Make it British Podcast

This episode answers some of your most commonly asked questions about pricing.  Discover: 02:12 What markup do retailers add? 08:19 Should you raise your prices if the cost of your fabric and manufacturing has increased? 13:06 Should you lower your prices if your customers only buy from you when you have a sale on? 17:36 How do you set your prices if you're making everything yourself? Mention...

In this episode, I chat with childrenswear designer Dawn Clarke, who is a member of Make It British and a part of our British Brand Accelerator programme. Dawn tells us all about her journey going from making everything in-house and bespoke, to creating ready-to-wear pieces with a UK manufacturer. Discover: 04:03 Why Dawn made the switch from offering bespoke to ready-to-wear children's clothing 0...

How can you sell a UK-made product, or any high end product, at a time when people may be more cautious about spending their money due to rising inflation and rising bills? Firstly, don't panic! I've got 5 tips to help you stay on track with your marketing and mindset during these uncertain times. Discover: 02:06 Why you shouldn't panic and make rash decisions 03:55 Why now is a great time to be m...

UK-made goods have huge value both at home and abroad. Are you doing enough to shout about your own British-made brand? I'll be sharing my 7 foolproof tips you can action right now to sell your UK-made goods. Discover:  03:01 Who will benefit from these tips and why there are no Union Jacks 04:13 Why now is a great time to shout about the fact you make your products in the UK 08:14 The 7 prov...

Want to know how to create a loyal following and keep happy customers coming back for more? Kate Barker (Lime Tree Design), Sue Longmore (Maude and Fox) and Linda de Ruiter (The Slow Wardrobe) share the customer service secrets that have grown their product businesses. Discover: 04:22 How each of the businesses found out who their ideal customers were 08:30 What ways they communicate with their cu...

Is it possible to launch a brand with just a few hundred pounds?  We surveyed our Make it British members and they gave us the insights into how much it cost them to start-up a brand that is made in the UK, and what they spent their money on. This episode will be really useful for you not only if you are thinking of launching a clothing brand, but also if you already have an existing business...

Joining me this week is Veronica Galbraith from fun, colourful homewares brand Republic of Happy. Originally from Colombia and now living permanently in Cornwall, Veronica is a graphic designer turned surface pattern designer. She tells me all about how she deals with perfectionism and the things she would have done differently when launching her printed textile business in the UK. We also discuss...

Do you want to manufacture in the UK but factories keep giving your efforts the silent treatment? This one's for you. In this episode, I share five actionable tips for things that you can do before you start to reach out to a manufacturer in the UK to find your perfect manufacturing partner. Discover: 03:30 The reason why manufactures might not be getting back to you 07:52 How doing your research...

Find out about an exciting recycled cashmere collaboration between three UK businesses. Dr. John Parkinson from iinouiio, Graham Holbrook from Turtle Doves, and Emma Mathews from Socko, share how the project came about, the importance of making in the UK and the possibilities of UK-made regenerated yarns in the future. Discover: 04:41 How the collaboration came about between the 3 UK businesses 10...

Summer is a time for holidays - not just for you, but also for your manufacturer and suppliers. The Factory Fortnight - a time when manufacturers traditionally shuttered their doors for a couple of weeks - may be less common in the 21st century, but it is still something to prepare for. In this episode I talk about the history of the Factory Fortnight, and what you can do to make sure that you are...

This episode is dedicated to those of you that put sending an email to your mailing list at the bottom of your to-do list!  Discover:  02:25 Why email marketing is more important than social media marketing 04:24 How to make sure your email content is engaging so that people don’t unsubscribe 08:21 What to do if you think you don't have the time to send emails 11:15 How to reengage with...

When you get a product manufactured, most of the time everything will go as planned. But what about the odd occasion when it doesn't? It's always better to have thought about what could go wrong in advance, and make sure that you have a plan in place if it does.  That's when a manufacturing agreement can come in handy. In this episode I look at what you should agree with a manufacturer b...

We're back! After a longer than planned hiatus, the Make it British Podcast has returned. And we'll be back to our regular Friday episodes. This week I'm discussing what went wrong with the recent rebuild of the Make it British website, and how you can make sure that it doesn't happen to you! Discover: 01:09 Why it's been such a long time since the last episode of the podcast 02:19 Why we're relau...

We're taking a break from new podcast episodes for a while. Back soon! Stay Connected: Subscribe to the Make it British Newsletter Follow on Instagram Connect with Kate on Linkedin British Brand Accelerator

In this episode, recorded as an Instagram Live on Made in UK Day, I chat to two British makers: Joseph Azagury, a high-end women's footwear designer with his own atelier in Wimbledon, London Nelson and Jenny Were from leather goods brand Nelson Were. We chat about how the both of them learned their craft and why it's so important to keep these sorts of skills alive in the UK. Discover:  04:44...

Linda De Ruiter is the founder of sustainable womenswear brand, The Slow Wardrobe.  In this episode, we talk about Linda's business, The Slow Wardrobe, how she dresses women to feel more confident, and why she's chosen YouTube as the main marketing channel to drive sales for her business. If you find it difficult to get in front of the camera to market your products, then take a leaf out of L...

If you have a limited budget to spend on product development and stock, the worst thing you can do is pick the wrong manufacturing partner. Here's how to make sure that you don't.   Discover: 06:00 The expensive mistakes brands make when it comes to choosing the wrong manufacturer. 07:03 The potential pitfalls the can happen when looking for a UK manufacturer. 09:53 Why you should always...

Make sure that manufacturers are getting back to your emails by avoiding these four common errors.  Discover: 03:08 The amount of emails that manufacturers are getting and why you need to stand out. 04:23 The four reasons why emails to manufacturers don't get answered. 07:13 The one topic you should NEVER start you email with. 08:16 What you should do BEFORE you first contact a manufacturer....

In this episode, recorded as an Instagram Live on Made in UK Day, I chat to three UK manufacturers: Karen and Neville Clokey from NC Lancaster, who make cushions in Lancashire Steff McGrath from Something Wicked, a UK-made lingerie brand and manufacturer. Alison Pottie from Wonky Woolies, a knitted accessory manufacturer in Scotland. We chat about why local manufacturing is important to them. The...

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In this episode, I chat with Paul Brown, founder of Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, a UK-made brand based in Suffolk. Paul founded his clothing business back in 2012, knowing nothing about clothing manufacturing, butwent on to set up his own micro-factory. He shares how much it cost him to get his micro-factory up and running, and what the benefits are of having control of your own production. We also d...

Rosie Macpherson is the founder of Where’s Winnie, a luxury dog travel brand. Rosie came to me when she had an idea to develop an innovative new type of dog car seat. One where a small dog can travel in style and comfort, but which also offered safety and security. In this episode, Rosie talks us through the journey from the initial idea for her product, to a very successful launch. Discover:...

Julie Deane CBE is the founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company, which manufactures all its bags in the UK. In this episode, recorded as an Instagram Live on Made in UK Day, I chat to Julie about why the Cambridge Satchels are made in the UK, and how important it is to retain craftsmanship here in Britain. Discover: 03:17 Why Julie feels there should be a kitemark to recognise products made in the...

Do you want to wholesale your UK-made brand, but don't know where to start? Is this episode we look at some of the potential pitfalls, and I give you my top 8 tips for success when selling to retail buyers.  Discover:  02:22 Is wholesale right for your business? 04:04 The 8 tips for selling to retail buyers 08:22 Why doing your research before reaching out to buyers can save you tim...

The results of our Made in UK survey are in! Find out what consumers really think about buying UK-made goods.    Read the full survey results here: https://makeitbritish.co.uk/buying-british/madeinuk-survey-2022/   Stay in Touch British Brand Accelerator  - Find out how you can work with me to build your British-made brand Make it British website Join Make it British &nbsp...