Jannie’s advice

THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU MAKE A FINANCIAL DECISION “It’s expensive to rent retail space – there are all kinds of extras like property and other taxes, and water and electricity. These days, I ask for a complete breakdown of the costs before I sign any rental agreement.”

SHOW YOUR FACE “It is a privilege to work from home and be creative, but it’s important to spend time in the shops on a regular basis. You have to know what’s going on and get to know your customers.”

FIND OUT WHAT THE MARKET “There are many seemingly insignificant things you don’t think about, but if you ask your customers they will tell you what bothers them.”

TREAT YOUR EMPLOYEES WELL “When it’s an employee’s birthday, we have a braai for everyone.” SURPRISE YOUR CUSTOMERS “The concept store Merci in Paris, for instance, changes the look of its entire ground floor every six weeks.”

ENJOY IT “This is our playground – we can be creative in our own way.”

GET YOUR PRICING STRATEGY RIGHT “People have a price in mind of what a good product should cost; if something is considered too cheap, a lot of people won’t buy it.”