If you haven’t heard of the Jado then listen up. It’s the bottle you can use in all seasons. All seasons, you say? Of course I can use a bottle in all seasons! But what makes the Jado special is that during the Summer it keeps drinks cool, and in Winter it keeps drinks warm, meaning it’s the perfect accompaniment for anywhere you go. I caught up with Jade, founder of the Jado to find out a little bit more about the range and what inspired her to set up her business.
I bought a Jado before Christmas as I was looking for a new water bottle and I have to say that I love it. Can you tell us a bit about the Jado and what makes it not just your standard bottle?
The Jado brings and element of fun and fashion to a functional product. No more warm water in the car or at the beach on a hot day! The Jado acts like a thermos its double wall, food grade, stainless steel insulates contents keeping cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12 hours. We have a range of bright colours in a sleek matt finish which look great and feel fantastic to hold. No more plastic chemicals leeching into your water. Water tastes fresher longer and they are recyclable. The Jado will be your new favourite accessory!
What inspired you to start the label and the range?
I was travelling in Dubai and a friend who lives there gave me a similar bottle to use whilst I was there. Its function was amazing it kept my cold water cold all day in the 50deg heat. I ranted and raved about it so much he told me to keep it and I used it in Greece and Italy. I came home to Australia thinking we needed something like this so I produced The Jado so other people could experience this.
As a female entrepreneur, what advice do you have for those looking to start their own business?
Have a passion for the product and have clear expectations about what you are willing to risk and what you want to achieve. I decided on a dollar figure to invest that I was happy to lose if it it didn’t work out. It’s not all straight forward. There is no simple 1. 2 .3 step process to follow. Be patient and persistent. You have to really research things inside out and it can take 25 phone calls and emails to get one answer! Don’t get put off by rejection. Set goals and time frames to be accountable to. I would suggest getting a mentor to keep you on track, someone to be accountable to. Things started slowly for me but once I had someone I was meeting with, I felt I was wasting their time if I hadn’t progressed since our last meeting! – Ask anyone and everyone questions and try to understand the whole process – people are happy to share what worked for them – this can save you hours of research!
You’ve just done a collaboration with Cotton On with a limited edition print Jado on sale at Cotton On Body. What went into putting that collaboration together?
The Collaboration has been an amazing opportunity. Cotton On are at the forefront for helping global communities and have an interest in helping local businesses with their collaborations. Cotton On BODY have an impressive activewear collection. They thought it would be fun to offer customers a matching Jado drink bottle to pair back with their Nature Ash printed leggings, crop top, singlet and spray jacket! They designed the print and I created the sample. Once the sample was approved I went about arranging delivery of the production. Working to Cotton on BODY timelines and specifications involved a lot of paper work, emails and questions! It was imperative to meet their in store delivery date so there was very little room for delays and it had to happen pretty quickly once the sample was approved which meant many more phone calls and emails than one would usually make when working alone! The bottle and the matching active wear are available now in BODY stores nationally and online!
What’s next for the Jado?
The 500ml bottle is hugely popular and there was a demand for the 700ml which we released in March. We may do other sizes if there is market demand. First things first is to grow the business and get The Jado into as many shops as possible. There will definitely be new colours and some prints in the pipeline and to be honest I love new things so just quietly there maybe some products that aren’t drink bottles…. I want a Jado product to evoke an element of cool and hot. Our products aim to be fun, functional and fashionable.
For more information visit www.thejado.com
Do you have any ‘limited edition’ Cotton On bottles for sale? My friend has one which I have just become aware of and I have fallen ‘in love’ with it.
Thanks