Courtney Taylor and Chelsea Gheesling have been writing a blog called Chick in the Mitt for the past few years, covering food, fashion, and social life.
Chick in the Mitt became so popular that retailers and brands started sending them products to review on the blog. What started as a cool fringe benefit turned into a regular routine, and then it became a business idea last fall.
"We decided to put the products together and sell them," Taylor says.
Bundled finds the best products in Michigan and offers to bundle them into themed and customized gift boxes for men, women, and babies. The variety of bundle themes include housewarming goods and Michigan grab bags. The bundles cost between $35 to $50 (shipping included) and are filled with items that retail for roughly double that amount. The idea is to help introduce more of the great products made in the Great Lakes State to a broader audience.
"Customers can choose from a catalog of 30 items and ship them anywhere they want," Taylor says.
A special education teacher for her day job, Taylor employs young people with special needs to help package and ship the bundles. Bundled now ships an average of 50 bundles each month, but the three co-founders of the company plan to scale that number later this year.
Source: Courtney Taylor, co-founder of Bundled
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.