Crafty Individuals is now dispatching its arts and craft products, including rubber stamps, cards, acetates, mountings, glossy images and miniature themed books, to three continents and has a network of distributors in eight countries - all run from a small base in Yarm.
The international business is run by Jean Hardy, who graduated from Cleveland College of Art about five years ago, and her friend Malcolm Noble, a local commercial photographer for 20 years.
Jean said:
"I started off by selling my own little paintings in places like Whitby and Great Ayton, working from home, then after graduating I started to widen my contacts and at the same time re-kindled my interest in crafts.
"I went into partnership with Malcolm, who was a friend, and we started a workshop above a calligraphy shop in Yarm High Street, where as well as producing arts and crafts for sale I ran classes for both adults and children.
"It was as a result of buying the materials we needed that we realised what a big international market there was for so-called altered art products, particularly for rubber stamps. Most of those used in this country were imported from the United States, but we started designing our own and selling them in the shop. The business just snowballed from there."
A small advert in a magazine followed by an article resulted in interest in the company's products from as far afield as Australia and New Zealand. Business was also boosted when Jean and Malcolm participated in a trade fair at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
Through it's flagship Passport to Export scheme, UK Trade & Investment was able to advise Jean and Malcolm about trading in overseas markets, and with this assistance Crafty Individuals has been able to recruit distributors in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands and the United States. It was also able to set up advertising in a US magazine.
And after attending the Craft Hobby and Stitch International trade show at Birmingham NEC, the company has now scooped a major deal with Canadian firm Magenta, which specialises in art stamping and scrapbooking.
Jean said:
"It has been a big help having advice and support from John Holmes-Carrington, our International Trade Adviser at UK Trade & Investment. We have been able to build up the business considerably in the last 12 months as a result and with the help of advertising, publicity and the internet, breaking into exports but without having to travel personally to overseas markets."
John Holmes-Carrington said:
"It has been a pleasure working with Jean and Malcolm, the way they have embraced the exporting spirit is a credit to them. What they have achieved in such a short period of time reflects the time and dedication they have put into the venture. The results speak for themselves."
For more information about the range of support services available through UK Trade & Investment to help your company succeed overseas call the North East International Trade Hotline on 0845 05 05 054 or email: enquiries@ukti.rito.co.uk.
