Build a British Brand

Whether you want to grow your British-made brand, get your goods rolling off a UK- based factory production line, or get your products in front of more shoppers, we’ve got you covered.

Bonus: How to Find a UK Manufacturer

Finding a UK manufacturer doesn’t have to be a challenge! In this bonus episode, I share the recording of my recent webinar, where I break down the 5 essential steps to finding your perfect manufacturing partner. What You’ll Learn in […]

4 reasons not to make in the UK

295 – 4 Reasons NOT to Make in the UK

Regular listeners to this podcast will know that I am all about encouraging brands to manufacture locally. But in some cases, it might not make good sense to do so. In this episode I explain the 4 reasons why you

How to get people into your mailing list

294 – How to get people onto your mailing list

One of the questions that came up on one of our recent British Brand Accelerator group coaching calls was so good, I thought I’d bring it to you on the podcast this week. The question was about whether a small

21 tips for building a great British brand

286 – 21 Tips for Building a Great British Brand

Hear from 21 business founders as they give their tips on starting and growing a British-made brand. These snippets were taken from 21 different guest interviews on this podcast. If you want to listen to the full episodes you can

Make it British Podcast

271 – 3 Things I Learnt This Year

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

Make it British Podcast

262 – Nailing Your Pricing Strategy

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

5 Hidden Manufacturing Costs and How to Avoid Them - Make it British Podcast with Kate Hills

260 – 5 Hidden Manufacturing Costs and How to Avoid Them

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

258 - How Do You Define an ‘Ethical Factory’ Make it British Podcast with Kate Hills

258 – How Do You Define an ‘Ethical Factory’?

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 small brands that are genuinely doing the right thing.

Make it British Podcast Cover with Kate Hills 2023

250 – 11 Ways to Grow a British Brand in 2023

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

Make it British Podcast with Kate Hills - Episode 247 with Justine Tabak, Rosie Macpherson and Jack Millington

247 – Attracting Customers & Creating Raving Fans

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

Make it British Podcast Cover with Kate Hills 2023

243 – Pricing Your Products

This episode answers some of your most commonly asked questions about pricing.  Discover: 02:12 What markup do retailers add? 08:19 Should you raise your prices if the cost of your fabric and manufacturing has increased? 13:06 Should you lower your

Make it British Podcast Cover with Kate Hills 2023

240 – 7 Proven Ways to Promote Your UK-Made Brand

UK-made goods have huge value both at home and abroad. Are you doing enough to shout about your own British-made brand? I’ll be sharing my 7 foolproof tips you can action right now to sell your UK-made goods. Discover:  03:01

Make it British Podcast Episode 249 - Customer Service Secrets

239 – Customer Service Secrets for British-Made Brands

Want to know how to create a loyal following and keep happy customers coming back for more? Kate Barker (Lime Tree Design), Sue Longmore (Maude and Fox) and Linda de Ruiter (The Slow Wardrobe) share the customer service secrets that

Make it British Podcast Cover with Kate Hills 2023

238 – How to Start a Clothing Brand for Less

Is it possible to launch a brand with just a few hundred pounds?  We surveyed our Make it British members and they gave us the insights into how much it cost them to start-up a brand that is made in

Make it British Podcast Cover with Kate Hills 2023

221 – 8 Tips for Selling to Retail Buyers

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. 

Make it British Podcast Cover with Kate Hills 2023

216 – Should You Raise Your Prices?

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

Podcast episode 201 British-made brands

201 – 7 things that successful British-made brands do

What are some of the things that I see successful British-made brands do consistently? In the first episode of series 4 of the Make it British podcast I look at what makes for a great British-made brand.   Discover:  04:11

20 tips for building a great UK-made business

200 – 20 tips for building a great UK-made brand

I’ve interviewed some fantastic guests over the past 3 series of the Make it British podcast. To celebrate the milestone which is 200 episodes, I’m bringing you a summary from 21 of the Make it British members that I have interviewed

11 Tips for Starting a UK Made Brand

199 – 11 tips for starting a UK-made brand

Starting any business can be tough – especially one that involves making products! Whether you are just about start a brand, or you’ve already launched and it’s not quite going to plan, here are 11 tips that will help ensure

Podcast epsiode 188

188 – 10 things that make British-made businesses great

In this episode, I look back over the first 100 episodes of this show to find out what makes British-made businesses great. There are many common themes running through the last 100 episodes and that I’ve heard again and again

Podcast 174

174 – Why are your products not selling?

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

are you confusing mark-up and margin

170 – Are you confusing mark-up and margin?

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

how much does it cost to start a uk made brand

168 – How much does it cost to start a UK-made brand?

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

fail to plan plan to fail

162 – Fail to plan…plan to fail!

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

The Make it British Podcast Cover 2023 with Kate Hills

150 – 11 trends for 2021 and beyond

What will 2021 hold for businesses that make in the UK? In the last episode of 2020, and the last of series two, I look at some of the trends that I think will impact businesses that make in the

how to promote a uk made brand thumbnail

148 – How to promote a UK-made brand

UK-made goods have huge value both at home and abroad. If you have a UK-made brand are you doing enough to shout about it? In this episode, I share my 7 foolproof tips you can action right now to shine

calculating cost per wear

130 – Calculating cost per wear

What is the true cost of that cheap coat that you buy on the high street? Whilst the price of clothing has gone down over the last sixty years, so has the quality.  If you calculate the cost per wear

to wholesale or not to wholesale

124 – To Wholesale, or Not to Wholesale

Whether to wholesale is one of the biggest decisions that brands have to make, and it is often much more of a difficult decision for businesses that make in the UK as their cost price is often higher. Wholesale was the

10 things that make British-made businesses great

100 – 10 Things that make British-made businesses great

In this episode I look back over the first 100 episodes of this show to find out what makes British-made businesses great. There are many common themes running running through the last 100 episodes and that I’ve heard again and

how to validate your uk-made product idea

095 – How to validate your UK-made product idea

Lots of people try to launch a business or collection with a huge range of products. They then find they don’t have enough funds to manufacture everything they set out to. They make expensive mistakes and their initial vision may

getting your product pricing right

083 – Getting Your Product Pricing Right

It’s very difficult to raise your prices for a product after you have launched it or communicated it to your customers. So how you can make sure that you’ve got them right from the start? Whilst the common calculation for

what affects a garments cost price?

081 – What Affects a Garment’s Cost Price?

Why do two similar looking items often cost totally different prices, even in the same shop?  A lot of it is to do with the cost price of the product. Yet so many different factors can affect that cost price.

the truth about branding

074 Live! – Simon Middleton, Blackshore Clothing

The Truth About Branding…it’s not about a logo and it’s not about generating content Simon Middleton has had a parallel career for the last decade, as a brand strategy adviser, speaker, and author of books including the bestseller Build A

panel discussion

069 Live! – Small Batch Manufacturing

What’s the best way of successfully manufacturing small quantities in the UK? In this episode, recorded at Make it British Live!, UK garment and textile manufacturers discuss how designers can work with UK manufacturers. Panellists are: David Williams (Stoll GB

why every manufacturer needs a great website

052 – Why Every Manufacturer Needs a Great Website

Simple tips for how UK manufacturers can attract the right clients by just a few changes to their websites. In the latest episode of the podcast I give some simple tips for how UK manufacturers can attract the right clients

how to make the most of events

046 – How to Make the Most of Events

What’s the best way of maximising your attendance at an event? As an event organiser I get lots of questions from exhibitors (and visitors) that are unsure of how to make the most of attending an event. In this episode

should I use made in Britain or made in the uk?

034 – Should I Use Made in Britain or Made in UK?

When it comes to labelling your products what is the best term to use? Made in Britain, made in the UK, or something else? In this episode I explore the different ‘Made in..’ labels that brands use to signify where

is making in the uk really more expensive?

022 – Is Making in the UK Really More Expensive?

Is it really more expensive to make in the UK? Or is there a reason that some of the most profitable retailers are using more local manufacturing? In this episode I dive deeper into prices. More specifically – how you can

how to manufacture in the UK for less

009 – How to Manufacture in the UK for Less

Do you think that manufacturing in the UK is more expensive? In this episode I dispel some of the myths around making in the UK being more pricey. Quite often it’s down to not WHERE you manufacture, but WHAT you

why is UK manufacturing important?

003 – Why is UK Manufacturing Important?

What difference does it really make if you choose to manufacture in the U.K. rather than overseas? You may wonder why I think it is so important that we support our U.K. manufacturers and continue to make here in Britain.

the making of Make It British

001 – The Making of Make it British

Who is Kate Hills? And why is she so passionate about UK manufacturing? In this first full-length episode I give you the behind the scenes of who I am, why I do what I do and who Make it British