Make it British Podcast

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...

There are generally 3 main reasons why sales might not be going as expected. But don't panic! As well as discussing what those 3 reasons for a sales slump might be, in this episode I also give tips on what you can do if sales aren't going to plan Discover:  03:32 The reasons why your sales might not be going as you expect 07:10 The things you could be doing for your business in order to attra...

In this episode, I'm chatting with Graham Holbrook from Turtle Doves, a company that recycles cashmere jumpers into brand new products, including their signature fingerless gloves, which sell over 200,000 pairs a year. Graham talks about how Turtle Doves manage teams of outworkers in the UK to make their products. And we also discuss an exciting new project that Turtle Doves are working on, w...

In this episode, I invite you to join us for our second Made in UK Day on 9th March 2022. Following the success of the inaugural Made in UK Day in 2021, the campaign is back this year to raise awareness of the need to buy more locally made products and to showcase all the amazing businesses that make in the UK. Follow #madeinukday on social media to keep up to date with the campaign. Go...

The price of everything is going up at the moment - from fuel prices and taxes, to raw materials and shipping. But what does this mean for you if you have a business that makes in the UK? In this episode, you'll hear thoughts from our Make it British members, both brands selling UK-made products and UK manufacturers, on what price increases they're seeing. And how that is affecting their businesse...

Kitty Bruce-Gardyne is the founder of Scottish Textiles Showcase. Originally set up to give people special guided tours around the textile mills in Scotland, Scottish Textile Showcase is now a retail destination in Edinburgh. The shop represents some of Scotland's best textile businesses and Kitty tells the story of why she so passionately supports the Scottish textile industry. There's also...

One of the biggest mistakes that I see people making when they want to get a product made in the UK is that they think the first step that they need to take is to contact a manufacturer. But this is actually one of the last things that you want to do. In this episode I run through the 5 steps you need to take to get a product made in the UK. Discover:  01:45 The biggest mistake people make wh...

In this episode, I chat with Chris Kyriacou, founder of activewear brand Soma Sportswear. Chris contacted me in 2019, looking for help to find manufacturers to make his very unique athleisurewear. In this episode, Chris talks through the process of going from idea to fully-fledged product and how we worked together to find the right factories. Discover: 02:35 Chris' background and why he decided t...

One of the biggest problems that many fashion firms face is how they can dispose of their deadstock fabric. At the same time, designers often have issues with sourcing materials in small quantities. In this episode, we meet Deborah Lyons and Piarvé Wetshi, the co-founders of Last Yarn, an online fabric marketplace that solves one of the fashion industry's biggest problems. Discover: 4:50 How the i...

If you have a business making or selling products that are made in the UK, what are the biggest trends that will impact you in 2022? Whilst the last 2 years have shown us that it is almost impossible to predict the unpredictable, having worked with hundreds of small businesses that make in the UK over the last ten years, I can see definite patterns emerging. In this episode, I cover my top 6 busin...

In this episode I reflect on how much things have changed over the past couple of years for us at Make it British, as I am sure they have for you. I also look at which of the 61 episodes of the podcast I've recorded this year were my favourites, and why.   Discover:  01:54 How Make it British has adapted since pre-pandemic  04:18 Why I set up my coaching programme to help small busi...

Shanna Bent is the founder of the conscious fashion brand Maison Bent. Having previously worked with Alexander McQueen, Roland Mouret, Agent Provocateur, in 2019 Shanna set up her own luxury label, with a determination to bust the myth that black designers just do streetwear. She’s had a lot of success in a short space of time, from showing at London Fashion Week to capturing the attention of the...

When you have a product-based business and you're working with manufacturers, it's important to have a plan in place. There's no better time to do this than at the start of a new year. In this episode I give you tips on how to plan for 2022 and why you need to when you're working with manufacturers! Discover: 03:22 Why having a manufacturing plan in place is beneficial to both you and your supplie...

Charlotte Raffo is the founder of The Monkey Puzzle Tree, a homeware business that creates award-winning, artist designed fabrics and wallpapers with a twist and a conscience. Working with artists and designers to produce the most beautiful collection of products, The Monkey Puzzle Tree makes everything within a hundred mile radius of Leeds. The business has also recently won two awards for it’s d...

Of all the social media platforms that small businesses use to promote their business, Instagram seems to be the one that evokes the biggest love/hate reaction. Especially if you’re a creative person, or run a product-based business. You might be constantly bombarded by a stream of reels and videos from other small businesses who seem much more comfortable in front of the camera than you. And it f...