15 June 2016, 18:00 - 20:30
Crafter's Companion Store, Homdale Avenue, Newton Aycliffe, Co. Durham DL5 6DR
Sara launched fast-growing Crafter’s Companion during her final year of university and since 2005 has seen the business go from strength to strength, expanding way beyond its original base in Coundon, County Durham.
Following a recent £500k investment in a flagship North East store - the first of its kind in the UK - Crafter’s now boast a further two sites in the UK, a Dutch office and a US subsidiary based out of California from which they educate, inspire and support their worldwide crafting community.
Along with her team of almost 90 staff, Sara has built the business through a pioneering combination of innovative product development, mastering the art of selling on TV shopping channels, securing licences to retail products featuring internationally recognised characters and, perhaps most importantly, listening carefully to her customers.
As a leading figure in the crafting industry, Sara was founding chair of the Craft and Hobby Association UK and supports, mentors and invests in other businesses and entrepreneurs to promote growth, export and job creation in the UK as part of Gabriel Investors and UKTI.
In 2011 she was presented with the Entrepreneurs’ Forum Emerging Talent award and in 2014, crowned the Creative Industries Entrepreneur of the Year at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Sara is a regular guest on Hochanda shopping channel, and also appears on the Home Shopping Network (HSN) in America and Home Shopping Europe (HSE) in Germany.
