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We’re thrilled to announce that Faire has officially launched to retailers across the United Kingdom. We began piloting Faire in the U.K. in February, and we’re now excited to formally announce the expansion to our retailer community internationally.
To kick off our launch, we hosted a webinar featuring Faire leaders and partners to discuss independent retail in the United Kingdom.
A conversation about entrepreneurship
Faire’s CFO Lauren Cooks Levitan and Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation took part in a thoughtful discussion about entrepreneurship and small business. Founded in 2005, Enterprise Nation is comprised of 75,000 business owners and continues to be the most active small business community in the U.K. Emma is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs and representing their views to the government and media.
Emma shared her insights into ways that small businesses can be successful in the U.K. and beyond. First, she shared three things entrepreneurs need to be successful:
- A good sales pitch. For Emma, the number one thing small business owners must be able to do is sell themselves and their product. Having a strong sales pitch is a key skill.
- Financial savvy. “The one thing that the pandemic has taught us is that the small businesses who have a good sense of their finances [before lockdown] are going to be coming out [strong],” Emma said. She explained that it’s essential to have someone in the business closely focused on the cash coming in and cash going out.
- Resilience. Speaking to the challenges of bouncing back after the pandemic, Emma said, “Business owners who stayed rooted in why they started their business in the first place [were inspired] to have the resilience to keep on going.” As lockdowns across the U.K. lift, these are the entrepreneurs that will continue to be successful.
Emma also spoke to the financial resources available to small businesses in the U.K. in a post-Brexit trade environment. The U.K. government has an internationalization fund that allows businesses to access up to £8,000 for market research and trade trips. There are also Brexit cash grants available, in which businesses can receive £2,000 from the government for training staff on new customs requirements.
Insight and advice from U.K. brands
Sara Ittelson, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Faire, then led a conversation with U.K.-based entrepreneurs Laura Philbin of Ohh Deer and Becca Hele of Vintage Cosmetic Company. Their discussion focused on how brands have been working with retailers throughout the pandemic, as well as solutions for a post-Brexit environment, and how Faire has played a role in their success and growth.
Watch the full discussion by viewing the video here.
Stay tuned for more international news from Faire
In the coming months, we’ll continue our international expansion to countries in the European Union. As we move to support our global community, we’ll introduce more region-specific content on our blog. Stay tuned for insights about independent retail and the shop local movement—wherever “local” may be for you.
