How One Black, Woman-Owned Detroit Business is Making It Easier to Shop Local

Detroit, MI — As a Black- and woman-owned Detroit-based business, Ask Jennyfer was founded with one intention – to help other small businesses thrive.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it encouraged entrepreneurs – like Ask Jennyfer owner Jennyfer Crawford – to look at her mission in a new way. She began enhancing online platforms at All Things Marketplace to ensure that small business owners had a space of their own to connect with other entrepreneurs and to sell their goods and services to customers.

She discovered that connecting to customers had become a particular challenge at this time. Crawford began highlighting local businesses and their efforts to help others through the COVID-19 crisis on our social channels. Once restrictions began to lift, she transitioned to spotlighting local products at outdoor market settings in and around Detroit.

That’s when inspiration struck.

“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 Crawford. “At Ask Jennyfer, we want to help them reach customers by providing product storage, order fulfillment, and shipping services they can afford.”

It’s now a reality.

Small business owners who choose to become members of the All Things Marketplace need only to create a store on the online marketplace and upload products to sell. They provide Crawford’s team with a complete inventory sheet for those products and the company stores products so when any item sells, they handle the fulfillment and shipping. All Things Marketplace does charge a commission for the services at about 40 percent per order. Vendors then receive payments from all Marketplace sales on a weekly basis.

These services are brand-new to the All Things Marketplace. Crawford recently worked with a limited number of business owners in the Detroit community to test the fulfillment and shipping services and will build out the services from there. To learn more about it, and to shop small anytime, visit AllThingsMarketplace.com.

About Ask Jennyfer
Ask Jennyfer is a Black- and female-owned, Detroit-based firm specializing and branding and promoting small businesses. The firm is available to curate and coordinate small business vendors for events. Its roots are in Detroit, Mich. and its reach is nationwide. Learn more at AskJennyfer.com.