42. 3 Blonde Bears

Founder: Jo Jenners
Founded: January 2011
Website: www.3blondebears.co.uk

Manufacturer and online retailer 3 Blonde Bears has shown rapid and sustainable growth since launch two years ago and its Startups 100 entry last year, with its personalised gifts proving consistently popular among its predominately ABC1 consumers. Founder Jo Jenner’s firm continues to be one of Notonthehighstreet.com’s highest grossing partners, and has successfully moved premises and developed new systems to cope with its success. As well as through NOTHS, the products are sold directly via a website and through further, carefully selected, partners. Having seen an incredibly successful 2012, the plan was to achieve 55% growth in 2013, a target that’s looking very comfortably within reach. This has been helped by savvy diversification into men’s gifting, which is now the best performing area since its launch in spring 2012, and B2B, with products selling well within the events sector.