The challenge: Making everything inhouse and struggling to keep up with demand
Anna and Tom, co-founders of Dog Forbid, are passionate about creating authentic dog gear, carefully crafted with attention to detail. Their unique collars and accessories quickly became popular, but as orders grew, the challenge of running an in-house team of just two became overwhelming.
"We were constantly selling out but never had the time to market our products properly," says Anna. "We realised we needed help with production and wanted to keep manufacturing in the UK."
With limited resources and no external help, Dog Forbid had hit a bottleneck: they couldn't keep up with demand and had no bandwidth to grow their brand visibility or streamline their operations.
"We knew we needed more than just manufacturing support," adds Tom. "We needed help with every aspect of running our business."
Why Anna & Tom joined British Brand Accelerator
Recognising their need for both production and marketing support, Anna and Tom joined my British Brand Accelerator (BBA) programme, hoping to find a UK dog accessory manufacturer and gain the business skills necessary to take Dog Forbid to the next level.
"We joined because we had too many orders to fulfil on our own," explains Anna. "We needed help finding a manufacturer and wanted to keep our collar production in the UK."
With my structured step-by-step process that they learnt in the BBA programme, Anna and Tom were able to secure a UK dog accessories manufacturer that was just an hour away from when they lived.
Finding a UK dog accessories manufacturer
Anna and Tom set me the challenge of finding them the right manufacturer who would understand the quality that Dog Forbid was known for.
I helped them to prepare a detailed tech pack and costings that enabled them to get samples right first time and to avoid the common pitfalls that can occur when you first start working with a manufacturer.
"Kate introduced us to UK manufacturers who really understood our product and values," says Anna. "We were able to secure partners who could meet the high-quality standards we expect for Dog Forbid."
With reliable manufacturing in place, Anna and Tom could finally focus on scaling their brand and marketing their products more effectively.
Gaining valuable business insights
Beyond production, Dog Forbid also learned vital business strategies through the BBA programme, including how to optimise their website for SEO and improve their email marketing - both essential for increasing their brand's visibility.
"We’ve saved so much time having manufacturers work on our products, and we’re learning marketing strategies to help grow our audience," says Tom.
They group coaching calls that are part of the British Brand Accelerator programme became an important aspect of their learning journey. "Speaking to other business owners who understand the challenges we face has been so valuable. We've made great connections and found new contacts for future projects."
Overcoming doubts and reaping the benefits
Like many small business owners, Anna and Tom had initial hesitations about joining the programme. "We were worried about whether it was affordable for a small business, but once we took the plunge, we realised it was the best decision we could have made."
With their manufacturing problems solved and the tools they needed to grow their business, Dog Forbid is now in a stronger position than ever. They are excited about the future, with plans to expand their range and take on more orders than they ever could before.
"The knowledge we’ve gained has been invaluable," says Anna. "We’re looking forward to continuing to work with Kate and achieving even more milestones for Dog Forbid."
What would you say to someone thinking of joining British Brand Accelerator?
"To do it! We thought we only needed help finding manufacturers, whereas it’s turned out we needed help in every section of running the business and the knowledge has been invaluable."
Want help to find a UK manufacturer and scale your brand?
For business owners like Anna and Tom, who were overwhelmed by the demands of producing everything in-house, the British Brand Accelerator became a vital resource. It provided them with the practical tools to outsource production and the strategic guidance to confidently grow their business.
If you’re feeling the pressure of handling everything on your own and are ready to scale your product-based business, Anna and Tom’s story shows that with the right support, you can move from being stretched too thin to having the supply chain in place to grow your brand sustainably.
