Bermuda Bliss Magazine Special Issue: January. 2015 | Page 8

Courtney Bushner has created the ultimate online marketplace for Bermuda, Cahoot; melding the convenience of online shopping and the personal touch of human interaction. Cahoot.bm is described as “a new and exciting way for Bermudians to sell products, without an expensive storefront, and a convenient way to shop locally”.

From hand-made cedar shaving sets, crocheted infant headbands, to elegantly painted coffee mugs for starting your day off, Cahoot offers a platform for local shop owners in the Bermuda marketplace. The best part about Cahoot is the convenience to work from home - do you like the sound of that?

Cahoot’s website offers Etsy-like business features, but the difference between Etsy and Cahoot; is the local delivery and personal interaction. The delivery option, as opposed to the shipping system, allows Cahoot to be an online market place specifically designed to serve local Bermudians. Unlike many, Courtney offers herself as a support system, as well as a simple way to create an online presence. Even with two children, she still has time to “offer a personal helping hand to get your products out and talk to you about marketing and communications.” It is important to her to help her customers while they break out into a new marketplace: “We want to help you get more sales by using a different channel, which is the online market place channel.”

She attributes much of her inspiration for starting Cahoot to her two sons, Ronald, 4, and Carter, 2. “They have to push me to see my own strengths,” she says. “I can’t say I would have done it if it wasn’t for them.” Being a mother, she has always been conscious of working with her husband to provide for their family. Through the trials of starting a business, she knew she had no choice but to succeed. “You have to take those risks. You can’t just sit back and wonder.”

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CAHOOT: CHANGING THE WAY BERMUDA DOES BUSINESS

By: Faith Welch