sellers

Hey...How do I become a seller on Hello Pretty?

Calling all local creatives and small business owners - we want YOU! Sign up to become a Hello Pretty seller in a matter on seconds ?

Turn your creative passion into an online career. Whats started as a passive side income for many of our sellers have turned into full time, fully successful businesses. Start small, out your designs, arts and crafts out there and see where it takes you. Its such an exciting journey.

We've got three pricing plans for you to choose from. All with different benefits. Have a look through and see which one would suit you best.

Simple transparent fees (a variety of options of differing plans)
Manage and control your own store
No contracts. Cancel whenever you want
Integrate your store with your social media pages, particulary Facebook where you can see your items
Hello Pretty has an extensive customer base - seriously, we have a HUGE reach.
Add Google Analytics so you can keep track of sales

Hey ? HP Seller, Silver Song Jewellery

I am Suzanne Groenewald, jewellery designer and manufacturer of Silver Song Jewellery. I draw my inspiration from the beauty and lure of nature, specifically trees and leaves. I have a fascination with gemstones and love working with unique gems. Most of my pieces are designed around specific gemstones. I work with all kinds of metals but prefer to use silver, for its beautiful colour and character.

I believe that jewellery is a precious treasure, regardless of the cost or material used. It is something personal and valuable, to be adored and admired. Personally I love to look at all kinds of beautiful jewellery, to admire the workmanship and design of it, to buy it and to make it, to wear it, to hoard it and to share it. I simply love all things about jewellery! Through making jewellery, I hope to share my passion thereof with anyone who wants to look at or buy my pretty shiny things.

Mid last year I took on an exciting new endeavor and opened an online store on Hello Pretty. I did this in order to share my jewellery with a broader audience and I am very happy to be part of the Hello Pretty community! Every jewellery piece that I make is uniquely designed and manufactured by hand. I never stock a large selection, as my focus is on uniqueness and quality, not quantity. Starting this online store has definitely been my business high since it forced me to rethink and reconfirm my design principles and the direction in which I want Silver Song Jewellery to go.

My advice to any new Hello Pretty sellers out there: Go for it! Let no one stop you from doing what you love and from sharing your passion with the world.

This blog post is one in Hello Pretty's guest blog series. Each post is written by a person who is running their online store though South Africa's favourite art, design & craft marketplace.

If you'd like to more view guest posts in this series, and other posts where we interview local businesses, click here.

Wanna write a guest post on Hello Pretty? Email us at info@hellopretty.co.za to find out more.

Hey ? HP Seller, Lady of the Herbs

Albert Einstein once said, look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better. Over the past couple of years, this is what I’ve been doing. My name is Roxanne Joubert, and I am the owner of Lady of the Herbs.

I live in a picturesque town named George. It’s located in the heart of the Garden Route at the foot of the majestic Outeniqua Mountains. I am constantly inspired by the natural beauty of the Garden Route and use this inspiration when making and designing products.

It all started with my passion for nature and the power of herbs. This passion leads me to my core mission which is to HEAL the world using nature.

The start of Lady of the Herbs
As my passion for herbs evolved, I became more hungry for knowledge and decided to study Herbal Medicine. While still studying in 2017 I designed my first herbal product ever, our Herbal Healing Salve, as a Christmas gift for my family and friends.

By the end of January 2018, I had them coming back asking me to please make more, as the salve is working wonderfully. They started sharing it with their friends and family. Soon I had strangers contacting me to buy my healing salve.

One of my favourite stories was an older gentleman who has been struggling with eczema. He had tried everything in a pharmacy, and nothing seemed to cure it until he tried our Herbal Healing Salve. This salve was the first and only thing which cured his eczema.

I passed my studies with distinction in April 2018 and started designing more products while growing the business.

Our beliefs at Lady of the Herbs
Human beings have been evolving with nature for thousands of years. We've used nature for survival, food, and medicine. Unfortunately, our connection with nature has been replaced with our fast lifestyles, technology, and industrial development.

We believe that our lost connection with nature has a major influence on the health of our society. This is why we aim to bring nature back into our everyday lives!

Why herbs?
Our bodies recognize that herbs are a gift from nature, and respond to them in a natural, healthier way.

Herbs are made up of thousands of chemical compounds known as constituents, each creating their own reaction within the body. These constituents work together to create balance within our bodies. Not only do they promote self-healing but they also strengthen the body to fight and eject illness.

About our products
Our products are designed to help human beings with everyday ailments using herbs that have been utilized by, as well as evolved with mankind for thousands of years.

They are all:

Handcrafted with passion, love, and appreciation for nature.
Thoughtfully designed with the power of herbs in mind.
Made of good quality and natural (organic where possible) ingredients free from any harmful chemicals.
Environmentally conscious and packaged in reusable glass packaging.
Endorsed by Beauty Without Cruelty and vegan-friendly.

Business highlights
Every time I hear that our products are helping our customers with their ailments, I do a happy dance! I’ve only received positive feedback and can not be more thankful for the support I’ve received.

For nature
Walk barefoot, go hiking, sit next to a tree and absorb the powers nature has to offer. We are all dependent on our planet and as David Attenborough said: The stability of nature can no longer be taken for granted.

Consider the effects your actions have on nature and learn to give back just as much as you take to create a balance to not only sustain, but evolve with our planet.

Final message
Live a healthy and balanced life. When we are balanced within our bodies and mind we become a “superhero” version of ourselves.

Hey ? HP Seller, Apparition Jewellery

My name is Kristin Miles, owner of Apparition Jewellery. I have always been a very creative person, and it's been my dream to have my own store for years. My parents encouraged me to be creative, and I realised from a young age that is the thing I enjoy most in life. I enjoy metal music, however I also enjoy pop and classical. I don't like limiting myself in terms of the creative mediums I can enjoy.

My store was born from this love of the arts and creativity. I tried my hand at wire jewellery, but it didn't come naturally to me. I had a few extra supplies lying around after my attempts, so I started putting some earrings together - something I had started doing during my years at college. When I looked around online for types of jewellery, I noticed that a few of the items I had made were actually chainmaille weaves, and thus my business was born.

I find immense joy in creating the pieces in my store. Each is made with love, one ring at a time, to ensure the highest quality and care. I used to always go buy jewellery in stores, but then you see so many people wearing the same accessories as you! I feel that, with my business, I can offer something rather unique to people just like me, and allow people to better express their individuality.

I have faced challenges during the short time I've had my business. I've had people upset that I do the same craft as them and them trying to smear my name. But you just have to rise above the drama and remember what your own goals are and who you are as a person. In business, there will always be challenges, but that is just something you need to learn to deal with. The satisfaction I feel when I create something new that I never made before is just so amazing, and it makes it all worth it.

The highlights for me is that I can just keep growing. There is so much for me to still learn and so much to try! There are no limits to what I am capable of, and I can't wait to learn and do more.

The lows so far have really only been facing the unnecessary drama others cause. I strongly feel that as crafters and small business owners, we should be supporting and uplifting each other rather than breaking each other down or trying to hamper progress. There are more than enough people in this world to buy your product, so there is no need to fight or try to hurt each other.

My tips for new sellers is to just go for it! There is nothing in this world you cannot do or learn. You are your own limitation. People will always try to get in your way, but that's an indication that those people should not be in your life. Surround yourself with loving, supportive people, and just do what you love. If your craft makes you happy, then go for it.

Hey ? HP Seller, actuallyashleigh

Hi, I'm Ashleigh from actuallyashleigh, although pretty much everyone I know calls me Ash. I'm a wife to a wonderfully supportive husband, and a mom (and stepmom) to 3 kids. I'm also a mom to a Boston terrier, who is by far the neediest child of all! I'm definitely a homebody and I'm so lucky to be able to work from home, it gives me time to draw, garden, cook, fetch kids from school, and do all the other endless things that moms have to fit in. Despite not having a green finger, I love to draw plants, and I'm mad about birds.

I started actuallyashleigh (I love a good tonguetwister!) to make my drawings a bit more functional. I also have an annoying habit of having to cover empty surfaces with some kind of pattern or decoration, so plain white ceramics were a good place to do that. I began by getting some designs printed on transfer sheets, buying a few second hand ceramics, and then cutting and sticking to my heart's content. I found a friendly potter who had a kiln, and soon I had a stash of bowls with my designs on them! It was so exciting that I carried on, sourcing different ceramic ware and drawing new designs.

For quite a while it was only friends and family who bought my pieces, and you can only give your stuff as birthday presents for so long. Then I started doing markets and selling my things in shops. And I suddenly had to start producing more to keep up!
My business is still small, as I'm a one-woman band, and I don't mass produce anything, but I'm getting there. I have my stock in a few more outlets now, and a couple big upcoming shows this year. There are new works in progress, and some exciting new ideas in the planning phase.

The challenges include being self-motivated, finding time to take proper stock photos and keeping up with social media posts. As a behind-the-scenes type of person, I find 'selling myself' at markets somewhat nerve-wracking, but you slowly get used to it; and there's actually nothing better than meeting your customers and seeing how happy they are when they buy something they love, that you've made! The highlights of having your own business are obviously the flexible hours, being paid for doing something you enjoy, and for putting in the hours and hard work for no one but yourself.

Any tips I could give for someone starting out is to work out your pricing properly in the beginning - work out a wholesale price, and then double that for your retail price. Don't short-change yourself, and don't underestimate how valuable your time is. If you're doing something you love, you'll automatically be good at it. Market yourself and get out there!

Thanks so much,
Ash