Local Maker Guidelines

Celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and locally made products in Okotoks and surrounding communities.

Made in Okotoks was created to help local makers, artists, and craftspeople showcase their work and connect with customers who appreciate locally created products.

Our goal is simple: to promote products that reflect the creativity, skills, and personal involvement of local Makers.

To maintain the quality and authenticity of our marketplace, we ask all participating businesses to follow these guidelines.

1. Locally Made or Designed

Products featured on Made in Okotoks must be created, crafted, substantially transformed, or independently designed by a Maker located in Okotoks or the surrounding area.

We welcome a wide variety of handmade, artistic, and creative products.

Not every material or component needs to originate locally. What matters is that the Maker contributes meaningful creative work to the finished product.

2. Originality and Creative Involvement

We recognize that Makers often purchase materials, ingredients, or components from suppliers outside our community.

These products can still qualify when the Maker contributes meaningful craftsmanship, original design, artistic work, or creative transformation.

For example:

  • Jewelry assembled or designed locally using purchased beads, stones, or other components.
  • Candles made locally using imported wax, fragrances, and containers.
  • Artwork, clothing, or merchandise featuring original designs created by a local artist, even when printing or manufacturing is outsourced.
  • Woodworking, pottery, textiles, home décor, and other products crafted or substantially customized locally.

The key consideration is the Maker’s creative contribution to the finished product.

3. Products That Do Not Qualify

Made in Okotoks is not intended to be a general resale marketplace.

The following products are not eligible:

  • Mass-produced finished products purchased for resale without meaningful modification.
  • Imported products that are simply repackaged or given a new label.
  • Products advertised as handmade or locally made when they are not.
  • Products that infringe on another creator’s designs, trademarks, or intellectual property rights.

Simply adding a business label or packaging to an existing finished product does not make it locally made.

4. Businesses Offering Both Handmade and Resale Products

We understand that some businesses sell a combination of their own creations and products sourced from other suppliers.

These businesses are welcome to apply.

However, only products that meet our local Maker guidelines may be featured on Made in Okotoks.

Other products can continue to be sold through the Maker’s own business, but should not be included in their Made in Okotoks product gallery or promotional material submitted to us.

5. Business Profiles and Product Information

Makers are responsible for keeping their business profiles accurate and up to date.

This includes business descriptions, product photographs, prices, contact information, and upcoming market events.

Prices displayed should reasonably reflect current selling prices. Makers should update or remove products that are no longer available.

Makers are also responsible for ensuring that their products comply with applicable safety, labelling, and other legal requirements.

6. Permission to Promote Your Products

One of the benefits of joining Made in Okotoks is the opportunity to reach more customers through our website, social media, and advertising campaigns.

By submitting photographs, product descriptions, prices, logos, and other promotional materials, Makers grant Made in Okotoks a non-exclusive, royalty-free permission to use, reproduce, resize, crop, format, and share those materials for the purpose of promoting the Maker, their products, and the Made in Okotoks marketplace.

This permission includes use on:

  • The Made in Okotoks website.
  • Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
  • Google Ads, Meta Ads, and other online advertising platforms.
  • Printed promotional materials, local advertising, and community promotions.

Makers retain ownership of their original photographs, designs, and other content.

Makers confirm that they own or have permission to use the materials they submit and to authorize their promotional use.

We may select which products and photographs to feature in our advertising. We will not intentionally misrepresent a Maker’s products or business.

Makers may request that specific materials no longer be used in future promotions. We will honour reasonable requests, although materials already distributed, published, or included in active campaigns may take time to remove.

7. Profile Approval and Ongoing Eligibility

All business applications and listings are reviewed before publication.

Made in Okotoks reserves the right to request additional information about how products are designed or made, decline applications, request changes to listings, or remove products that do not meet these guidelines.

If a business no longer meets our eligibility requirements, we may suspend or remove its listing.

We aim to apply these guidelines fairly and consistently while recognizing that creativity and craftsmanship take many different forms.

8. Questions About Eligibility?

Not sure whether your products qualify? Please contact us before applying.

We’re happy to learn more about your work and help determine whether Made in Okotoks is a good fit for your business.

Thank you for helping us build a marketplace that celebrates the talent, creativity, and craftsmanship of our local community!