Entrepreneur Journal: Jane Saidenberg, CEO Jane Marvel

By Jane Saidenberg

MARCH 24

Good morning! Well, I know I sound chipper but there's a lot to do today. I spent a good part of the day yesterday with Julie (my friend of 20 years and my real-estate broker) looking at office space. I've been working out of my apartment up until now, but I think the time is right to get an office/showroom. Sort of a strange and scary time to look to spend money, but here's my thinking: real-estate prices are lower in NYC now, so I can probably get a great deal on a space; I've outgrown working at the apartment - I can't have buyers come for appointments here, the girls (my assistants Jill and Katharine) are tired of working around the kids and the dog. Poor Katharine has to work at the kitchen table! Here's how I found the money: since I have been taken on by a permanent showroom in Atlanta (yea, Tango Reps!) I was able to re-allocate money by dropping my booth at the Atlanta Gift Show. Believe it or not, the costs to rent the space twice a year at the Atlanta Gift Show, staff it, and trek my booth down from NY to Georgia is actually going to pay my yearly rent for an office/showroom! I'm psyched!

Sales, sales, sales!!! I'm hoping to at least coast through this recession by trying to increase my distribution, so Jill and I have been brainstorming for ways to reach new stores across the country. Because Jane Marvel is affordable and fashionable, we're finding a lot of positive response. We'll see if anything pans out!

The boys are still on spring break this week, so it's hard to work around them … Michelle (my babysitter, samples coordinator, and "shipping clerk") is doing a great job keeping them busy; just a few more days and then they'll be back at school! An added challenge is the weather; it's just not warm enough yet for them to play sports outside, so we're trying to keep them busy with play-dates and indoor activities. We had this really fun game of "Life" last night! All four of us: Nick (age 10), Lucas (age 5) Andy (my husband), and myself.

Headed downtown this afternoon to my EO Forum meeting - EO stands for Entrepreneurs' Organization - which I joined this past December. EO splits into small groups of what we call "Forums" that meet monthly to discuss our successes, failures, roadblocks, etc. Most of us have new businesses and families, so it's always helpful to discuss how to balance everything…. then went out to dinner at an AWESOME restaurant called "Mas" (39 Downing Street in the Village ) that is named after the French word for farmhouse… thanks Andy for babysitting!

MARCH 25

Another crazy day… our accountant, Harold, came by this morning and that always takes some time. I also had to run and get a haircut, since I just found out from my publicist that an editor from Elle Décor will be coming to the apartment tomorrow to check it - and me - out for an article in one of its upcoming issues… deep breaths Jane, it's just a look-see.

We picked up 2 new stores today: one in Michigan and one in Maine! I love thinking about what the stores look like and what their customers' tastes are, and in such different territories, too! I love it when customers send us photos of themselves, or how they stage the bags, etc. Also that way we can offer advice on what pieces go well together, and clever ways to "create a story" so that the line looks appealing to their customers. Whenever we take on a new client we always send a "welcome kit" - signage for their stores with the Jane Marvel logo, some recent press that we've received and a note to have them never hesitate to call us with questions or issues.

We were honored to be featured in this month's Real Simple Magazine - an adorable spread that included the Wallet in Stars/Mocha. This has already created a bunch of new web customers for us and is such a boost to helping our brand name "get out there."

March is always a kind of "dead" month - even if the economy wasn't in the dumps - because it's between the holidays and spring. So we've been getting tons of different projects underway, such as calling all the stores on our client list (yes, over 300 of them!) to see how everyone is doing in these hard times. We want to know if we can be helpful, or even if we can just commiserate. I think it's great to reach out just so they know that we know what they're going through! The good news is we've talked to a lot of optimistic folks, and it's really helped to remind us to count our blessings.

I forgot to take out something for dinner - thank goodness for microwaves! I defrosted some chopped meat and made an awesome Spaghetti Bolognese. I love winding down in the kitchen after a busy day: just me and some sharp knives :).

MARCH 26

Spoke with the factory in China early this morning: we have a shipment coming to The States soon, so they are finalizing production. Our inspectors have been by a few times and everything seems to be going well. We had a specific quality issue where one of the rivets was coming loose, so I wanted to make sure they replaced the hardware for this run. Can't wait to get our new patterns in stock; we have about 50 pre-orders ready to ship to stores as soon as the new stock arrives in the U.S., so I'm psyched for that. And then we can add all the new bags and patterns to the website for our online retail customers.

Today the editor from Elle Décor came by; he was so nice and solicitous. He took a bunch of pictures and then told me that he would show them to his editor. We'll see what happens! I decorated our apartment myself, so I would be so flattered if they actually chose it - it's what I like to call "child-friendly modern." I like to mix IKEA with flea market finds, with some mid-century modern designs.

Back downtown for some more office space appointments; actually saw some interesting spaces this time! One was in a great centrally-located building with a lot of sunlight and big windows. A bit higher than my price range though, so I think I'll keep looking.