Meet Jan Panaia of Just Jan
 
Meet Jan Pania from Just Jan. Jan makes gorgeous bags of  fabric and vinyl accents of all kinds including, - library bags, pet bags, fashion bags, wallets and many more. Once working in finance and thinking herself as ‘not at all creative’ Jan who is now ‘retired’ often finds herself up till 2am ‘in the zone’ creating unique products that people are getting enjoyment from and she loves making!
Running for about 3 years Just Jan started when Jan registered to walk in the Hawaiian Walk for Women’s Cancer and started to make Christmas Stockings as a fundraiser.  Her idea took off and she began getting requests for bags and odd items.
The profits from Just Jan still go to charity – the Harry Perkins Institute for Cancer Research being a major benefactor. ‘Cancer is a disgusting disease which has touched most of us in one way or another and I want it gone!! Harry Perkins is our best chance – the work they do is amazing.'


Jan has huge inspiration behind her business. She gets the usual satisfaction of a maker seeing her bags (usually a one of a kind item) finding their owners ‘the feeling when someone loves it enough to buy it, is amazing.’
On a larger scale, from the charity side Jan has been affected by cancer, as she recognises so many others have.

Jan's sister is a breast cancer survivor! Unfortunately Jan's best friend wasn’t so lucky 'she had many tumours and died very quickly after diagnosis – she didn’t even make it to fifty’.

‘The magic of this venture is that I get to do what I love and also have the opportunity to give back.’
Jan has no huge aspirations to grow her business. When asked what does she dream for her business she humbly and gratefully responds saying ‘I have everything I want – how good is that?’ On a grander level though, Jan would like to raise as much money as possible whilst her business remains manageable and enjoyable. If she did have a small personal goal she would  one day like to do a market and sell out.   
You can find Just Jan through Facebook as well on the market scene all over Perth. All the markets Jan is a part of are listed under her events on Facebook so jump on and like her page.