Posts by Kate Hills
Manufacturing Hero: Christopher Nieper
Christopher Nieper, MD of David Nieper awarded OBE in Queen’s New Year Honours 💯 Congratulations to this man – Christopher Nieper, MD of clothing manufacturer David Nieper – who has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. Never has an award been more deserving. If there is one person more than…
Read MoreWIN – An Artisan Natural Tan Dog Leash from Seldom Found
Seldom Found have teamed up with us to offer you the chance to win an Artisan Natural Tan Dog Leash Seldom Found handcraft a range of leather dog collars and leashes. Every item is handmade to order using the finest materials, handcut and crafted from start to finish in one studio, without the use of…
Read More5 Trade Shows to visit if you’re looking for new suppliers in 2020
One of the best ways of finding suppliers and manufacturers is by attending a trade show. This can mean an investment of your time and money, so here we take a look at the five best sourcing shows for you to attend if you’re developing a made in UK brand. Trade shows should be planned…
Read MoreMade in UK Christmas Gifts for the Home
Wanting to find a Christmas present for a home lover? We have some fantastic UK-made homeware gift ideas for you, from home textiles to garden furniture. Adriana Homewares Adriana Homewares’ throws are woven and made in Yorkshire using beautifully soft 100% British Bluefaced Leicester Wool. They pride themselves on their Yorkshire heritage as well as…
Read MoreWIN – A £500 family gift voucher from the All-in-One Company
The All-in-One Company have teamed up with us to offer you the chance to win a £500 family gift voucher From feeling Roarsome with your pride, to monkeying around, or cosying up with your cub, you could win a £500 Gift Voucher and Create-your-Own Tribe of Onesies for the whole family. The All-in-One Company…
Read More11 Factors affecting manufacturing costs
There are many things that can influence your manufacturing costs. Here’s what they are – and how to mitigate them. When you ask a manufacturer how much something is going to cost right at the start of a conversation with them, chances are they’ll not give you an answer. Or you’ll receive an estimated price…
Read MoreIn the Press: Make it British on C4 SuperShoppers
How is the cost of clothing in stores calculated? Ever wondered how big retailers work out the price of clothing you see in stores? Is it genuinely related to how much it costs to manufacture? Or do they make up the prices according to how much they think you’ll pay? The cost of clothes and…
Read MoreWhy the value of UK manufacturing is underestimated
There’s barely any manufacturing left in the UK, everyone works in the service industry instead, right? Wrong! Due to the outdated way that the Government looks at statistics, we are all being led to believe that manufacturing contributes just a small percentage of value to the UK economy. But a recent report by Cambridge University…
Read MoreWhy fashion has to be valued if Brand Britain is to survive Brexit
Fashion Roundtable, the independent think tank which campaigns for fashion to have a voice in parliament, has issued a warning on how Brexit delays and the current political landscape are impacting UK fashion brands and manufacturers. Tamara Cincik, founder of Fashion Roundtable and Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group For Textiles and Fashion, is calling on…
Read MoreWhy I nearly gave up on our trade show (but thanks to folks like you I didn’t)
It is now eight years since I set up the Make it British website and five years since I launched our trade show – Make it British Live! I nearly gave it all up. Here’s why I didn’t… I have to admit to you that sometimes I’ve felt like giving up on my one woman mission…
Read MoreGovernment interim report into the sustainability of UK fashion industry – where were the manufacturers?
Lack of manufacturers represented at the Government’s review of the sustainability of the UK fashion industry is very telling – what can be done to give them more of a voice? Last week the UK Government released its interim report into the sustainability of the fashion industry. One of the issues that they addressed was concerns…
Read MoreWIN a luxury silk scarf from Firehorse
Your chance to WIN this luxury silk scarf from British fashion accessory brand Firehorse Firehorse is a luxury fashion accessories brand championing the best of British design and craftsmanship. Its debut collection of limited edition silk scarves is designed and hand-made in England. Firehorse scarves showcase the talent of up and coming designers, each of…
Read MoreWhat’s the difference between a Full-Service and CMT manufacturer?
Do you know what materials you need to produce your product? Thought the manufacturer would do this for you? Depending on whether they are a Full-Service or CMT manufacturer, this is not always the case. In this article I explain the difference between these two types of manufacturer and why it’s likely you will need to…
Read MoreWhy do manufacturers not get back to your emails? And how to correct it
Have you sent an email to a manufacturer and not got a response? In this article I outline the 3 common reasons why you may not have heard back, and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again One of the most common complaints I hear about UK manufacturers is that they don’t get back…
Read MoreWant to start a clothing brand but have no idea what to do next?
Want to develop a new product but don’t know where to start when it comes to manufacturing? Do you want to launch a clothing brand or a product that is made in the UK, but you’re struggling to know where to start? Or have you already started reaching out to manufacturers but you’ve had little,…
Read MoreMy sad decision to close the Make it British Community group on Facebook
As of 7th January 2019 our free Facebook group will be closing. Here’s why… A couple of years ago I launched a free group on Facebook, aimed at building a discussion forum for people that wanted to buy British and manufacture in the UK. Unfortunately, to a very few minority of people, the idea of…
Read MoreShould I exhibit at a trade show?
In this interview with Janet Murray for The Janet Murray Show podcast, I explain why you should exhibit a trade show and how to get a great return on the investment The Janet Murray Show is a fantastic podcast from Marketing expert Janet Murray, showcasing practical marketing strategies through inspiring interviews with entrepreneurs. I was…
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