BES Blog

With Mothering Sunday on Sunday 26th March 2017, it's time for retailers to start thinking about getting their Mothers Day cards and Valentines cards ordered before Christmas. We have two wonderful new ranges for Mothers Day 2017...

Pictured above is our Vintage Too Mother's Day selection, based on original stitched artworks by Jo Corner. These delightful cards are 160mm square and hand finished with jewels.

Pictured below is our Tahiti Mother's Day selection, based on original illustrations by Jo Corner. These delightful cards are 160mm square and hand finished with jewels.

Sold in sixes to trade buyers only, all of our Mothers Day cards are blank inside, barcoded and cello-wrapped with a matching envelope. All Blue Eyed Sun Mothers Day cards are printed on beautiful thick boards from sustainable managed sources. Retailers can order online from our  large selection of designs in the trade only section of our site.

To stock these ranges in your shop click here. If you'd like to see them in your local shop please tell them and point them in the direction of  www.blueeyedsun.co.uk or you can recommend a shop to us by clicking here. You can also visit our stockists page to find a store near you that may be selling them.

See our cards in person at Autumn Fair - Stand 4D03

Click here to see our 2017 Valentine designs

See our 2017 Father's Day designs

Scientists prove that cards are good for your Mother

Blue Eyed Sun founders, Jo and Jeremy Corner, recently attended a special event at Buckingham Palace in London that was held for the select companies who won Queen’s Awards this year.

“It was an incredible honour to meet the Queen and to present her with one of our 90th Birthday cards and tell her a little bit about Blue Eyed Sun. The reception was attended by the Duke of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal , Princess Eugenie of York, The Duke of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent, who we were also lucky enough to meet. It was a fun and exciting evening.” - Jeremy Corner, MD.

Blue Eyed Sun was awarded the Queens Award for International Trade in recognition of their continued export growth over the last three years.

"Our Queen's Award is testament to the hard work and dedication our fantastic team and the wonderful partnerships we have with our fantastic distributors in the many countries we export to around the world.” - Jeremy Corner, MD.

The award was especially significant for Blue Eyed Sun in the year where the Queen is celebrating her ninetieth birthday and has received over 80,000 greeting cards congratulating her on reaching her birthday milestone.

Read more about Blue Eyed Sun's Export Award Win

Read about our visit to Downing Street

Advice on winning awards

Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners of the Retas Awards 2016 celebrating Greeting Card Retailing in the UK. We would especially like to thank all of you who stock our cards! We consider ourselves very privileged to be serving such a fine host of retailers.

Waterstones won The Retas Award for Greeting Card Retailer of the Year

The Retas Awards Winners 2016:

Emma Cole, manager of Postmark, Balham won Greeting Card Retail Employee of the Year

Finalists 2016
Monica Bagley, manager of CGX Accessories, Piccadilly, London
Pat Green, assistant of Hallmark Celebrate, Chigwell
Matthew Anderson, manager of 1st Stop Stationers, Reigate
Shelly Frost, sales assistant of Country House Gift Company, Winscombe
Emily Huntbatch, assistant manager of The Wishing Tree, Codsall
Gillian Jack, area manager of Hallmark Thorntons, Dumbarton store
Vicki Waltho, sales assistant of Calliope Gifts, Dorking

Supersales - Belvedere won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - London

Finalists 2016
Cherry Cards - Upminster
Etc - Islington
Greetings - Dulwich
Rhymes With Orange and New Frames - Marylebone and Soho
Snap - Bow

Creased Cards - Brighton won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - Home Counties

Finalists 2016
Darwins - Olney and Northampton
The Gorgeous Gift and Card Company - Biggleswade
Paddock Wood Cards - Paddock Wood
Quirk - Brighton
Really Fab Cards - Eton

Dzodzo - Woodbridge won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - East Anglia

Finalists 2016
Cards R Us - South Woodham Ferrers
Just Cards and Abigail’s - Norwich, Sheringham and Dereham
The Osokosi Gallery - Holt
Sincerely Yours - Shenfield
Spots - Southwold

Romantica - Bristol won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - South West

Finalists 2016
Cilla & Camilla - Bridport and Beaminster
Country House Gift Company - Winscombe
Jane Armour Trading - Taunton
Lorelei - Truro
Saltash Cards - Saltash

Celtic Cards & Gifts - Welshpool won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - Wales and the Midlands

Finalists 2016
Crown Cards - Matlock and Rowsley
Daisy Daisy - Cardiff
Doodlebug - Cwmbran
Halls - Llandaff
The Tutbury Present Company - Tutbury

Love Letters - Hull won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - North and Northern Ireland

Finalists 2016
Butterfly Kisses - Harrogate
Cool! Cards and Gifts - Skipton
Design@Six - Wetherby
Greetings of Haxby - York
Hallmark Reflections - Nantwich and Rugeley

Present Boutique - Edinburgh won Best Independent Greeting Card Retailer - Scotland

Finalists 2016
Best Wishes - Ellon
Cloudy Blue - Aberdeen
Papyrus - Glasgow
Polka Dot - Dumfries
Quirky Coo Edinburgh - Dundee

Hallmark Celebrate - Chigwell won Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer Or New Branch – South

Finalists 2016
The Card Shop - Portishead
Card Stop - Bletchley
Castle Card Gallery - Chepstow
Memories - Twickenham
Sweet Autumn - Buckingham

Little Paperie - Ashbourne won Best Greeting Card Retailer Newcomer Or New Branch – North

Finalists 2016
Best Wishes - Lower Gornal
Cariad Cards & Gifts - Denbigh
Forget Me Not - Crosshills
Joy! - Heswall
Occasions - Thirsk

Holman’s Bookshop - Whitby won Best Independent Bookstore Retailer of Greeting Cards

Finalists 2016
Barnes Bookshop - Barnes, Kew and East Sheen
Gerrards Cross Bookshop - Gerrards Cross
One Tree Books - Petersfield
Review - Peckham
Walkers - Oakham and Stamford

Gallery 339 - Halifax won Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards - North

Finalists 2016
Armadillo - Kings Heath
Boroughbridge Post Office - Boroughbridge
Dalesway Gallery - Ilkley
Ivad Gifts - Paisley
Marmalade Meringue - Hinckley

Natsons - Barnes won Best Non-Specialist Independent Retailer of Greeting Cards - South

Finalists 2016
AG Flowers - Nunhead
1st Stop Stationers - Reigate
Hatch End Post Office - Hatch End
The Loft - Teddington
Utility - London and Liverpool

Hallmark Thorntons/K&Q Trading won Best Greeting Card Small Multiple (4-20 Branches)

Finalists 2016
Bentleys – 4 stores in the Midlands
Between The Lines - 12 stores in the south-east
Maythers - seven stores in the south
Occasions Cards & Gifts/M&P Cards - 16 stores nationwide
Smart Ideas - 8 stores in the Midlands

Bentalls - Kingston won Best Department Store Retailer of Greeting Cards

Finalists 2016
Bratts - Northwich
Browns - York
Fenwick - Brent Cross
Fortnum & Mason - London
Liberty - London

Sainsbury's won Best Supermarket Retailer of Greeting Cards

Finalists 2016
Asda
Booths
Morrisons
Tesco
Waitrose

Waterstones - won Best Non-Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (4+ branches)

Finalists 2016
Marks & Spencer - 852 stores nationwide
National Trust - 200+ stores nationwide
Oliver Bonas - 54 stores nationwide
Poundland - 700+ stores nationwide
WH Smiths - 600+ stores nationwide

Card Factory won Best Specialist Multiple Retailer of Greeting Cards (20+ branches)

Finalists 2016
Cards Galore
Cardzone
Clintons
Paperchase
Scribbler

Beckworth Emporium - Mears Ashby won Best Garden Centre Retailer of Greeting Cards

Finalists 2016
British Garden Centres - 10 branches nationwide
Garsons - Esher
Klondyke/Strikes - 24 branches nationwide
Longacres - Bagshot
Webbs Of Wychbold - Droitwich Spa

Dragonfly Cards & Gifts, Knaresborough won Best Greeting Card Retailer Initiative for its 10th Anniversary campaign

Finalists 2016
Early Bird, Stoke Newington, London - for its Thinking of you Week activity
House of Cards, Home Counties - for its charity fundraising for Child Autism UK
Mantons, Isle of Man - for its Small Business Saturday initiative
Paperchase - for its On The Cards initiative
Postmark, three shops in London - for its Millionth Customer celebrations

Budget Greeting Cards won Best Greeting Card Wholesaler

Finalists 2016
Archway Cards - Norwich
CAPS - Bury
Crosswear Trading - Enfield
Greetings House - Walsall
Paul White - Leeds and Manchester

Now in their twelfth year, The Retas Awards are established in recognition of the tremendous contribution that retailers - both large and small - make to the success of the greeting card industry. Launched by Progressive Greetings magazine in 2005, The Retas Awards recognise and celebrate not only the top independent and multiple greeting card retailers regionally and nationally, but also the new generation of retailers as well as employees of outstanding excellence.

This year the Retas Awards, the ‘Oscars’ of greeting card retailing, was held at at a Moon and Stars themed luncheon at at The Dorchester Hotel on Wednesday 13th July, where the 2016 Retas winners were announced by comedian Tim Fitzhigham. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists!

Click here to see previous winners of The Retas Awards
To visit the Retas Awards Website click here
Click here to request more information on Blue Eyed Sun

Blue Eyed Sun have launched two new ranges of Valentines Cards for 2017. Valentine's Day falls on Tuesday 14th February 2017 and you can order from us right up until the last minute. Lines do sell out so don't leave it too late! Here's what's new for Valentine's Day 2017:

Pictured at the top of this post is Blue Eyed Sun's Vintage Too Valentines range, based on original hand stitched artworks by textile artist Jo Corner. These gorgeous new Valentine's Day designs are 160mm square.

Pictured below is the new Charming Valentine range hand finished with decoupage elements and jewels. Charming are also 160mm square.

Sold in sixes to trade buyers only, all of our new ranges of Valentines Day cards for 2017 are barcoded, cello-wrapped with a red envelope and blank inside. Our Valentines cards are all printed on FSC board from sustainable managed forests. There is still time to order these cards for your store and we have a large selection of designs online in the trade only section of our site.

To stock these Valentines Cards in your shop click here. If you'd like to see them in your local shop please tell them and point them towards www.blueeyedsun.co.uk or you can recommend a shop to us by clicking here. You can also visit our stockists page to find a stockist near you.

See our cards in person at Autumn Fair - Stand 4D03

Click here to see our 2017 Mother's Day designs

See our 2017 Father's Day designs

My ORS journey began in 2009 when I started experimenting with social media and bought several books on the subject, one of which was by an entrepreneur called Penny Power (called Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me). Penny and her husband Thomas Power founded one of the first social networks for businesses in 1998. Called Ecademy.com, it built a sizable number of users in the UK and was a forerunner to LinkedIn, which was recently purchased by Microsoft for $28 billion.

Penny’s book led me to the video below of Thomas talking about a concept called ORS or network thinking and the shift that organisations and businesses have to make to achieve success online using social media. ORS appealed to me and I thought that Thomas was onto something recognising the shift from institutional thinking to network thinking online.

I also think that ORS thinking is natural for so many people in the card and gift industries, particularly for newcomers and millennials.  If you don’t fit into these categories it’s worth paying attention because it’s these new ways of thinking that are disrupting business models around the world.

After meeting Thomas at the Sage Summit in New Orleans for the first time last year we have become friends and he was gracious enough to accept my invitation to speak at the Giftware Association’s Members Day, at which I recently became Vice-Chairman of the GA. I introduced ORS to the GA two to three years ago and we are currently using it as part of our strategy to modernise the organisation.

What is ORS?

The shift from institutional thinking to network thinking is marked by the shift from Closed, Selective, Controlling thinking (CSC) to Open, Random, Supportive thinking (ORS).

Sitting at board level, Thomas noticed that organisations operated in a closed, selective and controlling way where directors are responsible for corporate governance and to their shareholders. In institutions you have to operate behind closed doors to protect the organisation, you have to be selective about what you absorb and how you communicate and you have to be controlling of everything. This is driven by the demands of public policy, shareholders, staff and the law. It’s institutional thinking or CSC.

This is very different from how we operate inside of networks where we need to be open, random and supportive (ORS). You have to be open and accept everything that comes at you, you have to be random and accept the disorder that things come at you and you have to be supportive of everyone around you. That’s networking thinking or ORS.

Thomas believes that we are transitioning from institutional thinking to network thinking this century. Having undertaken this journey himself he reckons it takes around ten years to adjust. He’s even devised a tool where you can assess your digital personality type to see how easy or difficult it might be for you to make this change. You can try it for free at: www.ima-digital.com

Why ORS?

As social beings we all know the benefits of having a good network of friends and acquaintances. Interestingly, studies have shown the benefits to be more powerful in the secondary network than those closest to us. That new job offer or business opportunity is more likely to come from a friend of a friend than one of your buddies for example.

In the 1990’s British anthropologist, Robin Dunbar, found a correlation between primate brain size and average social group size. Dunbar’s Number proposes that on average most of us can only comfortably maintain 150 stable relationships with our current brain size (the number lies in a range from 100 to 250). This is the average number of people we know on and keep social contact with. It doesn’t include those we have ceased a social relationship with or that we know but lack a persistent social relationship with. The bigger our long term memory size the higher the number is likely to be. Assuming Dunbar’s number to be correct and assuming that we appear once in our close friends’ networks then the average maximum number for most of our secondary networks is 22,350 (150x149).

With social media and other forms of communication this number can be much higher. In a nutshell you can maintain more active relationships than before and from there more secondary relationships and opportunities open up. In order to do this successfully we have to build trust. To do this quickly and effectively we have to be open, random and supportive.

The Fear of ORS

Thomas trains board level executives in how to use social media effectively and, as he himself knows from experience, it’s not an easy journey to make. Even though I regularly practice being random and supportive for me it is a continuing challenge to be more open.

That’s because being more open can make us feel more vulnerable.  Being vulnerable is often perceived as weakness (particularly in the board room). Yet it is our vulnerability that is our strength. Through it people can see us for who we really are and begin to trust us. As TED speaker Brené Brown says:

“Vulnerability is our most accurate measure of courage...  The difficult thing is that vulnerability is the first thing I look for in you and the last thing I’m willing to show you. In you it’s courage. In me it’s weakness.”

The fear we have of being ORS is that people will confirm the terrible idea which we may have about ourselves that we are somehow not worthy of connecting with. In its darkest manifestation it’s a fear that we are not really loved or loveable.

The one thing that keeps us from connecting with one another is our fear that we are not worthy. It seems easier to protect ourselves by being closed, selective and controlling.

ORS is really about looking within and challenging this fear. We must be courageous enough to tell the story of who we are with our whole heart. We must recognise that we are imperfect and let go of our illusions (or delusions if you prefer) of control.

If you consider your feelings for a moment,we cannot live a full life keeping by treating them in a closed, selective and controlling way. You cannot numb these feelings. If you try to numb pain you numb joy.  If vulnerability is the birthplace of joy, creativity and love then you can only really spread this through an ORS approach and it’s practically impossible to do so by being CSC.

The Change

We see ORS more and more online these days. The CEO that admits to the failings of their business publically and sets out how they will change to try and prevent these things occurring again is the one we trust over those that try and cover or hide their mistakes. There are business leaders that support new start-ups and the TV personalities that talk openly to random fans directly on Twitter.

The truth is, in the new world of social media we are already naked and bare before the world whether we like it or not. Even if you personally aren’t online there are people online talking about you or wanting to engage with you (Just take a look on TripAdvisor). We can no longer hide, even if we want to. We have to be courageous and unafraid. We have to step up online and have courage.

The companies that aren’t afraid to make mistakes, ask for feedback, listen to us (no matter how small or seemingly insignificant our questions) are the ones that are thriving and growing. These are the businesses we all want to buy from. These are the companies that millennials are drawn to.

It’s important to qualify that not everything has to be online or open. We don’t necessarily post all of our trade secrets, accounts or patents online (although this has been happening in some industries – think of open source projects like Linux and Wikipedia).

For my own part, writing this monthly column in Progressive Greetings magazine and this blog where I explore my failures and challenges publically has been a big part of my ongoing ORS journey. I've also started a YouTube channel called The Greeting Card Project which explores the nature of sending cards and supports our industry.

The journey towards continues...

9 Tips for Social Selling using Social Media

Learn the importance of being authentic online

How to get started with Digital Marketing

 

Thanks to my friends at Sage, I recently had the pleasure of meeting Graham Hussey and Mark McDonagh from The Start Up Van at their pop up shop in Shoreditch, London. The Start Up Van helps some of the most talented, fun and influential people in the start up community to tell their story. They have quickly amassed over thousands of followers on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook and are worth following if you love business and start ups.

The interview was filmed in two sections. In the first short clip below I share the Blue Eyed Sun story. Watch it to hear how we set up our greeting card publishing business, how the business has changed over the years, what's next for Blue Eyed Sun and how we contribute to our industry through The Ladder Club and our involvement with the GCA and the GA.

We also touch on the Looking Back from Perfect exercise which I will be sharing with  delegates at this year's Sage Summit in one of two talks I am giving in Chicago this July. The Start Up Van guys will also be there and I'm looking forward to catching up with them again soon.

Click on the play button on the image below to watch the first clip:

The second clip below is the Start Up Van's quick fire round where the Graham and Mark ask some fun short questions including: what valuable lesson we could teach start ups, which three people I'd have dinner with, what's been our hardest day running Blue Eyed Sun, what I love most about what we do, what musician inspires us, what's the biggest thing that's happened to us, what is our biggest regret and what motivates us.

There's a funny moment where I completely embarrass myself answering one particular question that makes this one especially worth watching:

Details of Jeremy Corner's Sessions at Sage Summit 2016 in Chicago

12 Business Lessons I learned at last year's Sage Summit

9 Tips for Social Selling that I learned at Sage Summit

Visit The Start Up Van Website

Blue Eyed Sun will soon be exhibiting at the Home and Gift trade show in the new DP5 Marquee by the Majestic. Officially launching at this well loved show are additions to our beautiful new 2017 Spring Seasons designs along with our new best selling ranges Vintage Too, Fleur, Alchemy, Tahiti and Crochet Critters so be sure to stop by and see us.

Quote Voucher code HG16 when ordering during the show (online or offline) for FREE CARRIAGE.

About Home and Gift 2016

This annual trade show is a highlight on buyers' calendars for it's relaxed Summery atmosphere and great range of products on offer in the run up to Christmas. It runs for four days from Sunday 17th July to Wednesday 20th July from 09:00 - 18:00 at the Harrogate International Centre. It really is a pleasure doing business at this show, so don't miss it!

To register for Home and Gift please click here.

Where to Stay at Home and Gift 2016

The closest hotels to the show are the Holiday Inn, Travel Lodge, Premier Inn and The Old Swan a short walk away with prices from £55-£150. However as the show opens next week they seem to be fully booked now. You can search a List of Hotels in Harrogate by clicking here. A good tip if you can't find a room is to stay in York, a short train ride away.

Where to Eat at Home and Gift 2016

Harrogate has many wonderful restaurants and cafes including the world famous Betty's Tea Rooms. We've sampled lots of them over the years and have short listed some of our favourites for you to try below:

4 Great Restaurants near the Harrogate International Centre

How to get to Home and Gift 2016

The roads into Harrogate can get very congested so allow plenty of time if you are coming by car. The Harrogate International Centre post code is HG1 5IA and there are 400 car spaces on site with a daily cost of £13. These spaces get pretty full so you may like to use the park and ride scheme running from the Great Yorkshire Showground on the A61 (Post code HG1 5IA).  All parking will be available on a concrete surface, which will be safe for use for any visitors.

Trains run every half hour from Leeds and every hour from York. There is a free shuttle bus from Harrogate train station to the show. You can fly to Leeds Bradford airport (20 minute drive from the show). Buses go every 90 minutes and take half an hour.

For more information on travel for the show click here.

How to find Design Point 5 at Home and Gift

When you get to Harrogate do remember to come and see us in the new card marquee by the Majestic DP 5 - Stand 58.

Can't make the show? Click here to request access all of our designs online.

View Larger Map

On Thursday 23rd June 2016 Britain’s electorate will vote in the EU referendum to decide whether or not we should remain in the European Union. The Union has long held a fascination for me, ever since I designed and patented an EU board game at school. At university I spent an exchange year in Amsterdam thanks to the ERASMUS scheme and, currently, Blue Eyed Sun is selling more and more greeting cards in Europe.

A common complaint amongst business owners is that we don’t have enough information about the EU Referendum (aka Brexit) to make an informed decision. If you think about it, we can never have enough information. The data for any given situation is infinite. So, despite our best efforts, we could end up making a snap judgment based on emotions like fear (of the unknown or of missing out) or anger (at the idea of losing control or at being taken advantage of). If it works out alright we will forget the external variables that affected this and pat ourselves on the back even though it has very little to do with our conscious intent or control.

Despite this seemingly frivolous outlook on how we make decisions, I’ve been brushing up on my history and weighing up the pros and cons of Britain’s EU membership to try and rationalise my thoughts. Here’s what I’ve learned:

A Brief History

The European Union is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries. Created post WWII, the thinking was that countries that foster economic cooperation together are less likely to go to war. After the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the EU created its own currency (The Euro), which is used by 19 members. The EU has a parliament to which member governments assign representatives. It sets rules on things like the environment, transport, consumer rights and human rights. The single market facilitates free movement of goods, services, capital and workers.

Despite Churchill’s supporting of the idea of the EU, Britain initially stood on the sidelines at the signing of the Treaty of Rome in 1957 held back by commitments to the commonwealth and the ‘special relationship’ with the US. Britain was one of few European economies that grew during the war. At the time, GDP per capita in the UK was significantly larger that the average six founding members of the EU; however by 1973 it had plummeted to 10% below average.

After being twice rejected in the sixties (French President, Charles de Gaulle, was unconvinced of Britain’s commitment), Britain joined the EU in 1973 under Ted Heath’s Conservative government, desperate to prevent further relative economic decline. Harold Wilson’s Labour government held a referendum in 1975 when 67% voted to stay in the EU. After joining the EU our GDP per capita has been comparatively stable ever since.

Should we remain, David Cameron has negotiated terms that mean that Britain will not join the Euro, migrant welfare payments will be cut, the City of London will be protected, British cash spent on bailing out Eurozone nations will be reimbursed and a ‘red card’ system will be implemented to prevent the EU imposing unwanted legislation.

The Debate

Whilst a lot of detail will be affected by the outcome of the referendum, broadly speaking the debate centres around two main areas, our sovereignty and financial implications.

Sovereignty

The right to control our own destiny is one of the lynchpins of the leave campaign. In my opinion, this control is somewhat of an illusion, as is the notion of a separate Great Britain. If you think about it, we are already European. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them’.

St George, our patron saint, was a Roman soldier born in Cappadocia, Turkey. English is Latin based and we were essentially under the moral authority of the Pope for centuries until the Reformation. Previously, Britain has been controlled by the Saxons (Germany/Denmark/Holland), the Normans (France/Scandinavia), the Vikings (Denmark/Norway/Sweden) and the Romans (Italy). For centuries French was the language of our Royal Court, diplomacy and the law. Several Royals have been German (Namely Hannover and Windsor - previously Saxe-Coburg). Immigration and the flow of people and ideas has always been an integral part of what Britain is.

The flow goes both ways. Over a million Britons live in other EU countries and millions more visit each year. EU citizens can live and work were they like within the EU. Those voting to stay say that there is no guarantee that expats would be able to stay abroad after Brexit. The opposition say that International law protects expats from being forced to return.

The issue of sovereignty is essentially about control. Leavers say that most UK laws are made in Brussels, whilst those that wish to remain say that only a minority of UK law derives directly from the EU; plus Britain retains a veto in many important areas. In any case, some sharing of sovereignty is crucial to enable fair trade across Europe.

Britain is already a member of, and influenced by, a variety of external bodies including the International Monetary Fund, World Health Organisation, United Nations, NATO and G8. The toxic Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), banks and corporations arguably all have more powerful control over our lives than the EU.

Financial

About half of the UK’s trade is conducted in the EU. As members, trade negotiations with other parts of the world are conducted by the EU not individual states. Being part of the EU gives the group more negotiating power on a global scale. US President Barack Obama said as much in a recent interview.

Those wanting to leave say that the EU bureaucracy costs Britain too much. For example, last year my friend Gemma Price at Superfood Market had to spend over £40,000 on new labelling to comply with EU changes. At a recent Sage EU Debate I attended, MP Anna Soubry asked the 100 business people there if their business had been affected by EU red tape and not one raised their hand. Certainly we are unaffected by this bureaucracy in the greeting card business.

Those who believe we should leave the EU say that £billions of pounds would become available for other priorities. It is hard to know the true cost of leaving though. Some estimate this could also be in the £billions.

Those wishing to remain feel that we save money being in the EU because prices are lower as a result. Flights and mobile phone charges, for example, are cheaper. They say the benefits easily outweigh the costs and that we might even have to pay to access the EU market if we left.

Leavers say that trade would continue because we import more than we export from Europe. They cite non-member, Norway, as an example of how trade deals would work outside of membership. On the Remain side, it’s felt that leaving would cause an economic shock and slow our growth. We are more dependent on the EU than they are on us and we would still have to comply with EU rules when selling into the single market – my friend Gemma would still need the right labels if she wished to sell into the EU.

The Leavers are concerned that unemployment is over 10% in the EU (almost double that of the UK) and worry that more people will flow into the UK putting financial strain on our healthcare and welfare systems. The UK currently gets £66 million for investment every day from the EU. Three million UK jobs are said to be linked to the EU.

The Card Industry

Blue Eyed Sun trades in Europe with EU members and without. Having less paperwork and less currencies to exchange saves us money. One of our best BES team members is from Spain and we’d hate to lose her. To be honest though, I’m sure we would cope whatever the outcome of the vote. It would be a problem if leaving badly affected our relations with our European neighbours.

The diaspora of Brits abroad probably has a more important effect on the European greeting card market than we can quantify. For example, last year Blue Eyed Sun sold over 50,000 cards in Greece and I believe this is largely due to British influence. With more Brits abroad, more countries are adopting our practices. Would this diminish if we left the EU and had less flow of people between Europe and the UK? Whatever we decide, the EU Referendum is one of the biggest decisions our country has had two make in many years.

Personally, I like being part of the EU. It protects our Human Rights. We have cleaner water and air and lower greenhouse emissions. The EU protects consumers and regulates on trading standards. We currently have a seat at the table with influence instead of being on the outside. I also like that the EU aims to stimulate competition and trade, increase efficiency, raise quality and cut prices. This makes good business sense to me.

Register to watch the live #SageDebateEU Monday 13th June at 13:00 GMT

Click here for the Government's Referendum website

All you need to know about Brexit from the BBC

Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners of the Greats Awards 2016 for Gift Retailers. It's a wonderful thing to be nominated for awards. We hope that you enjoyed the day and would like to thank all of you who stock our cards. We consider ourselves very privileged to be serving such a fine host of loyal retailers.

The Greats Awards 2016 Winners are:

The Honourary Achievement Award went to Andrew Illingworth from Widdop & Co.

Marina McManus, shop manager, Liquorice Tree, Edinburgh Airport is Retail Employee of the Year

Finalists
Lynsey Bolton. department manager, Cliftons, Lytham
Shelly Frost, sales assistant, The Country House Gift Co
Leah Grimes, sales assistant, Hallmark Celebrate, Chigwell
Georgia Perkin, assistant manager, The Inside Man, London

MAP Gift Shop, Archway won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - London (inside M25):

Finalists
All Good Gifts, Battersea
In Spitalfields, Spitalfields
Rumbles, Ealing
SMUG, Islington
The Indigo Tree, Streatham

MiMi, Hartley Witney won for Home Counties, South and S East

Finalists
One Forty, Cranleigh
Box of Delights, Flitwick
Dragonfly, Cheam
Pussy Home Boutique, Brighton
Something Special, Edenbridge

Hyde + Seek, Exeter won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - South West

Finalists
Bentleys, Stourpourt on Severn
The Cedars, Bourton on Water
The Country House Gift Co, Winscombe
The Emporium, Devizes
Just Delights, Penryn

Feathering Your Nest, Rayleigh won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - East Anglia

Finalists
Gifted, Norwich and Cambridge
Horizon Gifts, Hunstanton
Osokozi Gallery, Holt
Quest Gifts, Holt
The Java Store, Norwich

Set Design, Leicester won Independent  - Midlands and Wales

Finalists
Hamptons, Penarth
Marmalade Meringue, Hinckley
Narborough Hall, Narborough
Selections, Port Talbort
Skinny Whistle, Quorn

The Bottom Drawer, Portadown won Independent  - North and Northern Ireland
Finalists
Libby's Chesterfield
Oklahoma, Manchester
Peppermint Pig, Clekheaton
Saffrons of York and Little Saffrons, York
The Imaginarium, York

Maia Gifts, Glasgow won Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - Scotland

Finalists
Bijou, Elgin
Cloudberry, Edinburgh
Liquorice Tree, Edinburgh and Glasgow
Papyrus, Glasgow
Spirito, Glasgow

We Built This City, London won Best Gift Retailer - Newcomer South and Wales

Finalists
All About Rose, Great Missenden
Bibi's Home, Weymouth
Coast & Country Interiors, Bude
Panache, Yeovil, Taunton and Lyme Regis
The Bump Company, Southampton

Lily Blue Gifts, Hagley won Best Gift Retailer - Newcomer North, Midlands and Scotland

Finalists
Embrace, Strathpeffer
Penny and Black, Lundin Links
Quirky Coo, Dundee
Saffrons of Northallerton
Serendipity House, Kirkham

Love Aroma won Best Specialist Multiple Gift Retailer

Finalists
Between the Lines (12 stores)
Menkind (40+ stores)
Sass & Belle (5 stores)
Time & Tide (6 stores)
Utility (4 stores)

Debenhams, Oxford Street won Best Department Store Retailer of Gifts

Finalists
Barretts of St Neots
Bengalis of Kingston
Fenwick of Brent Cross
John Lewis
Jarrolds, Norwich

Robert & Ruby, Helmsley won Best Non Specialist Retailer of Gifts

Finalists
The Bristol Guild of Applied Arts, Bath
Brodie Countryfare, Brodie by Forres
Paperchase
Potters of Hockley
Zing Furniture, Willington

Time & Tide won Best Gifts Lifestyle and Homewares (interiors)

Finalists
About Living (3 stores)
Oliver Bonas (multiple)
Orange Tree, Topsham
The Old School Beauly, Beauly
Love Thy Interiors, Thirsk

The Herbary, Troon won Best Gift Retailer of Jewellery

Finalists
Celtic Company, Welshpool
Harvey Willis, Glenrothes
Macmillan of Penwortham
Ruby Red, Milngavie
Stacks, Wirral

New Hopetoun Garden Centre, Broxburn won Best Garden Centre Retailer of Gifts
Finalists
Manchester Garden Centre, Durham
Thetford Garden Centre, Thetford
Whitehall Garden Centre, Lacock
Van Hage, Ampel
Redfields Garden Centre, Crookham

Imperial War Museum Gift Shop, London won Best Visitor Attraction Gift Shop

Finalists
Chester Zoo, Islands Gift Shop
Longleat Safari Park, Longleat
Science Museum Gift Shop, London
St Michael's Mount, Marazian
Waddesdon Manor Gift Shop, Aylesbury

Retro36, Scarborough won Best Retail Display

Finalists
The Bottom Drawer, Portadown
Gardenarium, East Molesley
MAP Gift Shop, London
Olive Tree, Wolverhampton
Orange Tree, Topsham

Gifts from Handpicked won Best Online Gift Retailer, to include Mail Order

Finalists
Firebox
Handpicked Gifts
JD Williams
Love Aroma
The Inside Man

Spirito, Glasgow won Best Retailer Initiative for its jewellery initiative.

Finalists:
Loch Levens Larder, Loch Leven - For its SBS Campaign
Cantons, Port Erin - for its SBS campaign
Narborough Hall, Narborough - For its Pay it Forward Day
Oliver Bonas for its Innocent Big Knit for Age UK initiative
The Old School Beauly for its Mrs Old School blog

Winners of Best Service to the Independent Retailer

Widdop & Co won Gold
Joe Davis won Silver
Ashleigh & Burwood won Bronze

Finalists 2015 (in alphabetical order)
Enesco
Expressions 4 U
Gisela Graham
Lesser & Pavey
Really Good
RJB Stone
Yankee Candle

Now in their fourteenth year, The Greats Awards have become the accolades to strive for and the Awards event itself has become one of the most exciting and vibrant in the country. It brings together the entire British gift industry for a day of celebration.

The Greats Awards are owned and organised by Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide (published by Max Publishing). They recognise and celebrate not only the top independent and multiple gift retailers regionally and nationally, but also one-off niche retailers, garden centres and supermarkets as well as outstanding retail employees.

The Greats Awards ceremony for 2016 was held on Thursday 5th May at The Savoy in London celebrating their 14th anniversary of The Greats with a special themed event which included and cocktail reception, lunch, awards and entertainment.

All gift retailers who have been named as a Greats winner or finalist over the past 10 years of the Greats are invited to attend a special Greats Party at PG Live next month on Tuesday May 11th at 3pm at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Contact Ian Hyder through the PG Live website for details www.progressivegreetingslive.com

See previous winners of the Greats Awards
Visit the Greats Awards Website
Click here to request more information on Blue Eyed Sun

New publishers often ask me for business advice and a common phrase used is, “what is standard” in this or that situation in our industry. The implication being that there are set rules or procedures in any given business dealings.

Of course there is etiquette in business and there are common practices in the card industry, but I always bristle at the use of the word “standard.” You see, when people ask in this way, what they don't seem to realise is that my authority is their authority. That is to say that they are the ones accepting my authority as some external objective truth, which it is not.

The person asking the question is not necessarily choosing to think carefully about what is right for them or right for their customer in their situation and is instead wanting to be told what to do. Like asking a teacher or a parent for permission. What can follow is a lack of responsibility and the insidious abandonment of innovation and creativity.

If we follow patterns and reduce things to ‘standard’ our products and processes become standard and our means of distribution become standard. As a result things can start to suffer.

Take, for example, a recent conversation I had with a very successful and experienced retailer friend of mine about how to design the ultimate, best selling selection of greeting cards. He had a similar discussion with another publisher / broker who had dismissed his ideas because the cards wouldn't fit into the control system they had for displaying the cards. You read that right, “sorry, we can't design the ultimate selection of best selling greeting cards because they won't fit into our display system!” Do you see how our quest for what is standard can lead us down the path to mediocrity?

To my mind this is even worse if we think not only of the money that could be made designing such a selection of best selling cards, but also of what the world wants and needs. This collection of cards could be improving the way that people connect and communicate with one another. It could be touching hearts and changing lives. Yet it isn’t, because the standardised racks won't accept some of these new ideas. These cards may have already been created and exist in the world at this very moment, yet they will be rejected by the buyers or brokers based on the display systems rather than how the end users of the cards feel about them. The brokers themselves or the buyers can divest themselves of authority by handing it over to their systems. Some teeth sucking and… “Oooh, we can't do that. It’s not our fault, it just doesn't fit with our systems.”

You can see also how this problem regularly affects the wider world outside our industry where people are often resistant to change because “that’s just not how we do things around here” or “nobody else does it that way / everybody does it a different way.” Both of these examples are people divesting themselves of responsibility and leaving it instead to the status quo. They are not necessarily stepping back and thinking what is best for them and their customers in this era. Because, of course, times change and what was once the way things were done has now been superseded by better methods. In fact, times are changing faster than ever. I read recently that the first ten years of this century saw more technological advancements than the entire previous century and the last six years or so have seen more than the previous ten.

Disruptive businesses are challenging how we do things across the planet: Tesla are redefining the car industry, Uber changing how we use taxis, AirBnB where we stay when we travel, YouTube how we watch TV, WhatsApp with how we communicate and Facebook with how we consume media and share stories. Whilst a lot of the disrupters are about saving money or time or both, it’s not all about what is cheapest. Despite these changes we still love to buy and share beautiful things. Not on the High Street and Etsy have been big drivers on the internet of this trend. We see it in the ever growing popularity of artisan food products and designer-maker gifts and cards.

So we cannot sit still. We cannot keep doing things the way we have always done them. We need to challenge ourselves and redefine things constantly experimenting with new creative ideas and being prepared to fail. If we publish cards we have to explore new techniques and think carefully about what cards we like to buy and send in order to learn what works for people who still love to buy and send cards. We have to get to know our customers well and never stop asking them questions about what works well for them and what doesn’t.

If we retail then we also need to know our customers. What sells well in our stores and why? What will surprise and delight? When buying new ranges the simplest question to ask is ‘would my customers buy this?’ If you’re not sure, would you buy it? Who would you send it to and why? Does the price seem reasonable? Price scales in relation to the former questions btw. If the designs are beautiful, different or you would love to send the card then it’s worth paying more for. It’s good to keep testing price brackets with products so that you don’t get stuck in a belief system that stops you growing your sales and profits (Eg. “My customers never spend more than £3 on a card.” Never say never). We also need to feedback to our suppliers so they can continue to improve our options.

If we are in the supply chain we have to understand the needs of our publishers and retailers. We have to adapt and create new techniques and innovations for stock control. We have to stay mindful of the environment and support the use of ethical materials and print.

If we are brokers we have to remember that every card needs to be judged on it’s own merit. Is this a card that people will want to buy? The greeting card should drive the planning, not the the other way around.

We all have to innovate with ways we run our businesses and work with our staff, our customers and suppliers. We have to be prepared to experiment regularly and make mistakes. We need to think carefully about cards and our industry. We have to support new initiatives like Festive Friday and Thinking of You Week to keep banging the drums about how great it is to send and receive greeting cards.  We must continue to share stories of how important they are for maintaining that sense of connection with one another in the world, in a way that is still profoundly relevant in our digital age.

I'm a huge fan of how systems have streamlined our business processes, but we have to be mindful that they do not become the tail that wags the proverbial dog. The systems need to have flexibility in what is essentially a creative business. We are not selling and distributing uniform fast moving consumer goods like cans of coke. Our systems need to be adaptable because there are a multiplicity of card buying consumers out there with a huge range of experiences and desires.

It's so easy to talk ourselves out of taking risk and offering something fresh to the world because of what we think is standard rather than following our hearts or testing. Nature is always testing and trying things to see what works and then following its success with more of the same. Not enough to eat on the ground? Grow a longer neck to reach the juiciest buds on the trees. Food still scarce? Then grow a water storage system on your back to traverse large sections of the desert in the quest for another oasis of water.

Whilst we have a need for certainty through things like systems and standardisation it is actually our need for variety that makes living so much fun. More importantly, as we see in nature, variety is essential for survival.

6 ways our minds deceive us

How to declutter your home and business

10 ways yoga can improve your business