Queen Of Crafts

For many of us, Dragons’ Den is an entertaining ‘must watch’ BBC 1 TV series, with nervous entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a fearsome den of super successful business people who may or may not invest in their venture. Among them is businesswoman Sara Davies MBE, who holds the distinction of being the youngest ‘Dragon’ to join the Den. Having started Crafter’s Companion while she was still at university studying business management, Sara’s own business trajectory has been breath-taking. “When I was doing my placement at university, at a local craft company in County Durham, I used to go to lots of crafty trade and consumer shows to demonstrate and sell the products that the company made. It was

Always Be Yourself

As a first time judge of the Gift of the Year’s Design & Craft category, and sponsor of The Greats Best Garden Centre category, PG&H asked multi-award winning ‘Dragon’ and ‘Queen of Crafts’ Sara Davies MBE, founder of globally successful Crafter’s Companion, what impressed her the most about this year’s shortlisted products.

Plus, where did her love of craft come from, how did it all begin and what’s the secret of her phenomenal success?

here that I realised that there was a gap in the market for an envelope making tool while chatting to lots of customers who often asked if there was a product which could create bespoke envelopes. They were creating lovely handmade cards then putting them into ill-fitting, boring white envelopes, which they weren’t happy with, and I couldn’t blame them.”

Continues Sara: “With so many products out there in the market, I was very surprised that a product like this didn’t exist, so I set about doing some research and found that there was a gap in the market. I knew that, with a little bit of help, I could create a really ground-breaking product to fix the problem. I roped in my dad, an ex-engineer, for some help, and together, we created the Enveloper.”

“The best piece of advice I received in the first few years of my career was to be myself and know that that was good enough,” states Sara. “So, I think it’s so important to stay true to yourself and that’s what I would say to anyone starting out in business. It’s also a great bit of general advice.”

Where does Sara’s passion for crafting come from? “I’ve been surrounded by crafts from a young age and tried lots of different things such as sewing and crochet with my nana and gran, as well as the regular things you do as a kid like salt dough. Growing up, I was always inspired by my mam and dad who instilled a lot of the values and the work ethic that I have today,” Sara points out. “My dad always used to say to me, ‘kid, if you go and reach for the stars, but only make it to the moon, it’s still really good’, and that has always stuck with me. In fact, I’ve, always thought, actually, there’s always another star to reach for.”

Commenting on how crafting has become such a mega hobby/pastime in recent years, Sara highlights that it has always had a dedicated, passionate community, “but with lots of people spending time indoors over the past few years, there has undoubtedly been a crafting boom,” she states. “I think so many people love crafting and creating things because it can have such a positive impact on our mental health and wellbeing. There are different stages of joy that crafting brings, from researching and seeking out inspirational ideas, to physically creating something with our hands and focusing on nothing but the project in front of us, to then gifting it to someone and passing on that bit of joy to a loved one.”

As a first time judge of the Gift of the Year 2023 Design & Craft category, she says that she was most impressed by the sheer variety of the products and the innovation that they displayed. “There were lots of gifts that covered a multitude of things, such as being eco-friendly, affordable and good for wellbeing, but they were done in very different ways.”

As for her personal criteria when judging the category, she explains: “When you’re looking for a gift, you want to find something that suits that particular person, but you also want to find something unique and not readily available everywhere else. I also looked at quality vs cost. It’s really important for people to be able to have affordable options, especially in today’s current climate, while not compromising on the quality of the product.

My advice for next year’s entrants would be to make sure that they know their customer inside out. Research is vital and it needs to be completely obvious who your market is, from your messaging, packaging and marketing materials to your social media accounts - everything should scream who you are and who you are for.”

As a ‘Dragon’, what is she looking for when entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in the den?

“Primarily, I'm looking for a fantastic person. An outstanding entrepreneur can carry a mediocre idea, but the most revolutionary idea wouldn't be able to get off the ground with a mediocre entrepreneur,” she states. “I also need to feel passionate about the entrepreneur and the product, and to feel like I can make a genuine difference to the business. It also has to be something that is interesting as well as profitable, or something that does social good as well as breaking even.”

Commenting on entrepreneurship and today’s entrepreneurs, she highlights: “The landscape of entrepreneurs is just as exciting today as it has been for the last few decades, with more and more people taking

Sara’s Career Highlights

In addition to growing Crafter’s Companion from a good business idea into a global company, employing hundreds of people, Sara also enjoys a high profile TV career. She has become an author, and received an MBE from Prince William, as well as receiving countless prestigious awards over the years.

“I think one of the most memorable highlights in my career has been getting an MBE,” she confirms. “Plus joining Dragons’ Den and going on Strictly were two things that I never thought I’d get to do but I have absolutely loved both.”

Celebrity Face To Face: Sara Davies MBE

the plunge and setting up their own businesses. For instance, in the den, you might think you have seen it all and then someone will come through the doors and just completely blow you away with a product or a service that you know is just going to change people’s lives or will provide a genuine solution to a genuine problem.”

Did Sara herself dream big when she was growing up? “I’ve always been ambitious and driven, and have always tried to work really hard. Even at school, I was never the smartest in the class, but I would always work really hard to get good grades.

When I decided to go to university to study business management, I knew that I wanted to own a business one day but I assumed that I would end up running the family painting and decorating shop in Coundon. That plan changed, however, when I had to do a year’s industry placement which led me to starting Crafter’s Companion. I always knew that I wanted to make something of myself. I have always set goals for myself and as soon as I’ve been able to hit one of them, I look at the next target that I can hit.”

What does she see as the secret to her outstanding success? “I don’t think that there’s any big secret! I think I knew when I started my business that it was going to be hard work, but I don’t think I’ve ever been afraid of hard work and I’ve also been really, truly passionate about the work that I’ve done. If you love what you do, you make sensible decisions or you ask people for advice and you work hard. I think that the world is your oyster!”