Top Drawer Trade Show

It’s all go at the moment in the office with Jane and myself getting ready for Top Drawer, just to add, the first trade show we have ever done, no pressure…! 

Jane and John left shortly after 10:30, not quite the 9am they were planning! Everything all prepped and boxed up in the van, how much easier it is planning for Top Drawer rather than the Spirit of Christmas, no stock needed, one of each product, and then just the two of us. 

The first of the pictures I started receiving from Jane, it definitely didn’t look like much when I received this…

Getting there… It’s easy from where I’m sat, at my desk at HQ!

Nearly there…don’t think I’ll mention it sloping along the top!

Think they both deserve the next picture I received…

and it’s complete, rather impressed for the first show this year hopefully many more to come. 

Sunday morning I catch the train up to get ready for the next three days, meeting new potential customers, putting names to faces and looking for new products ourselves. Doesn’t sound like we are going to stop. It is a great show to network with people and really make the most of new products we have available.

Staying in London really adds to the show as I get to catch up with friends that live there, it is so different to where I live, we can actually socialise after 9pm and there are bars and restaurants open! It really makes you feel refreshed for the next day, or not! 

Breaking down after the show is something I have never done before, so I will describe it in one word…easypeasy, not quite one word but so much easier than the Spirit of Christmas breakdown!

Again we have managed to bump into our Spirit of Christmas friends and have brief catch ups before we must all head home, back to HQ’s and to crack on with the workload we have brought back!

-Shannon 

New JS Staff

Since the last blog we posted we had the likes of, Lisa, Leanne and Martha working for us. A lot has changed since then, their choice to leave though, not ours! They have all taken the next steps in their careers, Lisa has gone into admin in a school, Leanne has gone to a college working in admin and Martha is doing a university degree. All three of them started at Jonny’s Sister doing an apprenticeship in business and administration. 

(Clockwise- Alec, Shannon (ME!), Martha, Leanne, Lisa and Lara) 

Although they are all sadly missed at JS we have employed some newbies! It started with Becky, then Emma, Katie and Rhiannon. Here’s a little bit about them;

Becky is our chief despatch person! She is in charge of despatching all items on time and making sure they are sent out in a JS standard state, poor Becky as we have such high standards!

Emma is our new admin team member! She has office experience and is a whizz at speaking to customers on the phone, she deals with the order management making sure everything is with the correct suppliers and being despatched on time.

Katie is another new admin team member! She used to work at TESCO dealing with the charity events that happened in her local store. She is a very bubbly person and was chucked in the deep end when she joined about 6 weeks before Christmas! 

Rhiannon is a new studio member! She finished her design degree in summer just gone and is super talented with her work, although she doesn’t say so herself! At JS she works on the production of orders that are done in house and new product development. 

So there you have it, a quick introduction to our new JS members. There are still the three of us from the old team, Alec, Lara and Me, oh and don’t forget Jane, John and the dogs! 

-Shannon

The Great Jonny’s Sister Bake Off!

Here at Jonny’s Sister we love any excuse to get our bake on, so the return of the Great British Bake Off to our screens was welcomed with open arms! Known for our famous teal cake tins, we have a new addition to our baking range…

Our cream cake tin is a new take on the classic muted tones; with a range of font colours to choose from. It is sure to jazz up any kitchen or dining area!

As well as the new tins, we have introduced a new cerise option to our enamelware range; we love how it makes the products ‘pop!’

Over the past few months we have been holding our own little bake off, with each Birthday bringing new and exciting cake designs into HQ; here are some of our favourites...

 How are you celebrating the Great British Bake Off? We'd love to see your cake-y creations; send them to us at customerservices@jonnyssister.co.uk and we may even feature you on our Facebook page!

Jonny’s Sister have been getting ‘Pretty Muddy’!

A few weeks ago Leanne and Lisa took part in Cancer Research UK’s Pretty Muddy 5K run in Bristol. You may have heard of the standard Race for Life, but how about doing it up and down hills, over obstacles, and covered in mud!? Completing the run in just under an hour, they did us proud!

Hundreds of ladies dressed in pink ran, skipped and jumped around the course- some of us sadly weren’t up to the challenge! Here are some pictures of the eventful day; Leanne managed to whip out her camera just before they got caked in mud!

Did anybody else take part in Pretty Muddy this year? The JS team would definitely recommend it, getting down and dirty whilst raising money for charity- what’s a better way to spend your afternoon!?

Summer Sale

What’s better than a summer sale on a Friday afternoon?

We have now launched our summer sale, with reductions of up to 65% off of our top selling products! From cushions to cake tins, grab yourself a real ‘summer steal’. 

We are clearing our warehouse to make room for lots of exciting new products, so watch out!

From all of us at Jonny’s Sister HQ, have a lovely weekend and enjoy the sunshine.

Father's Day is on it's Way!

A big hello from the Jonny’s Sister team! Before you know it, Father’s Day will be just around the corner, and boy have we been busy. For the past month we have been working non-stop on creating a new range of products for our customers and their Daddy’s; head on over to our website for more details.

These ‘Best At’ tins are perfect for little ones who think that their daddy is the best; you can include their greatest talent, or simply that they are the best at everything!

We love these personalised ‘Checklist’ tins too! Here you can list everything that your daddy is good at, from cleaning Hammy’s cage to making the yummiest pancakes; you name it!

But that’s not all, we have a whole range of Father’s Day gift ideas, so why not head over to our Father’s Day section now? 

Bank Holiday Weekend

Who doesn’t love a three day weekend!? Here at Jonny’s Sister we’ve been working our socks off in preparation for the bank holiday; from new products to new staff, things have been go go go!

By now the weather should be getting warmer (apparently!) and the sun should be shining, so we have some products that are perfect for making the most of this bank holiday weekend- think picnics and trips to the beach! Here are some of our favourites:

These beach bags are colourful and super handy for those unexpected day trips.

Since the introducing of these deckchairs last summer, they have always been a favourite; the bright colours will make a statement no matter where you put them!

What are you doing this bank holiday weekend? Have a lovely break, from all of us at JS!

Why not enter our competition too?

Easter is Coming

Move over Bunny, Easter is coming and we’re ready!

Here at Jonny’s Sister we have a new range of products just in time for the chocolate-y season; nothing says Easter like a good, old fashioned Easter Egg Hunt- bunny ears and all! We’ve come up with some essentials, including a directional sign and a bucket to fill with goodies.

We know what we’ll be doing over the Easter weekend, how about you!?

Shop the full collection over on the JS website. Have a Happy Easter everyone!

Apprenticeship Week

As this week is National Apprenticeship Week, we thought that we’d chat to Jane about the pro’s and con’s (if there are any!) of having apprentices working at Jonny’s Sister and apprenticeships in general.

As 2015 is Jonny’s Sister’s 10^th birthday, we have decided to fire Jane 10 questions, to be answered in 10 minutes, about apprentices within the business... 

What made you want to employ an apprentice, back in 2012?

Hannah came to work on a temporary basis when she decided that college wasn’t for her in 2012; she wanted to achieve a further qualification, which then made me look into apprentices. A friend of mine had previously employed apprentices, who then explained the benefits. Hannah started her business apprenticeship, and then soon after Shannon came along!

What have been the benefits?

There are too many to list! It’s what they bring to the table; they bring a can-do approach to the work place, with a desire to learn. My experience with apprentices has always been that they are enthusiastic, inquisitive and tend to ask a lot of questions.

Do you think that having apprentices has had an impact upon the running of Jonny’s Sister today? Would it be different if you hadn’t had any apprentices?

Definitely! Jonny’s Sister has a very youthful feel about it. The day to day running is always fun and having younger staff alerts me to themes and trends that otherwise I may not have been aware of.

What does an apprentice bring to Jonny’s Sister that somebody otherwise qualified may not?

Apprentices come with zero baggage. They have a can-do approach and a desire to learn; they also have a fresh pair of eyes which is always good.

How do you know if somebody is right for the job - Are they ‘JS material’?

Jonny’s Sister is a small, family run business, which means there is no option other than to fit in. There’s no room for cliques or hiding, everybody must be 100% open with one another. Passion is very important too; they must enjoy their job and come in with a smile on their face in the morning!

What would you say to an employer considering hiring an apprentice?

Treat everybody the same. If you get the right apprentice in the right job it’s a win-win situation. Apprentices have come a long way since the ‘tinkering under cars’ type; there are so many more opportunities today.

When somebody is an apprentice, do you think about future job roles? Do you consider an area they can move into rather than a general position?

At Jonny’s Sister we try and expose each person to all areas of the business; it soon becomes apparent which areas they excel in and those are the areas that they tend to end up in. I am a strong believer in enhancing strengths opposed to improving upon weaknesses.

When referring to not only apprentices, but employees in general, how do you know when it’s time for them to move on?

We have a rule here at Jonny’s Sister; when you’ve stopped learning, it’s time to move on - this applies to me too! Although I’m always sad to see people go, I always feel proud to see them move on to pastures new taking with them all the things that they have learnt here.

If you could use one word to describe your feelings towards your apprentices, what would it be?

Proud.

And finally, what has been your most memorable apprentice moment? Think wisely!

Each apprentice has given me their own memorable moment so I could not possibly list them all!

Mother’s Day

Here at Jonny’s Sister we have launched our new garden range just in time for Mother’s Day! The pastel coloured watering cans and little planters are the perfect personalised gift from both children and adults to give to their Mums! Whether it’s a joke between mother and daughter, or a little message telling them just how much they love them, we have the perfect prezzie...

As spring is on its way, lets pray for sunshine and head outside this Mother’s Day!

How are you spending Sunday the 15^th?

Spread the love today!

With Random Acts of Kindness week coming to an end, why not send somebody special a little bit of love?

As tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, it’s the perfect excuse to treat your friends, family and loved ones to some TLC. Whether that be something as little as giving somebody a big ol’ cheesy smile, or something as delicious as baking some goodies for everybody in the office- we know which we at Jonny's Sister would prefer!

So go on, take a moment and make somebody smile!

Take a look at the RAK website here, to find out how other people are spreading the love.

Cupid's Coming!

With January over, that means one thing... Valentine’s Day! 

Here at Jonny's Sister we love an excuse to embrace all things fluffy and romantic (plus the odd box of chocolates or two!), so we thought that we'd share the love. People everywhere dread the thought of finding that special someone something ‘unique’; but fear not, we have put together our top picks of Valentines prezzies that are bound to blow your socks off!

Top Left: Jonny's Sister Personalised Cake Tin

http://www.jonnyssister.co.uk/personalised-cake-tin-p-740.html?page=all

Top Right: Sparks Clothing Personalised Hot Water Bottle

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/sparksclothing/product/personalised-together-since-hot-water-bottle-cover

Bottom Left: Sparks Clothing 'Put Your Feet Up' Socks

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/sparksclothing/product/personalised-put-your-feet-up-socks

Bottom Right: Jonny's Sister Pride & Prejudice Print

http://www.jonnyssister.co.uk/pride-prejudice-gift-valentine-print-p-914.html

Pizza Friday

The beginning of 2015 saw new targets, meaning another year of hard work!

This year is our 10^th Birthday, so we’ve decided to do something special each month- cue the brainstorming. Here at Jonny’s Sister we love any excuse to indulge, so we thought that pizza Friday was the perfect reason to have our monthly meet and celebrate January’s big success!

With ideas flying around the table, we have come up with a selection of treats for our customers, thanking them for their loyalty over the years. Since 2005 Jane and all of us have worked hard to provide you with affordable and beautifully British made products. As well as discounts and new products, keep your eyes peeled for some returning ‘classics’ from the past 10 years!

What would you like to see at Jonny’s Sister this year?

Happy New Year!

We can’t believe it’s that time again- we want to take a moment to say a great big happy new year to everybody and we hope that you all had a fabulous Christmas!

Here at JS we all love the festive season; full shelves, the constant hustle and bustle of people singing ‘jingle bells’ and the chocolates on the office table! Despite the feeling of relief when it’s all over, Christmas 2014 was a good one for everybody. This year we had the most temps to date, we feel like we packed hundreds of ‘BAKED BY KATE’ cake tins, and sold over 1500 Rudolf Christmas sacks- who knew there were that many lucky children in the world!?

To celebrate the success of 2014 we felt that nothing would do the trick better than nibbles and some champers. Here are some pictures to show what we got up to!

 

Although January always brings some relief from the Christmas mania, it is still sad to say goodbye to our Christmas elves and to tidy away the tinsel and baubles for another year. But forget the January blues as during 2015 you will be seeing lots of new and exciting things from Jonny’s Sister….so watch this space!

Happy National Dessert Day!

Although it seems that every day is a ‘national’ something or other, we felt that National Dessert Day was a fabulous day to celebrate! Here at Jonny’s Sister HQ we have all been shopping (too busy for baking!) and filled the office with treats. Cakes, cookies, tarts and swirls everywhere, it looks like it’s going to be a happy Tuesday for everyone!

BIRTHDAY!

Jonny's Sister-2013- What a year...

Check out the year we had in 2013!!

Looking back on 2013 it felt like it flew by with nothing major happening. Yet when we asked around the office for blog contributions to see what we had done, it seems that we did loads! So here is a brief run down…

January saw Hannah & Shannon off to London for a jolly as a big thank you 
for their hard work over Christmas

February saw us successfully fight off someone who tried to clone our company

March saw us drawing up plans for the new studio

April saw the filming begin for our first ever video

May saw us designing our first product that would totally bomb!

June saw Hannah gain her apprenticeship NVQ level 3 in business administration

July saw our company video finally go live

August saw our new studio finally finished and ready to move into

September saw Jane going to 10 Downing St as part of a team to discuss small businesses

October saw us at Country Living and then straight on to Spirit of Christmas

November saw us pick up the ‘Best British Website Award’ from GWG in London

December saw the hugest and busiest Christmas we have ever had

WOW what a year!!

Last minute Mother's Day card

If you have a tendency of leaving things to the last minute, this quick and easy card is a very thoughtful way of letting your Mother know that you haven't forgotten about her this coming Sunday!

What you will need…

2 or 3 sizes of coloured tissue paper circles (If no tissue paper you can use magazine or other lightweight paper.)

Tweezers

Craft glue

Regular card folded in half

Acrylic or watercolour paints

 How to…

1. Using your tweezers pick up a tissue paper circle, scrunching it with the tweezers into a puckered flower shape.
2. Dip it into the glue and place, glue side down, onto the card. Once it has stuck, use the tweezers to increase the pucker of the paper if desired.
3. Use the same method to add a smaller paper circle in a contrasting color to the center of the first circle and smush with tweezers. Add as many as three layers.
4. Paint on a stem (can use a felt tip if no paint to hand)
5. Write a personal message inside