Part Time Work For Professionals

A new Tonbridge recruitment agency is focusing on getting qualified professional people back to the part-time work place after a career break.

A section of the workforce which is often over-looked is being promoted by the new Kent based firm, Juno People (www.junopeople.com).

There are a myriad of reasons why men and women want to work part-time and there are roughly 5 million of us choosing to do so from all walks of life. City types, chief execs, directors, managers, accountants, IT wunderkind, these are the new breed of people abandoning the full-time job market.

"We think employers are now recognising that in these economic times a professional part-time member of staff can often be just what is required. There has been a sea-change in the way employers look at job-structure and what can be achieved part-time.

"Part-time staff members bring so many skill sets to the table such as great qualifications, professional experience, life skills and they put in the effort and commitment needed at a cost companies can afford" says Juno People's MD, Laura Mathias.

Born from her own professional experience and desire to re-address work/life balance, Laura hopes to bring the employers and candidates together offering a valuable service to the regional business community.

For additional information, contact Laura Mathias 07714 777851

Local Crafters Show their Wares

Saturday 28th July saw the first Kentish Craft Fair come to Riverhead.

Helen Cook is the mastermind behind Kentish Craft Fairs, she says: "The crafters and food producers are out there. What they need are markets and outlets to get their great items out to the public."

We asked her about her aims with the Fairs: "We run craft fairs with an ethos to promote and provide an outlet for handmade, artisan crafts and regional delicacies from independent or small producers from the county of Kent. We also want to make each fair into a genuinely enjoyable community event for all ages, that’s why we had free children’s games and activities at the first Riverhead Kentish Crafts Fair on Saturday. And it seemed to work because so many people said what a nice atmosphere it was and how relaxing and friendly."

Was it successful? "It was a great success! Especially as it was the very first one. We had around 33 stalls of crafts and food and it was a lovely sunny day which helped. A constant flow of visitors came all day right up til closing time at 4pm which was great."

With high street landlords struggling to rent their retail properties it would first appear that the current economic climate has put off many would be small business owners. However, the opposite seems to be true. There are plenty of small local businesses springing up and flourishing but they are choosing to use alternative methods to achieve their goals.

The success of events like the Kentish Craft Fairs also shows that the public want what these local producers have to offer and are willing to support them. Locally sourced goods not only support the local community and economy but are also friendlier to the environment as they travel shorter distances to market. This ticks a lot of boxes with those who dislike global big business.

Nevertheless, the question remains whether enough local people will go out of their way to find these products or whether the crafters will need to make them available in more prominent locations. Cost will be a strong factor in this equation. We shall continue to follow how things progress.

The next Kentish Crafts event will be:

Date: Sat October 20th 
Time: 10.30am to 3pm 
Location: St Mary's Church Hall and grounds, London Road, Riverhead Sevenoaks, TN13 3DR.

An indoor craft fair with stalls of fine crafts and gourmet foods plus an outdoor fresh foods and bakery harvest food fair, crafts and free activities for children and refreshments all day.

www.kentishcraftsfairs.co.uk
Kentish Crafts Fair on Facebook
Kentish Crafts Fairs on Twitter

Mumpreneurs Launch Online Boutique

Prep my baby 

Prep my baby launched in October 2011 by two Kent based 'mumpreneurs', Joanna and Liz, who are also sisters. The aim of this new online retail site is to provide consumers with stylish and functional mum, bump and baby products with a focus on all things Organic.

The original idea for setting up a new business came about due to one half of us leaving full time employment as a teacher to concentrate on family life. As is often the case with stay-at-home-mums, it soon became apparent that switching from a busy career to suddenly being at home all day became a challenge in itself; the little grey cells were dwindling fast! The other half of us continues to work part time in the City as a Marketing and Communications Executive but hopes to be able to leave this soon to concentrate full time on family and prepmybaby and so it was that we pooled our skills.

With 3 children between us we spent a large amount of  'free' time browsing web-based shopping sites at all hours of the day! Our last 2 children were born 2 days apart and so we spent time together in between feeding and naps researching products and the baby market. Our site is completely self-funded and we have built and designed the website ourselves which means we can make regular updates and keep it fresh.

Knowing that new skin is incredibly sensitive, we focused on organic products. Where possible we have therefore sourced organic clothing and skincare ranges, which are kind to the environment. Between us, our experience of pregnancy also demonstrated how sensitive mum-to-be skin can become; the award winning Organic Skincare range from Vital Touch is therefore perfect for expectant mums who enjoy being pampered.

Our largely Organic designer clothing ranges consist of rompers, babygrows, dresses, trousers, jackets, T-shirts, vests, socks, tights, bibs and shoes. These designer ranges such as Fozia, Organics for Kids and Green Eyed Monster have been carefully sourced in order to 'fit' the look and feel of prepmybaby. In addition to this we stock a range of accessories including teething necklaces, dummies, baby slings, activity mats and much more. Not forgetting the all important gift section; perfect for baby showers and new arrivals!

Our products have been sourced from UK based niche lines, which offer that something a little bit different and stylish than is usually found on the high street. With a price point aimed at mid to high range we feel our items are desirable for any new mum and family.

Our long-term vision for the company is for it to become a successful business which can be worked around family life.

"Prep my baby was born out of a desire to source stylish items that were that little bit different, maybe not what you would find on most high streets. Its also something which I hope enables me one day to be at home with my children but still have a career." (Joanna Hammond)

"Both having boys we felt the need to provide the baby market with items which are more than the classic 'blue for a boy, pink for a girl' and so our ranges are fun and bright and offer variety not always found on the high street." (Liz Seage)

 www.prepmybaby.co.uk
 All enquiries to Joanna Hammond and Liz Seage at info@prepmybaby.co.uk