Enterprise Nation

Jane Field speaks from the heart and with great gusto. When we wrote to ask some questions about her home business, she replied lightning fast and with energetic words of advice. Her business is growing fast and providing work for talented seamstresses all over Dorset. She may be Jonny’s Sister but we’re pretty sure she’s well remembered in her own right, wherever she goes.

What is the story behind the name?

I have 3 brothers one of whom still lives down here in Dorset which is where we are all from. I lived abroad for about 10 years and then, after a time in London, came back to   Dorset. As my brother, Jonny, is larger than life everywhere I went i was introduced as Jonny's Sister as everyone knew him. When it came time to choose a name for the business i could not think of anything for the life of me. Then it dawned on me why not just carry on being Jonny's Sister! Actually it has worked out fine for me as everyone remembers the name....although they still cannot remember mine!!

What were you doing in London and abroad before starting the business?

I left England just after I qualified as a nurse and went out to Dubai on a nursing contract. I then changed tac and went into sales and marketing. From there I went to the USA (with an American boyfriend!) took a job with a US company that then proceeded to send me back out to Dubai to be part of a team setting up their office in Dubai. Was part of a management buyout of the company and then sold up before coming back to UK via  Australia and NZ. In London I worked my way up in sales and marketing to Head of Sales with a database marketing company. 

Who makes the products? Do you outsource to a local group of artisans/craft-makers?

We have a wonderful team of local seamstresses who work for us on a contract basis. Although they only do work for us they do as little or as much as they want which lets them work around kids, holidays, etc.

You have branched out in to soaps – do you plan to extend your range of products whilst maintaining the letter theme?

Every time we launch a new product we say that is the last letter shaped product we are doing!  But then somehow or other we just manage to do another one. We currently have 3 new ......yes, letter shaped products in the sample stage.

What is the most unusual request you've ever had? Have you ever had an order placed for the complete alphabet?

We do lots of Letter Bunting at this time of year with names on it. We also do JUST MARRIED and the bride and grooms names etc for a wedding.
 
This lovely chappie called and asked us to do WILL YOU MARRY ME letter bunting. He was going to the italian lakes with his girlfriend and was going to pop the question by using our bunting. Appparently it worked!
 
Did CHIROPODIST in wooden letters last week.
 
And we sold HRH in Love Letters (spotty fabric!) for a member of the Royal family's horsebox! 

Re whole alphabet - Harrods took it about 3 times over!

What has been your single most effective marketing activity to date?

TELLING EVERYONE ABOUT THE BUSINESS! Although you don't want to bore people you really do need to live the biz. We speak to journalists, we offer our products as prizes for charity events, we send them up to TV programs, all my kids' friends get them as presents. We get so much business through recommendation that it definitely works just getting the products 'out there'.

You mention your daughter’s influence. Is she involved in the business? Do you think she will become her own boss?

No she is not involved in the business as she is only 15. However, come Christmas time it is all hands to the deck packing and sending out products so she does help then. I do use her as a sounding board as a lot of the products are aimed at her generation. She is already talking about going into business herself so something must have rubbed off !!

• Jane Field, Jonnyssister.co.uk