Marjolein from webshop Uniekje.nl

Who are the webshop owners behind the webshops and what are their stories? Meet WebwinkelKeur member Marjolein, who sells personalized jewelry in her webshop Uniekje.nl!

The start of the adventure

In 2012, Marjolein became ill and sat at home. In this dark period, she looked for a creative outlet. She started making jewelry, something she got a lot of pleasure from. In 2018, she decided to make her hobby her work and founded her own webshop. Since then, Uniekjehas grown into a company with a team of seven people. The word is Marjolein, owner of webshop Uniekje. Starting her own business was exciting for Marjolein. Especially her fibromyalgia gave her the push to take on the adventure. In the beginning she got a lot of questions from her surroundings: "Can you really make a living with that?" But Marjolein believed in her idea and had drawn up a clear business plan. It was even an extra motivation for her to show that it could be done. She started on Etsy and initially felt that good pictures were enough to keep the orders flowing in - but she soon found that building a business requires time, perseverance and a good dose of learning. "If I had never been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, 99% certain I would never have started my own business and would never have ended up on this path - for which I am incredibly grateful."

Unique jewelry and personal service

In the webshop, Marjolein sells personalized jewelry, including engraved ones with a fingerprint, birth flowers, names or even handwritten text. There is also a collection of handmade jewelry exclusively made and designedby ourselves . The team strives to make the online shopping experience as personal as possible - as if you were in a physical store. Personal contact plays a big role in this. The team deliberately does not address customers in too businesslike a manner, rarely uses the formal "you" and prefers not to end messages with "Best regards," as this feels too distant. Customers can contact them via WhatsApp, email or phone, with WhatsApp in particular being perceived as pleasant and approachable. Staying close to themselves naturally creates a warm, personal atmosphere.

The strength of a family business

An important feature of Uniekje is that it is a real family business. Marjolein works together with her mother-in-law, her mother-in-law's sister, her husband, her sister-in-law, a friend's daughter and Susanne who happened to come on their path and was included in the family business. That makes working together pleasant - there is a lot of trust, openness and a relaxed atmosphere. Of course, frictions can also arise precisely because you know each other so well, but that is no different from other teams, according to Marjolein. What helps is that on the shop floor people work together as colleagues and that private life and work remain well separated.

No two days are the same

What Marjolein likes most about running her webshop is the variety. One day she is engraving jewelry, the next day she is busy with marketing, photography or product development. Uniekje makes part of the collection herself, in her own workshop. Marjolein scours wholesalers for beautiful components, beads and charms, and then works with her team to develop new designs. Jewelry is also designed especially for Uniekje through their private label. Customer wishes and fashion trends play an important role in this.

Reviews: a source of pride

The membership of WebwinkelKeur gives the team of Uniekje the opportunity to show that it is a reliable webshop. The reviews confirm that personal service and quality are central. Marjolein reads every review because she loves to see how happy people are with their jewelry. Once in a while there is a less positive review, but then there is always a personal response and a suitable solution. Customer satisfaction is paramount.

A tip for other webshop owners

Marjolein has one important tip: "Always follow your own heart and stay unique. There are always people who think something is wrong, but don't let that get you down. Precisely what makes you unique can set you apart from other web shops. If you keep believing in that, it will really work out."

Plans for the future

For the future, Uniekje not onlywants to continue to grow, but also give something back to society. Soon they are going to offer young people a place within the company to gain work experience. In this way, Marjolein hopes to give them confidence and show them that being yourself is totally okay. Uniekje.nl