Make it British Podcast

Welcome to Episode 266 of the Make it British Podcast! In this episode I discuss how and why investing in your own personal development can dramatically transform your business. I share insights from my own personal development journey and provide valuable advice on how investing in yourself can make a massive difference to your business growth. We'll explore the risks of not investing in yourself...

Welcome to Episode 265 of the Make it British Podcast! In this episode I'm chatting with Pip Chawner, who is the founder of womenswear brand Philippa London. Pip has got some fantastic tips to share about her experiences of setting up her brand; some of the challenges she's had along the way, including a bit of a tricky experience with a manufacturer in India; and how she has had great success sel...

Welcome to Episode 264 of the Make it British Podcast! What are the red flags to watch out for when searching for a manufacturer, particularly if you're starting your search on Google or another search engine? From misleading claims of being a UK manufacturer to refusing to sign NDAs and the importance of visiting the factory floor. In this episode I provide valuable tips on how to spot these red...

Welcome to Episode 263 of the Make it British Podcast! Today I'm chatting to Clare Winton from Grow Wild Outdoorwear, a new brand for women in pregnancy and the early stages of motherhood. Clare had the idea to develop her maternity brand three years ago, and started, as many start-ups do, by searching Google to find a manufacturer. This led her to a frustrating two years trying to develop her col...

Welcome to episode 262 of the Make it British Podcast! In this episode, l explore the factors that go into setting the perfect price, from understanding your customer and competitors to considering the cost of alternatives. Join me as we unravel the secrets behind pricing strategies for product-based businesses that make in the UK. Get ready to gain invaluable insights and advice to help you nail...

Welcome to episode 261 of the Make It British Podcast! In this episode, you get the lowdown on why I ended up taking a 6 month break from podcasting. And why I've decided to make some big changes in my business. There's also some valuable advice on knowing when it's time to make changes in your own business, and the questions you need to ask yourself before you do so. HANDY LINKS 🚀 British Brand...

Hello and welcome to Series 6 of the Make it British podcast.  After a 6 month break the Make it British Podcast is coming back! The first episode will be released on Friday 6th October 2023. I have so much to fill you in on! Thanks to everyone that has requested more podcast episodes. It wasn't until I stopped doing them that I truly realised how much everyone loved and missed them. A lot ha...

In this episode I discuss some of the hidden costs of manufacturing, and offer tips on how to avoid them. Whether you're starting a new brand, or growing an existing one, there's typically five common areas where costs can spiral out of control, but the good thing is, they are all easily avoidable. Topics covered in this episode: The five hidden costs in UK manufacturing and how to avoid them How...

In this episode I'm joined by Tamara Cincik, founder of think tank Fashion Roundtable to discuss the impact of Brexit on small UK textile businesses. We delve into the challenges of supporting and promoting heritage brands, the need for trade associations to refocus their agendas, and the importance of heritage manufacturing in the textile industry. The conversation includes a discussion of the pl...

We get a lot of people contacting us at Make it British asking if we can put them in touch with a sustainable or ethical factory to make their brand. So in this episode I define ways in which a factory might meet this criteria. I also talk about the launch of Primark's new circular denim collection, which has had mixed reviews in the media, with many thinking it is greenwashing and an insult to sm...

24th April 2023 marks the ten year anniversary of the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Bangladesh, which killed over 1,000 workers and injured 2,500 more. To mark the occasion, I look back on this episode of the podcast with Dominique Muller from Labour Behind the Label, in which we discuss the issues around fast fashion, and what effect it has had on the Leicester textile indust...

Do you know what the no.1 reason is that product businesses fail? It's not legal problems, it's not finance problems, it's not even marketing problems. In this episode, you'll find out what it is, and how to avoid it. You'll learn: Why everything starts with the customer [03:47] The reasons why getting your target customer right will help your business [06:09] How knowing your ideal customer can h...

Download my Selling Price > Profit Calculator that goes with this episode here. Recently Bentley Motors announced their financial results for 2022, which revealed they'd had their best year ever. This is a luxury car brand, made in the UK, having a phenomenal year during a cost of living crisis. In this episode I discuss what small business can learn from Bentley's recent success, especially wh...

If you love factories, then today I have a little treat for you, as we are going on a factory tour with Contrado, who are a print on demand company. Contrado are a truly impressive UK manufacturer. They not only print fabric, leather and other surfaces like glass and pottery, in their huge facility in West London, but they also stitch bags, clothing and accessories from their printed fabrics, and...

When you run a UK-made brand you need to wear a lot of different hats! In this episode we explore all of the different jobs you need to do and the skills you need to have, on top of producing fantastic products. You'll learn: Why being the chief executive officer of your business is your first title [03:08] How managing marketing content plays a vital role in running a business [05:47] Why you nee...

On today’s episode I am chatting to Maxine Wells, who is the founder of Intimate Apparel Samples, a small lingerie studio in North West London. Getting lingerie made in the UK can be challenging. Whilst the UK once had thousands of machinists making underwear for the likes of Marks & Spencers, sadly there are only now only a handful of lingerie manufacturers left in the UK. I took a trip...

Welcome to Series 5! After taking a couple of months hiatus to focus on writing my book, I'm back with a brand new series. I'll be answering all of your most commonly asked questions about manufacturing, marketing and selling products that are made in the UK, and have some fantastic guests lined up for this series too. In this episode you'll hear a snippet from Selling Without Social - a workshop...

Hello and Welcome to Series 5 of the Make it British Podcast.  The new series is coming very soon. The first episode will be released on Friday 3rd March. In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about a few things we have coming up, that if you are a listener of this podcast you will probably be really interested to hear about. Selling Without Social An online workshop that I will be...

Having worked with hundreds of British brands over the last few years, and speaking to them about what is working for them right now, and what they see working in 2023, here are 11 ideas you can use for growing your British brand in 2023. Discover: 02:31 Why being a small business means you're in a great position right now 05:12 The 11 ways that you can grow your brand in 2023 29:35 How joining Br...

Meet Siwan Oldham, the founder of ByBiology, a business that is giving to scientific research by creating the most beautiful luxury silk scarves. Siwan talks about how her business idea came about, the reason she decided to manufacturer in the UK, and her journey so far in building the brand. Discover: 03:59 What Siwan's background is and how the idea for her business came about 05:10 Why Siwan kn...

Sarah Turner is the founder of Little Beau Sheep, a brand that celebrates the best of British wool through a unique range of hand-made laundry and body care products. Flying the flag for British wool, the Yorkshire-based entrepreneur came up with the idea of eco-friendly laundry balls to help families save money on washing. In this interview we chat all about how British wool has influenced Sarah...

How do you attract the right peoplt to your brand, and keep them coming back for more? In this excerpt from one of the sessions at the Make it British Virtual Forum, you'll hear the ways in which three successful business founders are marketing their brands - and some of the tips they share may surprise you! My guests are Justine Tabak, from womenswear brand Justine Tabak; Jack Millington, fr...

There are around 4,000 manufacturers based in Greater London, making everything from bicycles, ballet shoes, military uniforms, neon signs, umbrellas, mannequins and paint. Photographer Carmel King and factory owner Mark Brearley have produced a stunning book showcasing 50 of the best manufacturers in London. In this interview I talk to them about London’s rich and diverse manufacturing heritage a...

When it comes to manufacturing a product, planning is critical! In this episode, I cover exactly what you need to have prepared before going ahead with your production. You’ll also find out what a critical path is, why you need one and most importantly, how to keep it updated. Discover: 01:27 Why you need to plan your production 03:46 What is a critical path and why you need one  06:41 How to...

In this episode, I chat with Oscar Boatfield, who is one of the co-founders of bags and accessory brand BearMade who make all of their bags in the UK. If ever there was a great example of a business doing the right thing by both the planet and its customers, then BearMade is definitely it. Discover: 02:27 What Oscar was doing before BearMade which led to the launch of his business 07:00 How Oscar...