#OneaDay: Betty and Biddy call on budding designers to aid the Irish Cancer Society

As part of our partnership with iZest’s One a Day project, we’re shining a light on Irish businesses and projects that are doing things differently during the pandemic. This week, it’s Betty and Biddy, a well-loved Irish jewellery brand that focuses on Irish women feeling their best

We all love to play around with our jewellery — rearranging it, styling it, and reminiscing on all the times it made us sparkle.

Betty and Biddy know this, and love to source the best on-trend jewellery, at affordable prices, so that Irish women can feel their best at any time.

During the Covid-19 crisis, Betty and Biddy have had to pivot their business to suit new tastes, styles and habits. But now, for their latest competition as part of the One a Day campaign, Betty and Biddy have shown their community spirit and love for what makes Irish people tick.

We sat down with Fiona Fitzsimons, CEO and Head Betty at Betty and Biddy to hear about their business, their values, and how lovers of the brand can get involved in their competition.

How and when did Betty and Biddy come about, and what was the idea behind it?

Betty and Biddy first launched towards the end of 2014. I initially started it part-time after completing a course in web development. I spent the evenings trying to build it up while I worked full-time. It took me the guts of two years to do this and I went full time at Betty and Biddy in 2017.

I was always obsessed with jewellery because I have quite a simple style and find accessories are always a great edit to simple outfits. The ethos of the brand is to really offer stylish, wearable and chic accessories at affordable prices. The jewellery is inspired by what we believe our customers want and it is created to be layered and styled to allow you to add your own personal touch to the look.

How have you guys had to change your business since Covid-19 started?

We were affected by Covid quite early on in 2020 with our delivery schedules but the impact was really felt towards the end of March. I took the whole operation home, which has been challenging at the best of times, but quite rewarding when you see people gift their friends and family. We started to offer free gift cards with our orders so our customers can send messages with their gifts. The messages are really emotional and it’s a nice way for people to connect without seeing each other.

What are the jewellery pieces that you think every woman should have in their wardrobe?

For me, the essential accessory wardrobe is: a gold hoop earring, a pinky ring and a double layered gold chain. I love this look, so simple yet so chic.

Tell me about the competition you guys are running right now

Betty and Biddy want to give one aspiring jewellery designer, or creative, the opportunity to design an item of jewellery and have it produced and sold on bettyandbiddy.com. We will review one design submission per day with a view to picking a winner in 2 weeks. 100% of the profits from the sale of the item will be donated to The Irish Cancer Society.

What will make a design stand out to you?

I would love to see something meaningful designed and created; something with a story behind it. I am really excited to see the talent and creativity that I know is out there. Anything that is affiliated with Ireland would really stand out and I believe would sell really well to raise some money for The Irish Cancer Society.

OneADay

OneADay is asking people and businesses like Betty and Biddy to donate 1% of their time, platform, energy or money towards a cause. iZest see the campaign as a way to curb some of the stress and anxiety around the pandemic, and get people connecting in a new way.

How it works

If you like the sound of putting your newfound free time to good use, here’s how the initiative works. If you’re a business, you can register your details with iZest and let them know what your OneADay will be. It can be anything — use your imagination. Some great ways to lend your support could be:

• One Hour a Day – If you have the time, use one hour of your day to do some pro bono work for a company or charity that might need the extra help.
• One Call a Day — Give the time for one over-the-phone consultation per day with someone who needs some business guidance.
• One Shout-Out a Day — If you know a small business or someone who needs a signal boost, use your online platform to give them a shout-out.
• One Introduction a Day — Know someone who would be perfect for another company’s opening? Use your connections to introduce them.

If you need the services of a company that’s involved in OneADay, you can contact them directly and share your details, and why you think teaming up could help.

And if you’re an individual who wants to get involved at home, that’s great too. Your OneADay could be anything from posting One Workout a Day online to help other families who are cooped up at home to stay fit, or One Lesson a Day, sharing a skill with those who are looking for inspiration.

iZest are asking everyone involved to share their OneADay on their IG Stories, tagging @oneaday_ie and #oneaday_ie — they’ll be reposting the efforts to keep the connections going.