This is a very challenging time for so many people and so many small businesses. We love supporting local and wanted to do our part in showcasing some fantastic small businesses.
.
.
This week we are speaking with Jennifer Gamache, the creative mind (and owner) behind Signed by Santa. She is a married mother of 3, living in the Fraser Valley. She is actually an elementary school teacher, who decided to take a break from teaching this year to pursue this business. Her family loves all things Christmas, they even live on a Christmas tree farm! They start decorating in November, playing Christmas music around the clock. They have also had quite a few Hallmark Christmas Movies filed on their farm, which means it is often Christmas in July at their place!
.
Signed by Santa is a business aimed at creating special Christmas and Santa memories together at home this year. It includes the chance to order a personalized Santa letter that will be mailed straight to your mailbox, from the North Pole of course! The parent would answer a few questions on the website and that information will be incorporated into a unique and individual letter just for your child. These special details make the child wonder, How did Santa know that?! It can also be combined with a Christmas Eve box which includes reindeer food to scatter outside, snow from the North Pole (add water and it grows to 10 cups of cold fluffy snow!), a believe bell, Santa’s magic key, for those without a chimney, Mrs. Claus’s favourite cookie recipe and a cookie cutter to bake with as well as a personalized NICE certificate and a peppermint candy cane. For those older kids or students away at University we offer a Let it Snow box full of yummy treats. We also have some items to encourage spending time together, the old fashion way. For example, felt ball garland kits, popcorn stringing kits, and an indoor snowball fight. All of their products are top quality with attention to detail and style and hand put together in order to help bring Christmas straight to your home this year! They wanted it to be as attractive to parents as it will be for kids!
These make great gifts! Why not send some cheer to kids you know? They offer shipping all across Canada. You can find Signed by Santa on the web, Instagram and Facebook
.
What made you choose this type of business?
This business idea has been in my mind for a long time but when Covid hit I thought maybe this was the year to give it a try! My goal is to help kids and families continue to make special Christmas and Santa memories together, they will just likely be doing this more at home this year. When my kids were young we went ALL out with Santa. My husband would stomp on our roof, ring bells, follow Santa on the Norad Santa tracker and of course leave cookies and treats out for Santa and his reindeer. These are some of our favourite memories and I wanted to help stir more memories in others this year when kids likely won’t be visiting Santa or gathering like we normally do. I wanted to help bring some Christmas fun straight to peoples homes this year!
What is your favourite small business (aside from your own)?
Sweet and Savoury boxes by T…they have the BEST cheesecakes and charcuterie boxes
.
If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
Get your website up and running early…there are always a few unexpected snags along the way.
.
If applicable, has your business been negatively affected by COVID19? If so how have you coped?
I feel with Covid19 our business could meet a need for those who will be staying home more this Christmas. It aims to bring Christmas and Santa memories straight to your home.
.
What are your long term business goals?
My goal is to grow this business each year. I hope to inspire wonder and imagination in more children and families in years to come. We don’t believe in Santa forever, but those memories will hopefully last for a very long time.
.
What are you most looking forward to with the launch of your new business?
I love personalizing the Santa letters. Parents have been so creative and I know the children will love these letters sprinkled with the tidbits of information only ‘Santa’ could know. It brings me such joy knowing how fun it will be to receive.
.
What is your funniest/weirdest/most memorable experience with a customer or client?
None yet (: but im sure there will be!
.
Thank you to Jennifer Gamache for participating in this week’s Small Business Sunday.
I had the opportunity to check these kits out for myself and they are amazing! Seriously, I am not just saying that. Having two littles ones myself that talk about Santa year-round, I know they are going to be over the moon when they open their kits up. I am also looking forward to the garland and baking activities that we will be able to do with the kids, especially with COVID restrictions limiting our other Christmas-season options. Being a busy mom, I appreciate the convenience of these kits. It makes it so quick and easy and they look like they came straight from the north pole!
If you are a business owner interested in participating please email tina@modernmama.com
