With Cahoot, Courtney Bushner has come up with a wise idea — an online marketplace for Bermuda buyers and sellers.

The 26-year-old president and owner of the new business with the whimsical owl logo said: “We understand that the cost of business space in Bermuda is high, and hours of store operations are limited.

“We built this website to give people a chance to conveniently buy and sell products online at a much lower price.”

The Cahoot website at www.Cahoot.bm features a clean, contemporary look and it is easy to navigate and browse the items that are for sale.

Visitors to the Cahoot website will see Christmas gift ideas, handmade products, children’s clothing and homewares, along with other categories of products. Cahoot has more than 300 products listed for sale and more than 40 vendors signed up. With 8,000 views last month, the idea is catching on quickly.

Ms Bushner said she sought the help of the Orasi Group to help with the building of her Cahoot website. “They gave me the basis for it, and I worked on some things on my own.” As a graduate in technical communications, she is well equipped to run a website.

“Initially, I thought it would be great if vendors and store owners had another option to sell their goods, instead of having to use expensive storefronts and the occasional outdoor pop-up markets — although those are great,” she added.

Ms Bushner explained she was further inspired by her and her husband having two children under the age of 5.

“Naturally, it is not always easy to take both young ones to out to go shopping. That is when I thought, if we had an option to order local products from multiple local shops all at once, we could create an amazing new convenience for everyone,” she said.

Whether you are a large merchant or a small-business owner or entrepreneur, she said almost anyone with a product to sell can do it on www.Cahoot.bm.

For example, Clare Panchaud, who is a new mom and full-time employee, is currently selling baby onesies on the website to make extra income.

Ms Bushner entered her idea in last year’s Bermuda Economic Development Corporation’s ‘Rocket Pitch’ competition, where she placed second. Encouraged by her success and also by the support she received as a result of entering the competition, she said: “I decided to turn this idea into an actual business.

“In early 2014, I approached the Bermuda Post Office to start a new delivery initiative, and they said: ‘Yes!’”

For purchasers, the cost of delivery begins at $5.50 and she has tested the Post Office service to find an ordered item was delivered within two working days.

Now Cahoot has been nominated for the People’s Choice Award in the 2014 Bermuda Tech Awards.

Ms Bushner said that there are some websites that charge a fee for each posting — such as Etsy which is a marketplace for hand-crated items — and some that have multiple extra fees depending on the type of product the vendor wants to sell, of which Amazon is an example.

She said: “With www.Cahoot.bm you can sign up in minutes, set up your shop, post unlimited products, and share your personal store URL for no money down.” Currently Cahoot has myriad small vendors who are utilising its services. “We are hoping for some of the bigger businesses to take a chance on us as well. It is a site for everyone.”

Cahoot offers vendors a $35 a month subscription option with lower transaction rates of between seven and ten percent. “In this package, the higher the price of your sale, the lower the transaction fee you pay,” she said.

Cahoot vendors have access to features like a vendor dashboard which is a tool that help organise orders and sales, and is accessible via mobile devices.

“Vendors and their products are boosted by social media marketing on the Cahoot Facebook (www.fb.com/CahootBermuda), YouTube (www.youtube.com/CahootBermuda), Instagram (@CahootBDA), Pinterest (Cahoot Bermuda), and Twitter (@CahootBDA) accounts. Additionally, customers can benefit from mobile shopping, discount codes, social sharing, and a new ‘Drop & Deliver’ discount through the Bermuda Post Office. The Bermuda Post Office will allow all Cahoot vendors to take advantage of their new Drop & Deliver initiative, by offering them a significant discount for next-day local delivery starting at $5.50 island wide.

“www.Cahoot.bm has made it simple and inexpensive for the people of Bermuda to buy and sell merchandise online!”

For further information contact Cahoot at info@cahoot.bm.