Goodsmiths

  • As second birthday nears, Goodsmiths founder reflects on changes, growth

    Just months before its second birthday, the founders of Des Moines-based Goodsmiths are reflecting on their business’ growth and making some changes. As both the startup’s revenue and sales have been on the rise 15 of the last 21 months, the startup recently reduced its team to focus on marketing and attracting users to its…

  • Startup Spaces: Looking back at the six featured startups of 2013

    Last year we launched Startup Spaces, a monthly series in partnership with turnstone that showcases the unique offices of companies across the Silicon Prairie. Its been a lot of fun to coordinate over the last six months, and we’ve affectionately come to describe this series as “MTV Cribs for the startup crowd.”  We asked our…

  • Iowa startups give back to less fortunate this holiday season

    This holiday season, startups around Iowa are making an effort to give back to the less fortunate. The Des Moines-based Dwolla team came together to work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa and ensure a single mother and her four children have a brighter Christmas. “I feel lucky I have what I have,” Dwolla’s Lacey Powers…

  • Des Moines’ Goodsmiths introduces gift cards, expands markets

    This week West Des Moines-based Goodsmiths announced it will now give its users the option to purchase gift cards. Just in time for the holiday season, the online marketplace’s co-founder James Eliason says the startup is well-positioned to add new features …

  • Startup Spaces: Take a look inside Goodsmiths’ Valley Junction office

    It’s fitting for ecommerce startup Goodsmiths to be located in West Des Moines’ Valley Junction. Nestled above a row of brick-and-mortar offices, eateries and boutiques, the “marketplace for makers” is right at home Goodsmiths’ office…

  • With new site, Goodsmiths wants to help forgetful boyfriends everywhere

    Don’t know what to give your girlfriend on your anniversary? Forgot to get your best lady friend a gift for her birthday? The Good Guy Project is here to help. Powered by West Des Moines ecommerce startup Goodsmiths, the recently launched site allows perplexed gift-givers to log on and create an event for a present…

  • Goodsmiths’ new Swipe app lets its online store owners sell offline

    Ecommerce startup Goodsmiths today introduced Swipe, an app that allows its online shop owners to accept credit card payments offline while keeping their online inventory synced. “It’s a totally new product that honestly for us, for Goodsmiths, it’s going to disrupt the craft fairs, art shows, farmers’ markets …

  • Goodsmiths rolls out paid plans, promoted items

    Ecommerce startup Goodsmiths today introduced paid plans. When the “marketplace for makers” launched last April, co-founder Levi Rosol said one of the site’s advantages over its better-known competitor, Etsy, was its pricing structure—it didn’t charge a listing fee and it took …

  • Turnstone awards office makeovers, anticipates return trip to region

    Office furniture company turnstone on Friday handed out its third $20,000 office makeover in three days to wrap up the Silicon Prairie leg of Culture@Work in the Heartland competition. Traveling in a turnstone branded-bus, company representatives made stops at Des Moines startup Goodsmiths, Omaha ad agency Baily Lauerman and Kansas City, Mo. web design and…

  • Goodsmiths gears up for holidays with more funding, marketing push

    Goodsmiths, an online marketplace for handmade goods, on Monday began to target holiday shoppers with a blitz of a paid marketing campaigns (left) that are expected to reach more than 2.5 million subscribers across three publishing companies. “We’ve seen it from our competition that holidays are their biggest time of the year,” Goodsmiths co-founder and…