Episode Details

Feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall trying to source factories to get your products manufactured? Todays Episode I chat with Kate Hills founder of Make it British whose mission is to keep British Manufacturing alive and helps connect entrepreneurs who want to make products in the uk with the factories that can produce
We discuss the impact of Brexit on manufacturing, the rise in prices of raw materials, and the difficulties in importing from overseas. With her expertise, Kate provides valuable insights on finding and working with UK manufacturers, from researching and defining a clear brief to understanding the costs and expectations of the sampling process.
Join us as we discuss the  world of UK manufacturing and it's future. 

Key Take Aways
The Importance of Clear Briefing for Manufacturers: "If you don't have those clear instructions, that example I've just given you could get back that's going to be the manufacturer' interpretation that you're going to get back. Chances are it's not going to be what your interpretation was and therefore you're going to have to get another sample made and another and sampling, because it's a labor, there's quite a lot of labor that goes into it costs more than production."
The Cost of Sampling in Manufacturing: "Manufacturers usually lose money on the sampling side. Even if they're charging you two, three times the production cost, because they've got that initial discussions with you, they're running through the tech pack, they're going through it with their staff."
The Importance of Labels and Packaging in Manufacturing: "You need to decide that early on because particularly things like labels sewn into garments, they can't start the work until they've got the labels there because they're going to have to be sewn in at some point or attached to the garment on the production line. They don't want to stop and start things."
Brexit and Rising Manufacturing Costs: the problem is raw materials. Raw materials, fibers, yarns, a lot of that stuff that we don't have locally here, even wool, because a lot of that comes from New Zealand. So prices have risen on raw materials and that  has had a big impact."
The Pros and Cons of Manufacturing in the UK: The positives to manufacturing in the UK . Shorter lead times, great communication with your manufacturer, not having to fly your product from the other side of the world, so a lower carbon footprint, the ability to go and visit the manufacturer so you can keep an eye on your quality, and actually the flexibility to not have to buy a huge amount of stock... China is going to be cheaper, particularly if you're not out there visiting the factory and buying direct, but you're having to go through a middleman."

Speaker Bio
Kate Hills is a seasoned professional with a background in design and buying. With over 25 years of experience, she has worked for renowned brands like Burberry and Marks and Spencer, witnessing the shift from UK manufacturing to overseas sourcing. Recognizing the potential disadvantages of relying solely on international production, Kate began to explore the idea of supporting local manufacturers

Kate Hills Links 
https://makeitbritish.co.uk/british-brand-accelerator/
https://makeitbritish.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/makeitbritish/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katehills

5 Steps to Finding a UK Manufacturer mini course. Free with code NICOLE

https//www.makeitbritish.co.uk/5-steps

Nicole Higgins Links