Build a British Brand

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 […]

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

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

Christopher Nieper OBE is the managing director of David Nieper, a womenswear business in Alfreton in Derbyshire. The firm was set up by Christopher’s parents sixty years ago and is now one of the most vertical textile operations in the UK.

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

Catherine Bedford is the founder of Dashel Cycle Helmets which are all made in the UK.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Recently Bentley Motors announced their financial results for 2022, which revealed they’d had their year ever. This is a luxury car brand, made in the UK, having a phenomenal year during a cost of living crisis.

When you run a UK-made brand you need to wear a lot of different hats! In this episode we explore all of the different jobs you need to do and the skills you need to have, on top of producing

Welcome to Series 5! After taking a couple of months hiatus to focus on writing my book, I’m back with a brand new series. I’ll be answering all of your most commonly asked questions about manufacturing, marketing and selling products

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

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

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

How can you sell a UK-made product, or any high end product, at a time when people may be more cautious about spending their money due to rising inflation and rising bills? Firstly, don’t panic! I’ve got 5 tips to

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

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

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

This episode is dedicated to those of you that put sending an email to your mailing list at the bottom of your to-do list!  Discover:  02:25 Why email marketing is more important than social media marketing 04:24 How to make

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

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. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Probably one of the questions that I get asked more than any other is ‘how long will it take me to launch a new product if I make it in the UK?’ The short answer is – ‘how long is

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you manufacture a product in the UK, selling your product for too low a price could be detrimental to your brand. And putting your prices up could actually increase your sales! If you prices are too low, especially if

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

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

Do you find Made in the UK labelling confusing? Do you have a product and want to find out whether you can label it as ‘Made in the UK?’ In this recording of a live masterclass I set the record

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

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

In this week’s episode I talk to Lucy Blackley who founded technology company BombyxPLM to help fashion business owners manage their product development. A Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system helps your business have total visibility over the development of your

On today’s episode we’re covering a topic that I know bothers a lot of you – how can you protect your designs from being copied. Dids MacDonald OBE has dedicated the last 20 years of her career in helping designers

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

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

If you’ve got an idea for a product but you’re tearing your hair out because you don’t know what the next steps are, this episode is for you. You may have tried approaching manufacturers to help you and had no

Are you making this one big mistake when developing a made in the UK product? On today’s episode I tell you how to make sure you avoid this costly error if you’re launching a brand made in the UK. It

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

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.

If you’re purchasing something new does seeking out a product that is made in the UK offer sustainability benefits over one made overseas? There’s a lot of talk about sustainability at the moment when it comes to the products that

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

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

Tori Murphy trained in textiles at the Royal College of Art and established her home textiles brands in 2012. Starting with just 12 metres of fabrics to produce a few cushions, she now manufactures 8,000m of fabric a year, with

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

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

What makes a great British brand? In this episode I chat to brand guru Simon Middleton about what makes an average brand stand out from an extraordinary one. Simon is my go-to authority on anything to do with creating a

What are the rules surrounding whether you can label a product as made in the UK? “Can I label my product as made in the UK?’ is one of the questions that I get asked the most. The answer to

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 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

Are you thinking of starting a brand that is made in the UK, or developing a new product? In this episode I cover the 10 mistakes that people make when launching a new product, and give tips on how to

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

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.

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