Make it British Podcast

What are the main costs that you will incur to start a brand, and how can you save money by making your product in the UK? FURTHER RESOURCES 25 Hidden Costs of Starting a Brand How Much Does it Cost to Start a UK-Made Fashion Brand? How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Discover the best ways to the ideal UK manufacturers for your brand, and how to ensure that they get back to you every time. FURTHER RESOURCES Make it British Manufacturer Directory 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

You might think that having the factory source your fabric for you sounds like the easiest option, but that's not always the case. In this episode I explain what your options are when it comes to fabric sourcing, and why many UK clothing manufacturers operate on what is known as a CMT basis. FURTHER RESOURCES CMT or Full Service Manufacturer: What's the difference? 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufact...

Find out how long on average it might take to launch a brand and what the main variables are that will affect it. FURTHER RESOURCES 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Discover the essential steps to turn your idea into a successful prototype. Get practical advice on how to bring your concept to life efficiently and cost-effectively and how to common pitfalls. FURTHER RESOURCES 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Welcome to Episode 272 of the Make it British Podcast Starting off the new year with something a bit different. This episode explains everything. Looking out for my special FAQ series, starting on Monday 7th January. HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Hello and Welcome to Episode 271! As 2023 draws to a close, and for my last podcast episode of the year, I reflect back on the 3 biggest lessons that I've learnt this year. I also want to say a massive thank you to everyone that has listened to this podcast over the last 12 months. I cannot believe I am now at episode 271! The Make it British Podcast will be back on 5th January 2024. See you then!...

Welcome to episode 270! In this episode I'm chatting with the fascinating Mark Shayler about all things sustainability. Mark is the author of You Can't Make Money From a Dead Planet, he consults with businesses big and small to help them do better when it comes to their environmental footprint, and he is one of the co founders of Reasons to be Cheerful, a platform for spreading good cheer and hope...

Hello and welcome to episode 269 of the Make it British podcast! At the time of recording this we are just a month away from the start of 2024, and that can only mean one thing - time to start planning! If that idea fills you with dread, because you are a 'wing it and see' type of person, maybe next year needs to start a little differently. In this episode I give you tips on how to stop winging it...

Welcome to Episode 268 of the Make it British Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Laura Ward, founder of the luxury British tennis brand Exeat. Exeat is the UK's most exported luxury tennis apparel brand, and Laura herself is the winner of many awards, including Global Startup of the&...

Welcome to episode 267 of the Make It British Podcast! In this episode, I share my recent experiences at the All Party Parliamentary Group for ethics and sustainability in fashion at the Houses of Parliament, organised by Fashion Roundtable. You can hear the full speech that I gave on the importance of localism, transparency, and ethical practices in the fashion industry. In which I highlighted th...

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...