This month you may have noticed my large advertiser has been the adorable online shop: Ji Ji Kiki - run by the lovely Emma! Today's post is a little spotlight on Ji Ji Kiki along with a pretty exciting giveaway! If you're a lover of vintage dresses, handbags, kitsch jewellery and sweet homeware you may want to stick around until the end... but first, I came up with a few questions to ask Emma all about running Ji Ji Kiki.

1.How did you come up with the name Ji Ji Kiki?
The name Ji Ji Kiki comes from the two main characters in the Studio Ghibli film 'Kiki's Delivery Service'. I can't remember the exact point that I chose it for the business, but its unusual and I am a huge Studio Ghibli fan so it works well. The letter 'I' does suffer a bit on my keyboard though!

2. What is your favourite thing about running your own business?
The best thing is being able to decide what you do and how you do it-which at the same time can also be a negative as you have no one to blame if things go wrong!
There is the satisfaction of knowing that everything the business achieves is down to you and there's nothing like finding a new product that does really well or receiving a lovely email from a happy customer.

3. What does a typical day running Ji Ji Kiki look like?
As I am the only person in the day-to-day running of Ji Ji Kiki there isn't really a 'typical' day-which I love as there is always something new happening-it's never boring or tedious!
I deal with a lot of designers who are based in America, Canada and Australia, which makes communication difficult because of the time differences. I therefore don't tend to start work until about 8.30/9.00-but then work through until 10 at night to ensure I am online when the people I need to contact are!
On an average day the first thing I do is check my emails and reply to any questions that have come in over night.
In the morning I tend to either make up some new products or research and contact new suppliers.
After lunch I process the orders and then usually photograph products and take care of the less interesting aspects such as the financials.
I 'officially' stop work around 5.30, but do tend to continue to check emails, answer questions on Facebook and research new products in the evening (which never really feels like work!)

4. What can we look forward to in the future from ji ji kiki?
I'd love to keep building and expanding the number of indie designers we stock, to be the place to go if you want something quirky and unique.
I love getting our customers involved in the site and getting their feedback on our Facebook page, Twitter and through emails. I think the interaction between online shops and customers is so important as you don't have the face-to-face interaction you would with a bricks and mortar shop.

5. Do you have any advice for anyone wishing to start their own business? 
It can be a lot of hard work and sometimes when I'm packaging orders or making jewellery at 2 o'clock in the morning I wonder if I'm mad but then I think of my friends having to sit in rush hour traffic everyday...which makes me feel better ;)
It has to be something you are really passionate about as this is what will drive the business forward. I have no formal business training and have learnt things as I go along. I have made mistakes and done things that I would do differently but the important thing it to give it a go. I always say that it's better to regret something you have done that something you haven't done.


I think it's always so interesting hearing how people spend their day, especially when they run their own business, thank-you, Emma! :)
And now onto the giveaway! Ji Ji Kiki is kindly offering one winner a £25 voucher to their shop! all you have to do is enter below on the rafflecopter form. There is one really easy mandatory entry and the rest are some extra's for you! I would definitely put my voucher towards this amazing cobalt blue satchel! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!
P.S. The giveaway is open worldwide! 

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