Janina Byrne: EnviroTrend

Janina Byrne is founder of EnviroTrend, a company that produces beautifully designed environmentally-friendly products.

[tabs type=”horizontal”][tabs_head][tab_title]Snapshot[/tab_title][tab_title]Bio[/tab_title][tab_title]About EnviroTrend[/tab_title][/tabs_head][tab]Full Name: Janina Byrne

Company: Envirotrend Pty Ltd

Established: 2007

Location: Brisbane

Website: www.envirotrend.com.au [/tab][tab]Janina is a busy mother of 9 year old twins and a 6 ½ year old who spotted a gap in the market about 8 years ago – attractive greenbags. She liked the functionality of supermarket ‘green’ bags and found herself using them outside the supermarket to carry those extra things you need for twins that don’t fit into a normal nappy bag, but wasn’t too fussed on toting green bags outside the supermarket. EnviroTrend’s® first product, the EnviroShopper™ was designed as a stylish alternative to supermarket green bags and was an instant hit. [/tab][tab]The philosophy of EnviroTrend® is to reduce unnecessary waste by spreading the environmental message through creative design and quality environmentally friendly products. EnviroTrend® is all about taking the hassle out of reducing plastic bag usage with practical, affordable and compact products. Realising that shoppers are prone to forgetting their ‘green bags’ at home or in the car, brought about the development of the SAKitToMe™ Bag. Understanding that modern life is hectic, SAKitToMe™ bags can be clipped to your keyring so you won’t be caught out with a bag again. The bags are durable and can be used for so much more than the shopping, one is never enough! [/tab][/tabs]

What was your first job?

Tutoring primary school kids in Japanse.

When you decided to start your own business, what was your big “why”?

I started my own business in 2003 not long after I got married. My husband and I are both lawyers by training and decided that it wasn’t possible for us to both be on the career path to partnership. An opportunity came up as part of an existing family business. EnviroTrend came out of boredom – while I was pregnant with my 3rd, I employed someone to take over the day to day work of the other business and found myself micromanaging the employee so I decided it was time to do something else. Designer green-bags were an idea I already had so I did some research, designed some bags and ordered stock. The first shipment arrived when baby #3 was 7 weeks old! It wasn’t ideal but I made it work, eventually.

What have you had to give up?

Set working hours. The flexibility of your own business is great, but at some point the work does need to be done. So while I can usually attend school sports etc, I do need to catch up in the evening. It also gives me the flexibility to work school hours and be with my children after school.