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 business that makes in the UK should be offering a discount when someone opts in to their newsletter, and whether this strategy works. It opened a whole discussion amongst the group about the pros and cons of discounting and other ideas for getting potential customers to sign up to your...

This week I’m bringing some very sad news - that the UK’s only cotton spinning mill, English Fine Cottons, which brought cotton spinning back to Greater Manchester in 2018, has very sadly gone into administration. In case you don’t know about the history of English Fine Cottons, it was set up by the technical textile spinners Culimeta-Saveguard, who invested £4.8m of its own money, £2m of which was a loan from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, to regenerate a former Victorian cotton...

Today's guests are Andrea and David Courtney from Courtney & Co buttonmakersBack in 2012 I was contacted by someone who was trying to save the UK’s last remaining horn button maker - Grove & Sons. He was looking for investors to buy up the machinery and pattern books from the business so that the art of natural button making in the UK was not lost. Well it turns out that the investor that this guy eventually found was someone called David Courtney, who saw an ad to buy the machinery...

This episode celebrates 15 years since I registered the domain makeitbritish.co.uk and busts some of the myths about UK manufacturing. You'll find out: Why I started Make it British and why I'm such a firm believer in UK manufacturing.The current UK manufacturing landscape.How the UK fashion and textile industry is made up of 1,000s of micro factories.How many garment factories there really are in the UK.The benefits of making in the UK.And why supply on demand is best done locally. To see...

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. Christopher recently invested in state-of-the-art digital printing equipment so that the factory can print it's own fabric onsite. David Nieper already prints all their own catalogues and produce their own knitwear in house, alongside the garment...

In this episode of the Make it British podcast, Karen McCluckie, the director of Bealies Adaptive Wear, shares her inspiring journey of creating adaptive clothing for wheelchair users and disabled individuals. Motivated by her son's disability and the lack of suitable clothing options in the market, Karen embarked on a mission to design stylish and functional joggers tailored to the needs of wheelchair users. From the initial idea to overcoming challenges and securing funding, Karen discusses...

This week I’ve been in the Midlands visiting factories, which is always one of my favourite things to do. I’d planned to take my podcast mic with me and get an episode to you today with an interview with one of the manufacturers, but sadly I was in such a rush when I set off early Sunday morning that I left my mic behind! So on today’s episode instead I'm discussing one of the amazing factories I went to see, and also sharing a recording from the archives - which is to encourage you to get...

Today's episode is all about selling and sales, and how it's closely linked to product development. A lot of creative business owners say that they aren't any good at selling, so the natural tendency is to drop their prices or default back to making more products. I'm going to give you a different way of looking at sales, so that selling doesn't make you feel like a used car salesman.

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 find them as follows: Ep.142 Julie Deane, Cambridge Satchel Company Ep.076 Jack Millington, Billy Tannery Ep.143 Kath Whitworth, Celtic & Co Ep. 41 Paul Smithers, Halycon Blue Ep 179 Rebecca J Mills Ep 171 Rich Keegan & Linda Souto Maior, Usual Objections Ep...

On today’s episode I’m chatting with Catherine Bedford, founder of Dashel Cycle Helmets Catherine had the idea for an innovative and stylish cycle helmet whilst watching the London 2012 Olympics. She set about creating her vision, and it took 5 years to develop and launch the Dashel helmet. All Dashel helmets are made in the UK, and in this episode Catherine talks about: How she set about developing a new and innovative product.How she found factories to then make the helmetsSome of the...

Welcome to Episode no.284!Circularity is the buzzword on everyone's lips right now. It's no wonder, when you hear that 350,000 tonnes of clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year. Something needs to be done to stop the mass-consumption that the UK in particularly seems to be pretty bad at! The United Repair Centre, a collaboration between outdoor brand Patagonia, social enterprise Makers Unite, and the Amsterdam Economic Board, is a much needed resource for the clothing industry. And...

Today's guest is Lydia Bolton, a slow fashion designer tackling textile waste by upcycling unwanted fabrics and garments and turning them into one-off pieces. As well as having her own label, Lydia also teaches others how to upcycle with workshops that she runs and in her partnerships with big brands such as Lidl, Nike, Adidas and Lime bikes. We chat about: How Lydia started out in fashion and textiles and where she learnt to sew.The challenges of upcycling and making one-off pieces.Where she...

How to find fabrics, leathers and other raw materials for your brand, and avoid the most common mistake that many people make when sourcing fabric. FURTHER RESOURCES UK Fabric Mills on the Make it British website HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Sampling with UK manufacturers can be quite a different ball game to sampling with manufacturers overseas. Here's why you might not want to sample with lots of different factories. FURTHER RESOURCES Quiz: Are you ready to work with a UK factory? HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram

Tempted to skip this step? Find out why that might be a bad idea, and how having a tech pack can save you money in the long run. FURTHER RESOURCES Tech Pack Bundle Quiz: Are you ready to work with a UK factory? HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

A Non Disclosure Agreement is a legal document you might ask a manufacturer to sign in order to protect your designs. Find out what the pros and cons are of asking a manufacturer to sign an NDA, and what the alternatives are. FURTHER RESOURCES How to find a UK manufacturer HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

What are the secrets to getting a response from a manufacturer when you reach out to them? I explain how to word your approach and why you might not be getting a response. FURTHER RESOURCES How to get manufacturers to respond to your emails How to find a UK manufacturer Why manufacturers aren't getting back to your emails HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

What are the main costs that you will incur to start a brand, and how can you save money by making your product in the UK? FURTHER RESOURCES 25 Hidden Costs of Starting a Brand How Much Does it Cost to Start a UK-Made Fashion Brand? How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Discover the best ways to the ideal UK manufacturers for your brand, and how to ensure that they get back to you every time. FURTHER RESOURCES Make it British Manufacturer Directory 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

You might think that having the factory source your fabric for you sounds like the easiest option, but that's not always the case. In this episode I explain what your options are when it comes to fabric sourcing, and why many UK clothing manufacturers operate on what is known as a CMT basis. FURTHER RESOURCES CMT or Full Service Manufacturer: What's the difference? 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British...

Find out how long on average it might take to launch a brand and what the main variables are that will affect it. FURTHER RESOURCES 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Discover the essential steps to turn your idea into a successful prototype. Get practical advice on how to bring your concept to life efficiently and cost-effectively and how to common pitfalls. FURTHER RESOURCES 5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer How to Start a UK Made Brand HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

Welcome to Episode 272 of the Make it British PodcastStarting off the new year with something a bit different. This episode explains everything. Looking out for my special FAQ series, starting on Monday 7th January. HANDY LINKS British Brand Accelerator Make it British Website YouTube Instagram Rate This Podcast

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 massive thank you to everyone that has listened to this podcast over the last 12 months. I cannot believe I am now at episode 271! The Make it British Podcast will be back on 5th January 2024. See you then! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Plan Your Year - My annual planning workshop is the one thing you need...