Meet Chris Harrison, Online Office Furniture Retailer

Chris Harrison is a UK online retailer specializing in white office furniture. For the past couple of years, he was run the hugely popular Kima Office Furniture website which sells high-quality office furniture to businesses in the UK, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

In this interview, he talks about how he launched the website, marketing tips, and future plans.

1. Could you tell us a little more about your business and how you got started?

Thanks for the interview opportunity! I started up Kima Office Furniture a couple of years ago with the aim of providing low cost white office furniture to the UK market. It's a purely online business, and I don't actually hold any stock. I work with manufacturers to simply sell their items online, and then get them to ship, but all the sales go via my website. It's a method called drop-shipping.

I got started because I previously worked in retail and saw an opportunity to leverage relationships I already have, in tandem with my existing knowledge of the office furniture market. White office furniture is a growing trend in the UK, so it made sense to specialize in this particular niche (but with plans to grow).

2. How did you go about the launch of website as it looks very user-friendly and well-designed?

Initially, we were on an eCommerce platform called Magento. It did us good for a few months, but to be honest I found it quite complex to manage. Someone then recommended a system called Shopify, and we've been running on that for the last 24 months or so.

It was really easy to set up, and it means we can manage orders of white office desks, white bench desks, drawers, pedestals, chairs, and everything else that we sell very easily. It handles all the billing, invoices, and management like an absolute dream. I can recommend it to anybody else thinking about selling office furniture online!

In terms of design, we looked at other suppliers, saw what they were doing well, and then tried to improve upon that. We invested a lot of time in user-experience testing and ensuring that all the potential conversion points on the website were working as best that they could do.

3. You spoke earlier about trends in white office furniture; are you able to expand on that a little?

Of course, I love talking about this stuff! Over the last five years, there has been a move towards more minimal, clean, and modern looking design--and that's now being seen in office workplace environments. If you have ever walked into an Apple store, you will know the type of look that I mean.

White office furniture is very trendy at the moment as it complements this style very well. When you have clean looking white office desks in your workplace, with nice brightly colored wall art, it can create a great impression with clients (and employees). In fact, there is some research that points towards this type of office design even helping with productivity. Visit our website to see the whole range including desks with drawers.

4. So with that in mind, what are your top-selling white office furniture items?

At the moment, we are selling a lot of white cantilever and panel leg office desks. They are modular by design, meaning companies can buy in bulk and then arrange them into cluster or working spaces. Open plan offices and call center environments are the types of businesses that we often supply to.

We also find that white office desks are also popular with home office users, in particular those who use Macs. I guess these are the types of people who appreciate the aesthetics of white and the types of furniture that we sell!

5. I can kind of see how that would be the case! So what are your plans for the rest of 2017?

Currently, we are liaising with some new manufacturers who are based abroad. There are some great designs coming out from Germany at the moment, so we are looking to set those office desks up for sale on our website.

We are also looking to expand out from white office furniture collections to also include more traditional colors such as maple, oak, and walnut. We understand that not everybody wants a white item, so we need to try and satisfy the demand of both existing clients and potential new ones!

6. And finally, do you have any advice for anybody looking to set up their own online business?

Apart from never give up? My main advice would be to be customer-focused. It's easy to set up an eCommerce website these days with software such as Shopify, but the real business will take off if you focus on customer service and retention.

We offer constant telephone support and advice to our customers, as well as follow-up emails to anybody who buys from our website. We know that one happy customer can potentially be a referral point for multiple new ones, so we make sure that we take care of everybody who visits our website as much as we can.

Thanks, Chris!

Some T-Shirt Gift Ideas on Amazon

There are countless things you can buy on Amazon along with books and media. I've bought quite a few different food items on Amazon, from breakfast cereal to gluten-free cookies. And it's often a good place to get deals on tech and household items. One thing I haven't yet bought on Amazon is clothing, but there's no shortage of clothing available there. Amazon even has a special Amazon Fashion section.

When it comes to clothing, one of my favorite things to buy is t-shirts. A lot of indie t-shirt makers are creating and selling unique tees on Amazon. You can find a tee to fit pretty much any theme and/or artistic aesthetic. You can also find tees made for special occasions, such as this novelty baby shower tee to celebrate having twins. A lot of couples have showers where both mom and dad attend, so this tee could be fun for exactly that type of party.

The same t-shirt designer has created a couple of other fun t-shirts for women that would make one-of-a-kind gifts. If you like sweets, there's a "sugar obsessed" t-shirt with a fun typographical design. There's also a "happiness is calling" t-shirt which features a simple, upbeat message in a design that's pleasing to the eye.

Especially if you have Amazon Prime, it doesn't cost much to add gifts like these creative t-shirts to your order. With such fast shipping, your t-shirts or other fun clothing items can be at your door in no time at all.

Meet Robert, Owner of My Matcha Tea

My Matcha Tea is Australia's premier tea shop. They sell premium grade Matcha Tea blends to customers worldwide. Matcha Tea 100% pure, organic certified, vegan friendly, stone ground green tea leaves. Learn more about the shop's offerings by visiting their catalog at www.mymatchatea.co/matcha.

Our interview is with Robert, the owner of My Matcha Tea.

1. For people who haven't tried matcha before, what are your favorite things about this type of tea?

My favorite thing about My Matcha Tea is definitely the boost of energy I get from it. Within the first seven days of drinking My Matcha Tea, I found myself more focused and engaged in what I was doing.

2. How do you choose the teas that you offer for sale in your shop?

We work closely with tea distribution farms in Japan. We look for farmers that show a real passion for the tea they grow. Our tea loving farmers are the best in the world when it comes to creating the perfect matcha tea blend.

3. What distinguishes matcha from other green teas and organic teas?

The most obvious thing that separates matcha is the look of the tea powder. It is ground into a super fine powder between granite stone, and packed fresh. The thing that gives matcha tea its bright green color is that it is grown under shade for two weeks, causing the plant to produce more antioxidants than regular green tea.

4. How did your shop first come to be, and what inspired its creation?

My Matcha Tea was created by a noticeable lack of premium matcha tea available in Australia. We wanted to make it easy and affordable for people all over the world to engage easily in this traditional Japanese art.

5. What else would you like our readers to know about My Matcha Tea?

If you've thought about trying matcha tea, now is the time. We offer a range of affordable premium tea blends with a global satisfaction guarantee.

Thanks, Robert!

Meet Katia Sarti, Owner of DeSarti Boutique

DeSarti Boutique is online-only store that sells (plus size) clothing dedicated to curves. The shop offers cool and casual clothing to appeal to women of all ages. Their clothing ranges from dresses to pants to tops and tees. Learn more at http://www.desarti.com/. Our interview below is with the shop's owner, Katia Sarti.

1. How did Desarti first get started?

I'm a marketer by trade (but a fashionista by heart) and worked in corporate America for nearly 10 years, until one day, I no longer had a job. I immediately thought, "Why not start my own business?" Truthfully, I've always wanted to have my own business, and the perfect opportunity presented itself. What a blessing in disguise. I love fashion, and I love women. I saw an opportunity to combine both and do something I can be proud of.

2. How do you choose the items to sell in your shop?

It takes us a great deal of time to find clothes that we like and know will be well-received. That's why we don't have a very large selection. We go to market to meet new vendors and brands, and the ones we like most, we develop a special relationship with them.

3. Would you tell us a little more about the military discount you offer?

It's a small gesture to thank our active and retired troops for their immense courage and for all they do for our country. We offer them and their families an everyday 15% off discount on all orders. All they have to do is to verify their information on our page, www.desarti.com/pages/military-discount, which is powered by SheerID, and they'll receive the coupon immediately.

4. What are some of your favorite designs when it comes to plus-sized clothing?

My favorites designs are the ones that flatter in the right places. I love our tunics, which flow nicely on the body and also gives you shape. Our dresses are like that as well. We are always looking at the right fit, so everything in our store is meant to flatter in the right places.

5. What is your advice to others who want to break into the fashion retail market?

My advice to anyone wanting to start a business in this field, or any other, would be to:

1) make sure you're passionate about what you're selling: it will make your "selling" pitch a lot less like selling

2) and make sure you have someone on your side, whether a partner, a friend or family member who believes in you and will give you support during the difficult times. We all need a cheerleader when things get rough.

Thanks!

Mr. Checkout Distributors Review

Do you wonder how retailers find new and popular products to carry? One way is to use a website called Mr. Checkout, which consists of a national group of distributors and wholesalers. This is a large and diverse network of over 1000 distributors, allowing retailers to learn about a wide variety of products. And you don't have to be a retailer to benefit from the wholesale pricing available via the site, so it's worth checking out if you're looking to find wholesale deals for your family, workplace, school, etc.

The "What's Hot Catalog" on the Mr. Checkout site is divided into sections such as food, electronics, and home & auto. It really is a great way to get ideas for new products to carry whether you're selling offline or online. They feature a range of products in popular categories such as health and beauty.

The site owners pride themselves on offering accurate information and reliable services. Their network is spread across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. They provide distribution to over 35,000 stores.

You can also count on high quality customer service, with very responsive and attentive customer representatives. Whether your store is big of small, Mr. Checkout promises to treat you like their #1 customer.

I found the interface of their website to be clear and easy to navigate. I think it's a friendly site for those just entering retail sales, while it also meets the needs of longtime retail pros. Learn more at MrCheckout.net.

Introducing the Premium SST Cocktail Shaker Set

The Premium SST Cocktail Shaker Set Bundle sold on Amazon by G&Z Online Marketing comes with a double jigger, two bottle pourers, and over 50 recipes. This 24oz martini bar kit is a nice holiday gift item made from high-quality, dishwasher-safe stainless steel and guaranteed to stay rust-free.

I talked with one of the partners who created the product, and he's offering a special coupon to readers of this blog. The coupon code for 10% off: just use the Code "BLOGSP10" (Blog Special 10%). The coupon has a limit for one usage per customer, and it can be used for multiple units in the same purchase.

1. I like that your product comes with accessories and recipes. Would you tell us a little more about everything that comes with the cocktail shaker?

Our Premium Cocktail Shaker comes with all you need to make drinks at home. First is the actual shaker: it's a three-piece shaker, with a body/cup, lid and cap. The lid has a built-in strainer to keep everything you don't need away from your drink. Also, we have a double jigger, which is a measuring cup for drinks, 1/2 oz and 1oz, and two bottle pourers to fit on the bottle to avoid dripping all over the kitchen.

With every purchase, we also give an eBook with tips, tricks, and over 50 recipes.

2. As for the shaker itself, how did you choose materials and test the product to make sure it met your specifications before having a factory produce it for you?

Well, it was not as easy as I expected. We hired three material engineers, went over many, many reviews and complaints on other products, and did deep market research for materials best for use in the kitchen, until we decided to go with stainless steel 18/8 (aka Grade 304), as it's food safe, rust-free, dishwasher safe and on top has a nice, shiny look.

3. How did your earlier work experience as a bartender influence your design of your product?

As both myself and my wife worked as bartenders, we know what we want: size, shake, grip, weight, and so it took some time to find the right partner and factory to product it according to our needs, but where there is a will, there is a way....

4. What do you like about Amazon as a platform for selling your product?

I like that customers are coming to buy, and they have a very big variety to choose from. They can feel safe when purchasing as Amazon and we as sellers provide an excellent return policy and 100% satisfaction guarantee.

I appreciate the great customer service and amazingly fast delivery that our customers receive as we use Fulfillment by Amazon. I myself have been a loyal Amazon Customer for over eight years.

5. What has been the response from customers so far?

Customers love the product. We get many emails which tell us, "Thanks, this is an amazing product, best shaker ever." Even though we knew we'd come up with a good product, the love we get from the customers is more than we could ever have expected. I do believe when you make quality products and back them with value for the money and great customer service, customers get a good deal and appreciate it.

Introducing GreevilGoods for Custom Blankets and More

GreevilGoods is a company that sells unique products online, many of which would make great holiday gifts. One of their specialties is customized fleece blankets. The blankets feature a wide variety of designs from pop culture, including icons from movies, music, and video games.

I bet that GreevilGoods sells a lot of their Frozen-themed blankets! I know my four-year-old would love one. The blankets come in different sizes: small (40" by 50"), medium (50" by 60"), and large (58" by 80"). They are made with anti-pilling polar fleece fabric and are machine washable. They have a full color printing process, too.

Many of the designs are based on vivid photos of artists, featuring everyone from Marilyn Manson to Bruno Mars. Others are more animation/drawing based designs. There really is something for everyone. Many of the designs are meant to appeal to adults, including a design with a marijuana leaf.

In addition to the blankets, GreevilGoods features other products such as messenger bags and backpacks. These also have full color printing and a lot of different designs. Some examples of designs include Adventure Time, Adam Levine, and Bob Marley.

I think the site will be expanding into more home products and gift items such as shower curtains and iPhone covers. This is a newer site, but it is growing every day, and it's worth a visit to check out their offerings!

Introducing CloverSac Purse Rain Covers for Designer Handbags

If you follow this blog, you may remember my recent post about the purse organizer and base shaper products from CloverSac. If you love designer purses and want to keep your purse looking good for as long as possible, another great product from CloverSac is their purse rain cover.

What do you do when you're caught in the rain with an expensive handbag? Your umbrella may keep you dry, but raindrops might fall on your purse, which can potentially cause permanent marks. Some women apply a water-repellent spray to their bags to prevent rain from damaging the leather; however, many women don't like this method because it can turn the handbags into a darker shade of color.

Enter the CloverSac purse rain cover. Basically, this product is a raincoat designed for your handbag. It's simple and practical. It works like a waterproof plastic drape which covers your handbag. There an opening in the top, and you open it to put your bag inside. Then you fasten the Velcro opening from the top to protect your bag. The handle of the bag comes through the top so that you can still carry the bag easily.

The CloverSac purse raincoats alsocome with a pouch that allows you to fold and store it in your purse when not in use. To find out more about purse raincoat by CloverSac, please visit https://www.cloversac.com/purse-rain-cover.

Introducing Aquarium Plants from AquaEssentials

Have you ever thought about what makes a tropical aquarium look especially beautiful? It's not just the fish; it's also the aquarium plants. Better yet, not only do plants make your freshwater aquarium look good, but they also help create a more natural environment where your fish are more likely to thrive.

I was impressed when I took a look at the variety of aquarium plants sold by AquaEssentials. The plants look so fresh and healthy that just browsing the website is a bit like looking into an aquarium itself. Conveniently, the site also uses a key to indicate how easy or difficult the plants are to maintain in your aquarium, so if you're a beginner like me, you'll know just where to start--and then what other plants you can try as you become more practiced at growing plants underwater.

There are quite a few types of plants. For example, carpet plants will spread across the base of your tank and cover the gravel at the bottom. Mother plants are large, slower growing plants that can make a big and showy display in your tank. Other types include foreground, midground, and backround plants as well as bulbs, bunches, and plants cultivated on wood or rocks.

You can also buy mixed boxes of plants which give you a nice selection of plants that should look good for the particular size of tank you have; there are boxes made up with specific tank sizes in mind.

Each page on the AquaEsssentials site includes useful information to help you select the plants that are best for you. The company also sells lots of other aquarium supplies for filtering your water, feeding your fish, and more.

Introducing My Big Fat Nut (Milk) Sacks

Sometimes when I see almond milk at the store, I wonder how hard it would be to make nut milk at home. Well, it turns out it's not that hard at all. There's a very cleverly named and easy to use product called My Big Fat Nut (Milk) Sacks that lets you make the nut milk of your choice at home.

Almond, coconut, and cashew milk are the most popular choices, of course. But you can also use the mesh sacks to make cheeses, cauliflower rice, and other food items at home. This product is currently on sale at Amazon for under $10, and for that price, you get two 12" x 12" triple-stitched sacks made of BPA-free Italian nylon mesh. You get two different sizes of nylon mesh, 75 micron and 200 micron.

The idea behind making the sacks from nylon is that they are easy to clean and don't retain odors. They can be reused many, many times. It's a green way to make nut milk rather than buying containers of milk every week at the store. And you can use fresh, organic nuts to make sure you're getting the healthiest product possibly.

If you are at all interested in paleo eating, nut milk is a highly recommended food. These nut milk sacks could be a great way to shift from packaged products to homemade goodness.

Meet Yiely of Coidak, Retailer of LED Lighting

Yiely is the sales manager of the Coidak Team. Coidak sells a variety of LED products, including light bulbs and clocks. Find their products on Amazon by clicking here.

1. What first captured your interest in LED products?

My first job was working in a big LED factory. That was the first time I knew about LED lights.

2. What are some of the benefits of LED lights over older forms of lighting?

LED lights are very interesting. This type of lighting is more convenient, and as you well know, LED lights save energy than traditional lights.

My favorite LED lights are smart lights: you wouldn't have imagined before that you could control your LED bulb via remote controller. I think LED lights like this make people's lives happier. Even using a very simple LED stage light, you can have a party with your family or friends easily. And with wireless motion sensor lights, under-cabinet lights, LED PAR stage lights, and so on, some fantastic LED lights will appear everywhere in your life.

Coidak's brand slogan is that we create intelligent and green life for you. We hope every customer can enjoy life with Coidak LED lights.

3. How do LED lights work such that they allow for different colors of light from the same bulb?

RGB LED lights are very popular. There are RGB LED beads in this type of light, so it can achieve different colors of light from one bulb.

4. What has your experience been like selling your products on Amazon?

I have five years experience on selling products on Amazon. I also was selling products on eBay for 2 years before. Choosing Amazon FBA is very convenient for us, and our customers can receive items in 1-3 business days while Amazon deals with the most of the customer service.

With Amazon handling fulfillment and customer service, our main time is spent on developing new LED lights, controlling product quality, and packaging and sending products to the Amazon warehouse. All of our products are tested before being sent to Amazon's warehouse.

We'd like to design more smart LED lights, so we will do more questionnaires and then work with developing ideas in response to customers' feedback and design more intelligent LED lights. We'll cooperate with the LED factory we partner with so that we can control the product quality and also control that all of our products have the best prices for our customers. Factory to customer would be cool!

5. So far, which of your products have been most popular with consumers?

Coidak remote controller RGB bulb and Coidak LED Motion Sensor Spotlight are the most popular. I also recommend our new Coidak wake up light. To see more products details please check our Amazon Coidak store.

Thanks, Yiely!

Introducing the Purse Organizer and Base Shaper by CloverSac

Have you ever found a bag where you love how it looks on the outside, but you find that it desperately needs more pockets on the inside to be useful and practical? Do you want to find products to help you extend the life and maintain the looks of your designer bags? If you're looking for ways to organize and maintain your expensive designer handbags, check out CloverSac.

One of the bestselling products created by CloverSac is their purse organizer insert, known as Emma 28 and Emma 22. What makes this purse organizer insert stand out compared to those available from other retailers is that it has a very clever design which gives it structure, while also making it lightweight and safe to use. It keeps all of your items safely in place, and it maintains a nice shape to your bag.

Something else that makes this product stand out is that CloverSac is probably one of the first companies in the world that has sent their purse organizer to a credited lab, Bureau Veritas, for a colorfastness test. This is to ensure that the color on its purse organizer does not transfer onto any surface that it comes in contact with. Again, this maintains the integrity of your designer bag and keeps it looking pristine.

After the organizer, the next bestselling product by CloverSac is the base shaper which you insert at the bottom of your handbag to prevent the bag from sagging at the bottom. It is one of the lightest base shapers in the world, and very convenient to use.

CloverSac is a company that specializes in designing purse organizer inserts, base shapers, pillow shapers, and rain coats for popular designer brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Longchamp, Celine, and many more. CloverSac has shipped thousands of their products worldwide to countries such as United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Singapore. For more information, please visit http://www.cloversac.com.

A Source for Cheap, Bulk Towels

What I love about the internet is that you can find a specialty site for just about anything you want to learn about and/or buy. A great example of this is the website for the Towels and Scrubs Depot. When you think about it, there are a lot of businesses that need to buy towels and/or scrubs--regularly and sometimes in large quantities.

Some examples of businesses served by this site include restaurants needing towels and kitchen linens, including potholders, chef uniforms, and more. Hotels and motels have a lot of need for towels, sheets, robes, and other products. Barber shops, spas, janitorial services, and car washes are other businesses that need a lot of towels and related products such as salon towels, microfiber towels, spa towels, and so on.

The site also offers a variety of medical scrubs which of course are very useful for hospitals, clinics, schools, and more. There are a lot of different types of scrub sets available, and when you order from a site like this, you can order a larger quantity and get a great price.

Towels and Scrubs Depot has a minimum purchase of $50 for all orders, but you won't have a hard time finding $50 worth of deals to purchase for your needs when it comes to towels, scrubs, and related supplies. The next time you're searching for wholesale towels, medical scrubs uniforms, cheap towels, bulk towels, or other related items, check out Towels and Scrubs depot.

Introducing a Holiday Gift Guide for Feng Shui Art Gifts

It's already time to start thinking about the holiday season and cool Christmas gifts. If you don't have any ideas for gifts yet, don't worry because there are helpful holiday gift guides to get you thinking. One example is The Best Holiday Gift Guide For 2015-2016: Feng Shui Art Gifts.

Created by Explosionluck.com, this guide includes some unique ideas for Feng Shui gifts. Based on the principles of Feng Shui art, these gifts include Feng Shui paintings and jewelry. Not only are there a variety of beautiful gift items, but they are also designed with the intention to help create prosperity and abundance.

Popular gifts include Tibetan Buddhist tapestries and moving sand art pictures. There is a really nice array of pictures with different subjects such as mountains, water, and wildlife. Really there is something for everyone who wants a painting that inspires rest and meditative thought.

Many of the gifts are especially good for people who are looking for find items that help create a relaxing environment. If your family and friends are interested in yoga and Buddhist philosophy, this gift guide is a great place to start browsing for creative, artistic gifts.

Meet Brooke Clifton, Founder of Illuminate Quotes

Brooke Clifton is currently studying web design and wanted to practice her online skills and thought what better way than starting her own e-commerce site. Through Illuminate Quotes, she works with an amazing hand-letterer to produce inspirational quotes that look great in a home office or can be a unique gift. In researching the market, she found that there were a lot of quotes available for sale, but none that would look great in a home, so she decided to design her own range. Keep up with Brooke and Illuminate Quotes on Instagram, and on her website, http://www.illuminatequotes.com.

1. What gave you the concept for your shop, Illuminate?

They say even the most successful people need a little inspiration to keep them on track, driving them towards their goals. Illuminate aims to provide that beautifully designed spark to inspire others to live life in a more purposeful way.

Experimenting with hand-lettering techniques, I fell in love not only with the simplicity and stunning design, but also with the way that no two letters are the same, which gives it that unique touch.

In furnishing my home after renovating it, I found a real gap in the market for this type of design. Starting Illuminate allowed me to create meaningful pieces to reflect my space and inspire me every day!

2. When I saw the name of your shop, a couple of meanings of the name came to mind--one being the illuminating nature of the quotes, and the other being hand-drawn illuminated manuscripts of olden days. What does the name of your shop mean to you?

To illuminate means to "light up," which captures the essence of the brand, that is, lighting up and inspiring individuals to be more creative, successful, and happy! I love that it also reflects a bit of history and can mean different things to different people.

3. How do you choose the quotes to feature?

I'm constantly blown away by those who achieve great success in their work, especially in creative businesses. My current collection has been created with the entrepreneur or successful go-getter in mind, aiming to motivate them to do their best work and not give up.

4. Do you have plans to expand to other products in addition to prints?

Absolutely! I am working on a collection of greeting cards at the moment. I am also developing the next collection of prints which will be in the same black and white simple style, with the subject of the quotes being something that is both playful and inspiring! Stay tuned!

5. Based on your experience so far, what's your advice for others with an interest in starting their own online store?

Get started as soon as possible, and experiment with different ideas until something feels right! Get to know your target audience inside and out, and look for gaps in the market that you can fill.

Starting an online store requires a good knowledge of web design that focuses on the customer experience as well as SEO and a targeted marketing strategy to drive traffic to your site. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there, trust your gut, deliver an outstanding product or service, and you can't go wrong!

Thanks, Brooke!

Introducing Younique Mascara

Have you ever wanted to find a mascara that makes your lashes longer and fuller? Younique Make-Up has created a mascara that is a fiber and gel combo, and it's designed to help your lashes become more full and long.

Younique sells a lot of different cosmetic and skin care products, and their Moodstruck 3D Fiber mascara is their number one selling product. They are also known for products that are designed with science and nature in mind so that they are specially made to nourish your skin.

The nice thing about their mascara is that it's very easy to apply, though it feels a bit different than other mascaras because you apply it in gel form. Basically it is a simple, two-step application process, and you can learn more about applying the mascara as well as some other tips for use by visiting this Younique Mascara page.

This product is currently available for just under $30, and you can only buy it from independent Younique presenters, so check out the links above for more info and to purchase it if you wish!

Introducing TheSavingsMart on Amazon

When people think of Amazon, sometimes they just lump everything on the site together and forget that there are a lot of uniquely individual storefronts on the site. For me as an Amazon shopper, I like when I find a particular storefront that carries products that I like, and I tend to return again and again.

If you want to check out an interesting storefront on Amazon, check out TheSavingsMart. A self-described one-stop shop, TheSavingsMart carries familiar brand names at discounted prices.

When I browsed the shop, I found great products for kids from brands like Disney and Fisher Price. For example, there are Frozen figures and backpacks. If you need gifts for a child's birthday or other occasion, you'll find lots of inspiration here--plus ideas for party supplies, too.

Another brand carried by TheSavingsMart is the MEDca brand. MEDca has an extensive range of useful products, from health to household to toys. They have a lot of hard to find gadgets, like shoe stretchers and hearing amplifiers. My favorite of their toys is their supermarket playset which comes will all sorts of fun stuff for kids to pretend that they're shopping, cooking, and more.

If you haven't browsed TheSavingsMart storefront on Amazon before, give it a look and see the latest products for kids as well as adults.

Meet Naina Vaish, CEO of Green N Brown

Green N Brown offers eco-friendly and organic products that let you make better choices for yourself, your community, and the planet. They believe that for a better and sustainable future, conventional products have to give way to "Green" (eco-friendly) and "Brown" (organic) alternatives.

Naina Vaish, Evangelist N CEO, drives this company. She has been an active environmental steward herself and now wants to not only encourage individuals to adopt a Green lifestyle but also excite and expose them to this lifestyle through her blog. Naina is a strong believer that "Change needs to happen bottoms up--it is the individuals who need to drive the Green Revolution in their everyday lives."

1. What inspired you to start Green N Brown?

We are a firm believer that change has to happen from the bottom up--it is the individuals who have to make little/subtle changes to their everyday lives to make this world a greener place to live. With this in mind, we created Green N Brown with a conscious decision to present a ubiquitous online store that offers Green i.e. eco-friendly and Brown i.e. natural alternatives (hence Green N Brown) to people across several product categories that they can access from the comforts of their homes.

2. How do you choose the suppliers and products to feature on your site?

Each of our products undergoes a rigorous process before selection. All the products available on site have been hand-picked and thoroughly analyzed by our in-house research team for its eco footprint.

  3. Could you tell us a little more about the fair trade, artisan created, handmade jewelry available on your site?

The wide range of fair-trade jewelry and hand made décor on our store are sourced from across nations: Haiti, Kenya, Africa, and Asia. Fair trade provides under- and unemployed artisans with an opportunity to earn vital income and improve their quality of life by establishing a sustainable market for their handcrafted products. We bring the best from several countries to the American consumers when it comes to Green. People can access all these products which were not accessible to them before from all these countries right from their homes.

4. Your hemp backpacks are also a popular item. What makes hemp a good material for book bags, laptop bags, and similar products?

Yes our hemp bags and backpack are one of the best sellers. What makes hemp bags so popular amongst the customers is that hemp grows well without the use of herbicides or pesticides making it environmentally sustainable.

1. It is one of the most durable natural fibers that exists and has very high tensile strength.
2. Hemp softens with use and yet remains hard-wearing.
3. Hemp fabrics dye very effectively and retain color well over time.
4. Hemp has good resistance to mold and is fire-retardant.

With a huge range of hemp bags for every walk of life, you are sure to find the style and color you want. 

5. What else would you like readers to know about your business?

While people are aware of the benefits of green lifestyle and are willing to adopt it, they are often short of alternative products that are greener than the conventional options. At Green N Brown, we carry a diverse range of green products across several product categories in a bid to offer enough green options for consumers to pick and choose from. We are a one stop shop for green products for a healthy lifestyle

Thanks!

Introducing StoryLTD for Art from India

Brimming with beautiful culture, Indian paintings can be a worthy investment and an affordable way to add art to your home. StoryLTD sells a variety of works of art in classic and contemporary forms. From watercolor drawings to smudged texture outlines and so much more, you can buy paintings online and have them delivered to your doorstep.

Affordable art available from StoryLTD includes the works of various artists in India such as Datta Thomare, Deepa Vedpathak, Dhananjay Sastaker, H.R.Das, Mrityunjay Mondal, and Sanjiv Sankpal. The site has a carefully curated selection of original paintings for anyone who already loves--or wants to learn about!--Indian art.

In short, the goal of the website is to make it easy for art buyers to browse a varied collection of work and find pieces that are within their budget. The site really is a showcase for art and is made by people who love and appreciate art and want to share it with others. It is easy to order from the site and to have great art delivered to your doorstep. Why go gallery hopping to find art for your home, when you can do it easily from your computer?

For more information about how to buy paintings online, the StoryLTD website has a great variety available to view, with lots of images and information for buyers to review.

Note: the picture in this post is of an untitled acrylic work on canvas by Suhas Vyavarkar, represented by the Painted Rhythm gallery.

Meet Jason Griffith, Audio Engineer and Owner of Vibe Speaker Co

Jason Griffith is the owner of Vibe Speaker Co, a manufacturer of in-ceiling/in-wall speaker systems. Jason's background and education is in audio engineering. He spent many years working in live production/sound reinforcement in Nashville, TN and Orlando, FL before returning to Western KY and getting involved in custom installation/systems integration.

1. What are some of the particular benefits of in-ceiling and in-wall speakers compared to freestanding speakers?

There are several benefits, but I would say that the biggest one for a lot of people is simply aesthetics. Architectural speakers do not take up valuable real estate in your room, and they don't intrude on the decor of a room. The best in-ceiling speakers, with zero-frame grill design, are virtually invisible.

2. How difficult is the installation process for in-ceiling and in-wall speakers?

It's actually very easy. Anyone that's comfortable using some basic hand tools can easily install them in a relatively short amount of time. Our company actually offers full support to our customers during their entire project and will answer any kinds of questions that may arise. We are custom installers ourselves, so we make our years of experience available to anyone that wants the high end audio experience in their home.

3. What inspired you to start Vibe Speaker Co.?

I own a custom installation firm, and I wanted to develop the best speakers made with the absolute best materials for our clients. That process just naturally led to starting Vibe Speaker Co., so that we could share those speakers with a larger group of customers beyond those that we work for locally.

4. What do you like best about your work as an audio engineer?

As a music lover, there's just a certain feeling you get when you can walk around your house and have your favorite music pouring down on you in every room. It can turn a bad day good, and a good day even better. I love being able to share that with people.

5. When you listen to music yourself, what are your must-haves for getting quality sound?

Well, offhand I would say high quality speakers (of course), a high quality amplifier, and the one thing that a lot of people overlook: good quality speaker cable. Some people go cheap and buy thinner gauge wire, but I recommend always using at least 14 gauge wire in any installation. The sound quality difference can be staggering.

Thanks, Jason!