Across the country, Dresden & Company Proprietors are sharing their love for thoughtfully crafted home and lifestyle products and creating businesses the way they want.
They have digital stores that are open around the clock. They share the latest products through virtual parties and socially distanced gatherings. You’ll see their posts on social media. And they’ll always welcome another D&Co. Proprietor into the fold. It’s all about being “in good company.”
“It’s so unique and inclusive. You feel like you’re a part of something bigger,” said Jeannie Miller, a Proprietor in Pennsylvania who joined the company as soon as it opened in July 2019.
“D&Co. is a company in which Proprietors are not just a number but instead are an extension of the company,” said Kim Motter, a Proprietor in Michigan who also has been with the company since it began.
The direct sales company is about products created by hand in small batches with a modern sensibility and is focused on American-made products. D&Co. started with a strong basketmaking heritage in Dresden, Ohio, and encompasses a boutique offering that includes handcrafted pottery, wooden bowls, soaps, lotions, food, tannery, ironworks and more.
The baskets are made in the company’s workshop in Dresden. The pottery is made in nearby Zanesville. Other products are created exclusively for D&Co. by small family businesses across the country.
“It really is a family business and you’re associating with family businesses,” Jeannie said. “That’s a plus right now. It’s a plus for everybody.”
“My Customers love so much about the company from the unique American-made products to the quick shipment directly to them,” Kim said. “They love the story of how D&Co. is focused on creating a better life for the community of Dresden, the American family and keeping the American craft alive.”
Jeannie said her Customers love the baskets and pottery and Dresden. They get just as excited as she does to see new creations. “They like the whole story. They like to be part of something special,” she said, and that includes helping a young company grow.
Kim said picking a favorite part of the business is hard because she loves it all. “I like the opportunity to create my own business and tailoring it to my customers,” she said. “For instance, I have a strong Customer base with the D&Co. Kitchen products. The products provide my business with opportunities to meet individuals in my community and nationally as my business has no walls.”
D&Co. launched three new business bundles Feb. 1 for people who want a way to earn extra income, become their own business owner and be a part of a company that focuses on American-made craftsmanship.
One bundle provides marketing materials and a digital store that opens immediately. The second provides those items along with three pieces of D&Co. product: Hometown Helper Basket, American Potters’ Collection Medium Bowl and D&Co. Kitchen Bacon Pepper Jam. The third bundle provides the marketing materials and digital store and allows the new Proprietor to build the bundle they would like.
Kim said that if she were to join D&Co. today with those bundle options, she would select the Build a Bundle because it would provide her the opportunity to work with the products that she would be sharing with others and the ability to engage with a broader group of Customers.
Jeannie said a person’s interest level should be considered in choosing the bundle.
“If I had no product, I would go for the big bundle,” Jeannie said. If she had some D&Co. items already, she would choose from the others and supplement it with items she wanted to add to her stable of product.
“It would depend on their interest level,” she said of potential Proprietors choosing bundles.
Both Jeannie and Kim love that they can operate their businesses the way they want. And they have goals for growth for themselves and the company.
“The possibilities of promoting and earning a really decent income” appeal to Jeannie. “It all depends on the amount of work I put into it as to what I get out of it.”
Kim has a goal to grow her business in three ways: “to increase my sales, to help others start their own business and continue to make D&Co. products a household name.”
Jeannie sees a bright future, noting that the company was even able to grow during the pandemic. The future can be amazing.
Kim says signing up as a Proprietor was the best decision she made. “And every day I know it was the right decision for me.”
Ready to learn more? Talk to your Proprietor or check out our website.