Made Mercantile: International Creativity Month Highlight
Cherokee County is home to a thriving community of creatives. This January, we’re celebrating International Creativity Month by highlighting some of Cherokee’s many creativity hubs. This week we’re getting to know Woodstock’s Made Mercantile.
Made Mercantile is a collaborative cowork space. The space is a program of the City of Woodstock, through the Woodstock Downtown Development Authority (DDA), that allows retail makers the opportunity to produce their product, test it in a retail setting and collaborate with other retail makers.
“Our mission is to help small business grow in community,” said Madison Beaulieu, Made Mercantile Manager. “Made Mercantile is a great space for local creatives. We have so many shoppers come from out of town or make a special trip to Woodstock to visit – I love that our space acts as a beacon and illustrates how creative our county is!”
Made Mercantile’s main goal is to incubate business owners within Woodstock who are interested in developing consumer products to market at a larger scale. The space is designed to facilitate scaling business; ideally members will outgrow the space in 18 – 24 months and pursue their own retail or manufacturing space.
“We offer workspace, educational opportunities and access to retail on Main Street,” said Beaulieu. “Our hope is that makers get to our space and use the opportunity to expand their business. We’ve had members go on to open their own small retail spaces, dive into small scale manufacturing, write books and more. It’s amazing to see what this community can accomplish.”
Beyond providing a workspace and retail space for makers, Made Mercantile facilitates educational opportunities to facilitate growth in Cherokee’s creative community.
“We have a monthly meeting with speakers that educate on different aspects of growing your business,” said Beaulieu. “Accounting, design, photography, copywriting, hiring and growing a team are just some items that we talk through over the course of the year.”
Made Mercantile opened its doors in October of 2020, with six inaugural members. Today the space is home to fifteen different creative ventures.
With graduates like Alpine Leather and Dirty Beauty Natural Skincare, Made Mercantile helps creatives make the change from home-based to brick-and-mortar, while actively connecting Cherokee residents to local artists and makers.
Downtown shoppers can not only browse locally crafted products but also take creative classes from Made Mercantile members – classes include beginner watercolor, candle pouring, jewelry making and more.
“Come shop! Give us a follow and share our story. Get to know our makers and take a class,” said Beaulieu. “We’d love to see you at the shop!”
You can visit Made Mercantile on Main Street, meet local creatives and shop their products Friday through Sunday between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. throughout January and February. In March, hours will switch to Thursday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check out their open house Maker’s Mash on Feb. 4, 2 – 5 p.m.
Be sure to support Cherokee’s creative community year-round. Learn more about Made Mercantile and its members at mademercantile.com.