The Zaarly Blog

Zaarly does not actually sell a product.

We are a platform that allows the most talented people who we discover to start an online business - and those people ultimately sell the products.

Our marketplace only works if we find amazing people. 

So how do we find these amazing people?

Our Talent Team spends their waking hours searching for the most amazing artisans, makers, and creative entrepreneurs.

Sometimes they are referrals from friends and family. Other times we find them at farmers markets.

We are constantly searching for the best - and that discovery process is the single passion that brings our entire team together. 

When these talented people join Zaarly, our Content team helps them develop engaging biographies, listings, and photography.

This process feels very similar to a journalist interviewing an artist for a magazine article - we want the end result to feel honest and inspiring.

Once the content is finished, the entrepreneur is ready to start their business on Zaarly. 

This is the most exciting moment for everyone at our company.

It’s the reason we come to work - to help talented people create amazing local businesses and pursue their dreams. 

What does the first day of business feel like on Zaarly?

Opening a Zaarly Storefront is comparable to opening a physical retail store - except every transaction starts online and ends offline.

Our goal is to help each entrepreneur receive an order when they open their doors for business.

You can imagine what it would feel like to open a physical retail store and not sell a single item on the first day. 

We do everything possible to make sure that does not happen. 

How do we make sure the offline experience is amazing?

Our goal at Zaarly is to help every Zaarly Storefront owner build a sustainable business that meets our expectations for quality.  

This starts with Zaarly Tastemakers, a brand new program that we launched in mid-March.

What is the role of a Zaarly Tastemaker?

We release about 20-25 new Zaarly Storefronts per week in our four active markets.

When a Zaarly Storefront goes live, one Tastemaker volunteers to be their first customer - compliments of Zaarly.

Each Tastemaker offers feedback on the experience and leaves an honest review for the new Storefront owner.

Quality is a core component on the Zaarly promise - and our Tastemakers ensure that our marketplace quality remains high.

How do we measure quality at Zaarly?

Our quality expectations for Zaarly Tastemakers were inspired by Joseph M. Juran, a Western Electric engineer in the 1920’s who has been called the “father” of quality.

1. Technology: Is the Zaarly product serving Tastemakers needs and do our new Storefront owners understand how to use the technology?

2. Quality: Does the food taste amazing? Are the handmade goods beautiful? Do the services improve their lives?

3. Responsiveness: Is the Storefront owner reliable? Do they respond to communication in a timely manner?

4. Contractual: Does the Storefront Owner deliver on the promise of his/her products and services, as described on the listing page?

5. Customer Support: Does the Storefront Owner provide an amazing experience from start to finish?

How do you choose Zaarly Tastemakers?

In less than two months, we have built a passionate community which includes 150+ Zaarly Tastemakers in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, and Kansas City.

Our Tastemakers come from many different backgrounds and professions. 

More often than not, Tastemakers are foodies, explorers, and makers — and they love farmers markets, art fairs, and book stores of the local variety.

Most importantly, Tastemakers are authentic people who give honest feedback that helps new business owners offer an amazing experience for Zaarly customers.

What are the benefits of becoming a Zaarly Tastemaker?

The benefits for Zaarly Tastemakers are pretty simple:

You get to experience the best local food, handmade goods, and services we find - created by some of the most amazing people in your neighborhood.

Beyond the occasional freebie, you are joining a community filled with people who care about your neighborhood and want to see local entrepreneurs succeed.

We are currently accepting applications in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, and Kansas City.

If you want to join Zaarly Tastemakers, we would love for you to apply. 

-Jeff Morris Jr. (@jmj)

This week Zaarly released a new logo. Our design team spent a few weeks collaborating with renowned type designer, Jeremy Mickel, who produced the final mark.

We think it’s pretty rad.

Over the past year our company has focused a lot on understanding and communicating the Zaarly brand. Here’s how we tend to articulate who we are and what we’re about:

1. Zaarly offers a lifestyle. We help you do what you love and buy from incredibly talented, passionate people.
2. Zaarly is local. All the wonderful services and goods people offer on Zaarly are shaped by the cities and communities they live in. Every Zaarly storefront has the flavor of the city it’s from.
3. Zaarly is relational. Transactions take a backseat to friendships on our platform. We want to make buying and selling human again.
4. Zaarly is quality. Our store owners pour themselves into their work – and it shows.

Our old playful, techy logo didn’t accomplish our brand goals any more and we wanted to drop the iconic dollar-sign Z. Zaarly is about pursuing something you love, not about chasing a quick buck.

Big ups to Jeremy for his expertise and guidance on this. Interesting note for you type nerds out there: the letter forms are based off of Trust, a new font Jeremy is working on inspired by the bicentennial dollar coin.

Last month, I became sick for about 10 days.

My entire body felt like a combination of strep throat and how those zombies probably felt in 28 Days Later.

This illness got me thinking about my childhood.

When I was a kid and felt sick, I remember lying in bed with my sheets covering my face.

I would shout random war cries and hold my breathe to make my cheeks bright red - and I’d wait for my Mom to enter my room.

Once we agreed that my illness warranted a day full of Cameron Crowe movies and “sick kid” food, I started to make my requests.

The first thing that I would always ask for: Mama Rosenberg’s homemade chicken noodle soup. 

I’m not sure why every human asks for chicken noodle soup when they feel sick, but it’s always been my cure - and my Mom’s soup is magic.

But then you become an adult and life changes and you move away from your Mom - far away from her chicken noodle soup.

Here is what they do not tell you as as a kid:

When you are an adult, you will still get sick, and you will still ask yourself, “who is making me homemade chicken noodle soup?”

My Mom lives an hour way. She would deliver soup if I called her (I love you for that Mama), but it’s not a practical 28 year-old son request anymore. 

So when I got sick last month, I found Ford on Zaarly and asked him to cook and deliver homemade soup for me. 

Ford is often described as “Martha Stewart meets MacGyver” and his Zaarly reviews for homemade chicken noodle soup are perfect. 

Ford responded within minutes and delivered the most amazing homemade chicken noodle soup since my Mom’s batch in 5th grade. 

Even better, Ford checked in with me throughout the week to make sure that I was feeling better, just like a family member would. 

People always ask why Zaarly is different.

Zaarly connects you with amazing people. You meet people who care about you and become part of your daily life. 

When you are sick, they will bring you homemade chicken noodle soup - and they will make sure you’re feeling better, even after the deal is done. 

You will be happier in your neighborhood when you discover these talented people and hire them when you need help.

I know am happier because I met Ford. Oddly enough, I kind of look forward to getting the sniffles again. 

-Jeff Morris Jr.

(you can find me on twitter @jmj and be my best friend if you agree that homemade chicken noodle soup will save the world)