We are delighted to announce that One & Eight have been named the latest winner of the Export Action Plan Competition.
Following a showcase final at GTR UK, their founder, Susie Dorman, impressed the judges with her clear plans for international success and she wins the £3000 cash prize sponsored by NatWest.
Company name: One & Eight
Website: https://oneandeight.co.uk
Representative: Susie Dorman, Founder and Director
What does your company do at the moment and what’s next?
We design and handcraft porcelain and fine metal jewellery. This is sold in over 50 shops and outlets across the UK as well as direct to customers via our website and online partners.
Our product is unique due to the material and packaging and affordable price point. One & Eight jewellery has therefore very much become a gift product.
As part of our growth plan we are focusing on export to Europe and the US.
How are the exports going?
Expansion into foreign markets is the next step for One & Eight. We have just started exporting to the Benelux region of Europe as a result of a relationship with an agent.
The second export market we are focusing on is the US. This is a more challenging market but we have developed an export strategy so we can minimise risk and maximise our chances of success.
How has the Export Action Plan helped with your exports?
The Export Action Plan is a comprehensive tool which has helped us identify the best export markets for our product, how successful we think our product will be in those markets and how we manage things like currency and import rules for those counties.
It is a fantastic planning tool.
How have you found the experience of the final today?
It was a fantastic opportunity to pitch our company to people who have a wealth of experience in the export market.
Presenting can be daunting but preparing for it made me focus on how ready my business is to export and the judges feedback was invaluable.
What tips would you give to other new exporters?
- Look at every aspect of your business and be honest. Do you have a product that the export markets wants/needs?
- Make sure you understand the market you are planning to export to and be clear on their requirements, product labelling, import duties etc.
- There is so much help out there. Seek it out. It will make the process so much easier.
About One & Eight
One & Eight create; colourful, contemporary, minimalist, porcelain & fine metal jewellery, all uniquely packaged and presented in miniature glass bottles and elegant tins.
Every piece of porcelain jewellery is handcrafted and finished to the highest quality using sterling silver, filled gold or gold plated sterling silver yet offered to our customers at accessible prices. This combined with the unique packaging makes our jewellery the perfect gift.
Where it began:
Following a career in fashion buying & product development in London, Susie moved to Devon with a baby in tow. After being inspired on a ceramic course she started making jewellery for herself and friends. Combined with her love of beautiful presentation and desire to create something different, in 2016 One & Eight was born.
Inspiration
All the porcelain jewellery is unique and inspired by our coastal surroundings. It is designed & crafted in our studio and workshop then combined with fine metal to create either earrings or a necklace.
Our team have developed innovative techniques to enable us to scale up our production and create large quantities of the porcelain designs.
This in-house design and production allows us to be responsive to sales and customer requests.
Another key element of our brand is the signature packaging. Each piece of jewellery is displayed in a miniature glass bottle or elegant tin. This has enabled us to penetrate the gift market and has been successful in differentiating our product from other jewellery.
Our ethos is to ensure the jewellery and packaging have minimal impact on our environment. The packaging is reusable and the jewellery is designed to weather the tests of time. We are also working with our suppliers to support them to send our components in minimal and biodegradable packaging.
