Indiesmiles is your place for news concerning handmade shops in regards to marketing, business tips, Indie shop reviews and interviews and more, as well as off topic that relates to various subjects including how handmade (Indie) teams are making a difference with their charity and community work.

Indiesmiles is also a one stop shopping source of online Indie shops at a discount with our Coupon Directory! Here, you can discover new and emerging talent while shopping around for that perfect gift or unique item for yourself WHILE finding the best indie deals out there.

                                                   A message from Sue – Interactive Marketing Consultant with Indiesmiles
 
Recently I’ve become the sole owner of Indiesmiles. I knew that this mesage would be emotional for me to write to all our readers and I needed time to get my thoughts together on this one. When you work with someone on a daily basis for this long it’s tough to say goodbye! I think I can speak for El when I say that she has had a lot on her plate with her studies, animal charity work and her successful Etsy shops; and she has found it increasing difficult to devote time to Indiesmiles, therefore she has bowed out as a partner of Indiesmiles.
 
We are still friends and she is and will continue to be an inspiration to me because all her accomplishments. First by heading up Etsy for Animals along with Michele and making a huge difference for so many animal charities around the world! And then, of course, her activities with Indiesmiles, El has designed the fantastic web page for Indiesmiles along with the Worldpress app to allow shop owners to submit their ads directly online. She recently has taken over the design of the graphics for the website and will continue to work with us on images as needed, I think that she would agree with me when I say that this was a hidden talent of hers!
 
I’m in the midst of revamping the website content, and working with the Wordpress system that El has set-up. I will be altering the page content to gear up for all of you and your contributions and “coming soon” marketing activities as well as beefing up the coupon directory for the holidays.
 
It has been an honor for me to work with El both with the Birthday Gala for Etsy for Animals that she unselfishly spent many hours of the day developing the 20% off coupon sale for close to 180 participants! It was not only amazing, it produced results with increased sales for the teams which ultimately resulted in increased donations for animal charities! Needless to say, It has also been an honor working with her day to day with Indiesmiles over the past year.
 
I want to take this time to wish her well in all her endeavors and I know that we will continue to have contact with our need for graphics and her Wordpress expertise. Happy Trails El!

                                            Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
                                            Some trails are happy ones,
                                           Others are blue.
                                           It’s the way you ride the trail that counts,
                                           Here’s a happy one for you. ~ Dale Evans

 

Indiesmiles evolved from an Etsy Street Team effort led by El and Sue. As chairs of the EFA Birthday Bash Extravaganza, they teamed together with many EFAvolunteers and successfully put on a discount coupon promotion that featured more than 180 Indie shops. El and Sue noticed that customers were enjoying the festivity and great deals. At the same time, they also noticed that it was nearly impossible to find similar deals as they were scattered throughout the internet highway.

 

Dismayed in the chaos of finding great indie deals, El and Sue envisioned a convenient and fun spot where indie minded consumers could find great sales at shops run by eclectic and talented artists and crafters. Indipreneurs themselves (El runs Elephant Dance and Sue runs a new shop known as  Sea Star Dreams), they found that their teamwork and vision brought about Indiesmiles.

 

Because El and Sue’s common cause to help animals created Indiesmiles, Indiesmiles is dedicated to the welfare of animals around the world. For that reason, you will our Smiles for the Animals- a section on Indiesmiles featuring items that donate 100% of the proceeds to animals charities around the world. In addition, 10% of the proceeds from Indiesmiles are donated to animal charities each and every month!

  

Behind the creative talents of El and Sue are their real world day jobs. Sue has been in the marketing business for over ten years in the area of vacation and home sales. El is a scientist and lawyer who loves to argue, analyze, and write. Together, they bring their ideas and marketing skills to Indiesmiles.