When it comes to all things Detroit, all eyes are on Jennyfer Crawford and her “All Things…” empire.
Crawford is the founder of Ask Jennyfer LLC – a Detroit-based firm specializing in branding and promoting small businesses.
“I look at myself as a storyteller of the business,” said Crawford. “I want to tell the story behind the businesses because I feel like if you know the story behind the product and the person, you’re going to fall in love with the product.”
Like many other businesses, Ask Jennyfer was met with several setbacks at the start of the pandemic.
“When the pandemic hit we were not able to do events at all. It was kind of like a blow of ‘What do we do next? We can’t host our events, we can’t host our markets or the large scale events’,” said Crawford. “These are things the small businesses rely on.”
Unable to meet with clients in person, Crawford revitalized several measures to help develop small businesses virtually. Insert the All Things Marketplace, an online marketplace place featuring small vendors from the city of Detroit.
According to a press release, Crawford discovered that local business owners were seeking safe, affordable ways to sell and ship their products – especially as we fight through the pandemic.
“We listened to our community and found out that business owners were in need of safe, affordable ways to help store, sell and ship their products,” said the Detroit-native. “At Ask Jennyfer, we want to help them reach customers by providing product storage, order fulfillment and shipping services they can afford.”
Using the All Things Marketplace, business owners can connect with customers to efficiently sell their products online. They now have access to product storage, order fulfillment, and shipping services customized just for them – through a membership with the online All Things Marketplace. The site does charge a commission for the services at about 35 percent per order.
The All Things Marketplace is just one of the support activities Crawford offers to her clients. A fan of the underdog, the small business advocate believes micro-businesses deserve access to arenas to showcase their products.
“With the holidays approaching, I thought it would be a great idea to have a small retail space where customers can do in-store pickup if they shop on the marketplace and they can also come in and shop from local makers and entrepreneurs during COVID,” said Crawford.
Pop-up shops are the latest craze in retail sales, and Crawford is taking full advantage. On Nov.5, Crawford will be hosting the “All Things Marketplace Holiday Pop-Up and Fulfillment Center.” The event will allow Detroiters to attend the All Things Marketplace and get up close and personal with items that are also online.
Per CDC guidelines, a maximum of three Detroiters are allowed inside the storefront located at 1620 Michigan Avenue, Suite #120 Detroit, 48216, or outside for curbside pickup at a time. Walk-ins will be welcome as space and time permits.
The event is a collaborative effort between the Build Institute and Crawford to support small businesses during the holiday season.
The pop-up shop, held in Corktown Historic District, will feature items from 25 local businesses, including the following: Blackfok Apparel, All Things Detroit, Sasha Sass Candles, Detroit Respect, Cevanna Naturals, and Centurium’s Creations.
Detroiters can experience the pop-up shop from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from Nov. 5 to Jan. 4, 2020.
In addition to the All Things Marketplace, Crawford is also the brains behind the following small business support resources: All Things Detroit, a trade show featuring small businesses in the city, All Things Ticketing, an online service providing tickets passes for Detroit-based events, and much more.
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