The owners of Done by Jess and Just Graze Co have taken the term ‘find a slot in the market and fill it’ to a whole new level with their take on customer-centric businesses.
Jessica Theys is the founder of Done by Jess, a local business that offers custom-gift boxes which can be shipped anywhere in the country are perfect for Christmas.
Theys, 25, started her business just over a year ago after she created curated gift boxes for friends and family over the past few years.
“I wanted to take it a step further and took a leap of faith and shared my journey on my TikTok account (@donebyjess_sa),” she said.
“My first video went viral and received over 1 million views. I always had the concept of being fancy on a budget and wanted to incorporate that into my business.”
Done by Jess offers extensive gift boxes created for an individual, couples, a family, events, and corporations. Gift boxes are priced upwards of R300 each, excluding shipping if delivery is required.
Some of her customised offerings include a bridesmaid’s box, which costs R550 and a period (menstrual) gift box, which is R300 for a small box and R450 for a medium-sized box. Added to this, she has a baking gift box for R350 and a baby shower gift box for R550. These are only a few options in her range.
Done by Jess also creates specific boxes which are holiday themed, like Mother’s and Father’s Day, Easter as well as Christmas Day.
Theys said she believed putting her heart and soul into her business distinguished her from competitors.
“I always go out of my way to add elements of the special occasion in the box. I go the extra mile for my clients, and I think that is represented in my work,” she said.
Theys works closely with her fiancé, Aidan February.
“He is my right-hand man, my photographer and the person I run all my concepts by before taking it public,” she said.
In finding her feet in business, Theys experienced a lot of trolls online who left hate comments towards her and her business.
“It got to a point where I even considered shutting down, but I chose to push through and not give in to the haters,” she said.
“There are also competing companies who try to steal your ideas, but that just motivated me to always be at the top of my game,” she said.
Just Graze Co is a Cape Town-based company that offers up-market charcuterie boards in the form of curated gourmet graze boxes. Clients can select from their range of boxes or customising their own.
They offer their service to private and corporate clients and also offer graze boxes, grazing tables and catering services.
The company was founded in December 2020 by sisters Lisa Opperman and Amy Soreng.
Opperman said they were inspired by their love of cheese and wine throughout the pandemic.
“Growing up, our parents, Merinda and Stanley, would always prepare a cheese board for friends and family who came over to visit,” she said.
She continued: “Although, back then, the boards were very basic and only included cheese, salami, crackers and a preserve of sorts.”
Soreng, who is a trained chef, lost her job abroad during the pandemic. She returned home and partnered with her sister.
Opperman said both she and her sister share love for food, in particular cheese and wine pairings.
“You always hear the saying, ‘do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life’. Well, this is what we love,” she said.
The first of their standard options from Just Graze Co is the ‘Singleton’ which is suitable for up to two people and costs R320. The second is ‘Three’s a crowd’ and feeds around four people, priced at R620. The last standard option is the ‘Showstopper’, for up to seven people, priced at R1060.
Their grazing table options vary according to the client’s budget and what the client needs.
Opperman said she believes Just Graze Co has a unique offering because their items are home made as far as possible.
“We believe this distinguishes us from other companies with a similar concept. Recipes are tried and tested to ensure they meet our highest expectations,” she said.
Just Graze Co offers delivery and collection options, which alternate between Cape Town and Pretoria. You can find them on Instagram @justgraze_co for order information.
In future, the sisters would love to have a physical store to operate from.
“This would facilitate a pick-up and delivery point for clients and also allow them to enjoy in-store, sit-down cheese and charcuterie pairings,” Opperman said.