring more attention to what鈥檚 happening.鈥�
Consumers can visit individual vendor pages for product, shipping and item exchange details. Made Cleveland members offer delivery and local pick-up options 鈥� every purchase made through the site is sent directly from the creators themselves, said O鈥機onnor.
That is not to say Made Cleveland is an entirely altruistic enterprise. The company generates much of its revenue from a storefront O鈥機onnor opened at the former City Buddha site in Cleveland Heights鈥� Coventry Village.
Made Cleveland receives 40% of in-store sales, though O鈥機onnor does not charge rent for vendors selling at the store. The site also gets a 10% commission for online purchases, while charging a small monthly membership fee for its hosting and marketing services.
鈥淭he goal on the site is volume with owners producing and shipping their products,鈥� said O鈥機onnor. 鈥淲e鈥檙e keeping a low percentage of sales for administrative costs.鈥�
Meanwhile, O鈥機onnor鈥檚 team is busy revamping the platform into a national aggregate of hyperlocal sites. The new site will include Cleveland artists along with separate groups of national creators.
O鈥機onnor hopes to reach the entire contiguous U.S. with the new endeavor, which may launch under a different name, while keeping the Made Cleveland brand on the retail side. Expansion has O鈥機onnor searching for similar hyperlocal competitors, but she has not discovered much besides a few simple landing pages with links to various businesses.
owner Alaina Caruso is one entrepreneur ready to ride with O鈥機onnor wherever she goes. Caruso, who sells her locally sourced and produced jams and mixes on the Made Cleveland site, connected with O鈥機onnor via a mutual artist acquaintance. The platform now carries Caruso鈥檚 full line of goods, with names such as Strawberry Rose and Blueberry Chamomile.
Caruso lauds O鈥機onnor as 鈥渁n awesome human being鈥� with a deep commitment to the Cleveland creator community.
鈥淎sh is so focused on quality goods 鈥� she understands the passion that goes into all these different products,鈥� said Caruso. 鈥淪he makes it worth our while in terms of putting products out there and highlighting makers in general.鈥�
In 2023, Caruso has been using Made Cleveland to highlight her 11 top-selling products. Not only is the site a comprehensive catalog of her offerings, it provides critical connections to shoppers, as well, Caruso said.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have people talking about you, it鈥檚 just grit and grind,鈥� said Caruso. 鈥淪howing people your products is hard to do on your own. When you鈥檙e behind the scenes as a small business owner, you need people like Ash on your side.鈥�
For her part, Ash O鈥機onnor is happy to run a web platform that values both creator and consumer alike.
鈥淲hat keeps me going is never working for anyone else again, while giving an opportunity to people who want to be more self-sufficient,鈥� O鈥機onnor said.
