During the Guardian Trade Boost seminar, a day of export and manufacturing advice for small businesses, we spoke to some of the delegates about their experiences of exporting. The event, held in Birmingham, was sponsored by UPS and was part of UK Trade and Investment’s Exporting is Great campaign.
Colin Ball, founder of Meccanica Clothing
“The business is classic menswear, born out of a passion for Italian design. Meccanica is Latin for machinery, and the business references a quality of engineering and design. It is aimed at men aged from 20 to 60.
“Our badge says Built in Britain. People appreciate British quality. At the moment we are concentrating in Britain and growing our e-commerce.
“[Attending Trade Boost] is the first step towards entering the export market. We work with a cool store in Rome called Brittway Garage, which customises Triumphs, and they are selling us as their chosen clothing range. We also work with a cycle store in Berlin.
“We are choosing our markets carefully. We have spoken with UKTI about the markets we need to hopefully enter, and are going on the Japanese trade mission in 2016.
“Our biggest struggle is finding British manufacturers that can make quality products at an affordable price, and finding people to work with you on smaller runs and be able to make a profit out of it.”
Maryann Johnson-Hill, founder and director of doovay
“I am a working mum and realised I spent a lot of time around my kids’ beds and I have never been excited by duvet designs. So I created my own. For my designs I have two ranges, one called Learn to Sleep and the other called Hit the Sack. The business is due to launch in December.
“I wanted my product to be made in Great Britain but couldn’t find a manufacturer. Other than in Scotland, in the textile industry it is very hard to find manufacturers who deal with startups.
“The aim will be to export, certainly within Europe but also to the US. My brother-in-law has a business in China, so I have the contacts there already.”
Joris Peucheret, co-founder, Little Ondine
“We are reinventing nail varnish with a brand that is stylish and toxic-free, and peels off. We looked at how women interact with products and how the market didn’t meet their expectations.
“We started in the UK in April 2013, and we have also launched in some retailers across Europe. Cosmetics is an industry where quality is really key and we are currently manufacturing in China.
“What we are trying to do is bring our product and brand to as many people as we can.
“The challenges for us are three-fold. First, brand awareness – we need support from key brand influencers and retailers. Second, time – working out how much time you can spend in different areas of the business. And the third challenge is scalability.”
Melissa Sinclair, founding director of Big Hair Beauty
“We are a natural hair-care brand for curly hair. We launched two years ago in London.
“The business is going really well, and we are growing month on month. At the moment I am trying to focus on exporting to the US. Over 45% of our traffic each month is from the US, and we get reposted and a lot of interest from US followers.
“This reach is happening by itself but we want to be proactive too. We want to generate new customers, target our customers there and really understand their needs.
“Part of it is about getting out there, making connections and partnerships with people who have the same values as our business.”
The Guardian Trade Boost: Manufacturing Competition is offering one small business the chance to win a tailored package of media and exporting advice designed to help their business thrive in new markets. Enter here
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