Make it British Podcast

Johnstons of Elgin is the largest textile manufacturer in the UK. The 223-year-old company employs over 1,000 people and was the first to bring cashmere weaving to Scotland. Simon Cotton, the chief executive of Johnstons, describes himself as working for the most exciting company in the UK. Listen to find out how he plans to make the company last long into their next 200 years. Discover: How Johns...

This episode is a lesson to anyone that wants to make in the UK but is struggling to make their pricing work. YES, it is possible to have a thriving and sustainable brand that is made in the UK and be profitable. You just need to change the way you look at things. Discover:  Why trying to find a cheaper manufacturer is not the solution 02:05 Why pricing for small product-based businesses is d...

Rebecca Mills has a background in buying and retail for some big-name brands, yet when it came to running her own business she found it very different. In this episode, she talks about how different it is running her own brand and some of the common mistakes that it is easy to make when you love designing products! Discover: The challenges of developing a product for your own brand versus doing it...

I get contacted all the time by people looking for ‘more affordable’ UK manufacturers. They’re not making any money in their business and they believe it’s all the manufacturer’s fault because their prices are too high.   But when I dig a little deeper, often I find that there are other parts of the business that need to be addressed first in order for them to make any money. So before you de...

Debbie McKeegan has over 30 years experience in textile printing - specifically digital printing. She is the founder of TexIntel, a platform that provides fantastic knowledge and advice to the digital print industry and also the host of the Texintel podcast. In this episode Debbie answers all your burning questions about digital printing. So if you find fabric printing, particularly digital fabric...

There are really four different scenarios in which it's probably better to manufacture overseas than in the UK.In this episode, I run through what those four different cases are. Discover:  How the amount of time that it takes to make something can play a big part in deciding whether it should be made here 01:41 Which skills we have very little of in the UK when it comes to making fashion and...

James Stewart is an experienced lean practitioner who has worked with Burberry and Fashion Enter to help streamline their manufacturing process. ‘Lean’ is a method for producing products in smaller batches, closer to the customer, rather than making zillions of products overseas that no one wants to buy. Anyone that manufactures sustainably and locally in the UK, is in fact using some lean princip...

If your products aren’t selling - don’t get disheartened! There can be many reasons why products don’t sell, but there are also lots of things you can do to make sure they have the best chance of success. So before you think about slashing your prices, take a listen to this episode. Discover: The things you can do before you start to develop a product to make sure it has the best chance of selling...

In an industry that is dominated by big brands, how can you stand out from the crowd and launch something new? In this episode, I chat to Hannah Lovegrove, co-founder of Lovegrove essentials, about what it takes to launch an organics skincare brand that is made in the UK. Hannah started her award-winning business in 2015 with her daughter Hayley. She has some great advice for how she has achieved...

What are some of the pros and cons of selling your products on an online marketplace? And how do you know which ones you should be on? Along with the well-established online marketplaces such as Etsy and Not on the High Street, there are lots of new ones springing up. Many of these specialise in certain niches, including a few newcomers who sell only UK-made goods. Discover:  What is an onlin...

Rich and Linda make stunning, digitally printed swimwear under the label Usual Objections. They manufacture all of their products from a micro-factory in their family home in Hackney, which they also share with 2 children and a blind pug! In this episode, they tell me about what made them decide to manufacture everything themselves, having tried doing so with several UK manufacturers first, and wh...

When it comes to working out your selling prices, one of the biggest mistakes people make is getting their margin and mark-up all mixed up! It’s easily done as the two words are pretty similar. But it can be a costly mistake to make if you get it wrong. In this episode, I explain what the difference is between a margin and a mark-up, and what percentages you should be aiming for depending on how y...

On today’s episode, we’re being joined by make-up artist Phyllis Cohen, who is also the founder of a business called Face Lace. Phyllis started her career as a make-up artist in the ‘80s during the New Romantic era when her illustrative make-up appeared in magazines such as i-D. She’s also worked her make-up magic on everyone from David Bowie and Lady Gaga to Zandra Rhodes. Phyllis is a great exam...

There are a lot of different costs involved in launching a brand. But in this episode, I break it down into four main segments: prototyping; stock; marketing and admin. I also advise on what the typical amount is that new businesses spend in getting their brand off the ground, and smart ways that you can reduce those costs. Discover: The new ‘Made in UK’ Award introduced by The Great British Entre...

Rowena Howie’s Revival Retro store in central London is a destination shop for fans of her flattering dresses and stylish accessories. In this episode we chat about how Rowena has pivoted her business to online whilst the shop has been closed; how the government could help independent retailers; and how she puts the customer at the heart of everything she does. She’s also got some great advice for...

Choosing a manufacturer is one of the most important decisions you can make in the development of your products, so it’s important to find the right one. When you are assessing whether a manufacturer is a good fit for you there are certain questions that you should ask them. Some of these questions you may want to ask over the phone initially, in order to narrow down your choice, but others, such...

Today I’m chatting to UK garment manufacturer Jenny Holloway who I first featured on this show on episode 21 back in January 2019. Jenny runs Fashion Enter, a social enterprise that makes 1,000s of garments every week in their North London factory.  Fashion Enter also runs a training academy teaching people the essential skills needed to work in fashion production and recently set up another...

When you go to visit any manufacturer for the first time it’s your opportunity to find out exactly how they operate. The more factories you visit the more you come to learn what makes a good fit for you and your business. But there are several key aspects to a well-run factory that you can look out for that should help to inform your decision as to whether you’re in a good place. Discover: Why vis...

Data and digital are drastically changing how we all shop and the way that products are made. In this conversation recorded at Make it British Live! Online, a panel of digital experts from within the fashion industry discuss the importance of data for businesses both large and small, and how it can initiate much more personalised conversations with customers. The panel is chaired by Jodi Muter-Ham...

A range plan is an essential tool for any product business. Without it you are setting yourself up for failure. Yet many of the small businesses that I speak to that are developing products say they don’t have a range plan. Or they don’t even know what it is! So in this episode, I explain what a range plan is and why it’s a valuable tool for our business. And if you really feel like geeking out on...

John Elliott MBE founded Ebac nearly 50 years ago. The company has also sold 1.5 million dehumidifiers over the years and is the only manufacturer of washing machines in the UK. John is very passionate about UK manufacturing and his thoughts on the UK Government, the supermarkets and Which? make for entertaining listening.  Discover:  How John left school at 15 with no qualifications and...

If you want to launch a clothing label should you get your first samples made by a seamstress or should you go straight to working with a factory? In this episode, I cover the pros and cons of both so that you can make the decision for yourself as to which you think is best for your business. Discover: How a seamstress can translate your ideas into an initial prototype 02:32 Why you should start w...

How Rachel Bowditch discovered a gap in the market and turned it into a thriving business with loyal fans. Alice Bow became an overnight sensation when it was reported that the Duchess of Cambridge was a big fan. Rachel discusses how she rapidly grew her business overnight by bringing her manufacturing in house.  She also has some great tips about how to protect your brand's IP, as well as ho...

Does the phrase critical path fill you with dread? Or make you jump for joy? When it comes to manufacturing a product a critical path is...critical! In this episode, I cover exactly what a critical path is and when and why you need one. You’ll also find out how to create one, and most importantly, keep it updated. Discover: What is a critical path? 01:23 Examples of when you would need a critical...

How can you find deadstock materials for your brand?  In this episode, Dessy from Fashion Insiders & Co and I discuss some of the challenges of starting a fashion brand, including one of the biggest challenges of all, which is how to find raw materials in small quantities.  Dessy has recently launched a platform call My Factori which hosts online pop-up sales selling raw materials th...