Independent business support for ambitious UK companies
Hamilton Wood & Company helps forward-thinking businesses unlock value, reduce risk and support sustainable growth through R&D; tax credits, property capital allowances and business finance.
ILM's Rebel Hideout is the real-life galactic center of the Star Wars universe. But it isn't the only theme room there. The post Tour the Hidden Worlds of ILM appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
There’s no party like a robot party! And this year at Maker Faire Bay Area that party will take place on the Foundry floor with (almost) every kind of robot you can imagine…and probably a few you haven’t. Under the soaring steel beams, acres of glass, and a REALLY BIG crane that used to lift The post A (Maker Faire) Robot Party In The Foundry appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Petoi's new Quaddle robot is their most capable and affordable quadruped yet. The post Petoi Quaddle, a Robotic Pet for Everyone appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
OSHWA developed a new certification process specific to open health devices. We are extremely proud to highlight the first Open Healthware Certifications. The post The First Open Healthware Certifications Are In appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Join Dale Dougherty and Joan Horvath and Rich Cameron, authors of the new Make: Physics book, to discover how their hands-on physics experiments can transform passive learning into an interactive exploration of the world around us. The post Make: Live – A Sneak Peek at Maker Faire Bay Area 2026 appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
INSTAGRAM I WEBSITE I FACEBOOK Maker Faire Orange County is back for another round at the OC Fair & Event Center this weekend, September 12th &13th. The event has been growing for year over year with new makers, workshops, and activations. Get your tickets. In an effort to create connections and collaboration among likeminded makers The post Makers Of Orange County Unite This Weekend! appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Cytrence Kiwi turns your laptop into a KVM (keyboard/video/mouse), making it an excellent match for Raspberry Pi or other headless projects. The post Cytrence Kiwi+ Makes Working on a Raspberry Pi Easier appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
Track aircraft with a low-cost, open source, embedded ADS-B receiver that you can build into anything. The post Track Aircraft With ADSBee, an Open Source ADS-B Receiver appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
September is always a busy month for Maker Faire and this year five first time events, scattered around the world, are joining the scene. Its always exciting to see a maker community coalesce and expand when a Maker Faire comes to town. Across the 20 years that we’ve been holding Maker Faire Bay Area, we The post Ready, Set, Make: 5 Inaugural September Maker Faires appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
As the Burning Man Project noted earlier this year, “Burning Man and the global maker movement are inextricably intertwined. Both welcome beginners and experts alike, while fostering a communal, hands-on approach to building tangible objects that become works of art, helpful structures, and engineered wonders.” READ MORE It is safe to say that Burning Man The post A City Of Makers In The Black Rock Desert appeared first on Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers.
In September 2026 I had the great honour of being invited to the 120 year anniversary of William Gee – the iconic haberdashery business in Hackney, London. William Gee has been selling zips, threads and trimmings to the clothing industry
This week I took a day trip to Leicester to visit manufacturers. What I discovered was far from the doom and gloom that the press would have you believe about the city. Instead I met some of the loveliest people
Two different brand owners got in touch this week, both with the same worry. Their manufacturer was struggling to find work, and unless some new customers turned up soon, they would be going out of business. Could I help? It
How many products is too many for a small business to include in their range? This is one of the questions that is most commonly asked by my coaching clients, who are all small businesses manufacturing in the UK. Deciding
What working with 150+ founders over the last four years has taught me about what it really takes to succeed when growing a product business. After coaching hundreds of founders inside my British Brand Accelerator programme, I’ve noticed that there
By Andy Caccavaro It’s a strange thing to see up close: a manufacturer signs a seven-figure contract for an ERP system, spends a year or more implementing it, trains the whole floor on it, and eighteen months later, the real operating rhythm of the business is still a shared spreadsheet that the planning team quietly The post The ERP Paradox: Why Manufacturers Still Use Spreadsheets After ERP Implementation appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Choosing the right financing option is crucial for manufacturers looking to expand, invest in new equipment, or manage cash flow. With various options available—loans, grants, and equity investments—it’s important to find the right fit for your business’s unique needs. In this guide, we compare the top financing options for manufacturers, backed by statistics and sources The post How to Choose the Best Financing Option for Your Manufacturing Business appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Manufacturing team utilizing CRM software on digital devices to streamline customer management, track sales processes, and improve collaboration across departments. The post Deciding if You Need a CRM for Your Manufacturing Business in 2026 appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Workforce development grants, tax credits, and government programs for manufacturers to fund training and build skilled labor for the future The post Workforce Development Grants and Funding Opportunities for Manufacturers appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Reducing operational costs is essential for manufacturers aiming to improve profitability and remain competitive in today’s challenging market. By implementing a combination of technology, process optimization, and workforce training, manufacturers can significantly lower their expenses. This guide explores 10 practical strategies that can help manufacturers cut costs, with potential savings ranging from 10% to 50% The post Top 10 Strategies for Reducing Operational Costs in Manufacturing: Save Up to 50% on Key Expenses appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Manufacturers, even in traditionally non-digital sectors, are finding that social media can be an invaluable tool for building brand awareness, engaging with customers, and generating leads. However, choosing the right platform is essential for maximizing ROI. Here’s a guide to selecting the best social media platforms and content types that can deliver results for manufacturers. The post Social Media Marketing for Manufacturers: Reviewing Platforms for Best ROI appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Discover the power of video marketing for manufacturers. Learn which video types and platforms drive engagement, build trust, and boost brand visibility The post Leveraging Video Marketing to Showcase Products and Processes in Manufacturing appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Explore how industry-specific factory eLearning programs can revolutionize manufacturing, boosting efficiency, technology adoption, and workforce development. The post Revolutionize Your Factory with Industry-Specific eLearning Courses appeared first on Manufacturing International.
As part of Manufacturing International’s MRO series, we explore strategies to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime, and enhance efficiency for small and mid-sized manufacturers. The Economic Impact of MRO Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) are essential in manufacturing, where unplanned downtime can be incredibly costly. According to a report from the International Society of Automation, The post Maximizing Uptime: Essential MRO Strategies for Small to Mid-Sized Manufacturers appeared first on Manufacturing International.
Discover the best capital options for manufacturing businesses by comparing loans, equity financing, grants, and alternative funding methods to fuel growth The post Your Quick Guide to Funding Your Manufacturing Business: Comparing Loans, Equity, Grants, and More appeared first on Manufacturing International.
You send a manufacturer your CAD files, drawings, specifications, and requirements and expect the next step to be fairly simple: they review everything, tell you what it will cost, and provide a lead time. Instead, they come back with a long list of questions. For buyers eager to get a project moving, that can feel The post Why Your Manufacturer’s Questions Can Save You From Costly Production Problems appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
A supplier may tell you that a product is CE compliant, provide a test report, or point to similar products they have manufactured before. But none of those things automatically proves that the exact product you are placing on the market meets every applicable requirement. For importers and brand owners, product compliance needs to be The post EU/UK Product Compliance in China: Why Supplier Certificates Aren’t Enough appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
With U.S. tariffs continuing to affect many products imported from China, some buyers are looking again at China+1 manufacturing as a way to reduce their exposure. A supplier may suggest carrying out part of the manufacturing in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, or another country. In some cases, this can be a perfectly legitimate supply-chain strategy. But The post Reducing US Tariff Exposure? Country-of-Origin and China+1 Risks To Understand appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
A manufacturing contract cannot guarantee that every production order will go smoothly. However, it can make it much clearer what the supplier is expected to manufacture, which quality standard applies, where production may take place, when inspections can be performed, and what happens when products do not meet the agreed requirements. Without a suitable written The post China Manufacturing Contracts: Protecting Product Quality, IP, and Tooling appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
Many buyers focus heavily on product specifications, supplier selection, inspections, and incoming quality. But there is another factor that can determine whether a factory can consistently make your product correctly: the equipment used on the production line. A process may look simple on paper, but if the equipment is poorly selected, under-capacity, difficult to maintain, The post How to Choose the Right Production Equipment for Your Product appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
Chinese manufacturers are competing aggressively for orders, and in some cases that means quoting prices that leave very little room for sustainable profit. For buyers, the obvious temptation is to take advantage of the lower price. But an unusually cheap quote can create problems later if the supplier realizes that it cannot make enough money The post When a Chinese Factory Quote Is Too Low: The Hidden Risks for Buyers appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
Large brands are not immune to serious product failures. Mattel, Philips, Samsung, Fitbit, Peloton, and numerous hoverboard manufacturers all had products recalled after safety or reliability issues were brought to light. These companies had far more engineering, testing, and quality resources than most importers, yet critical risks were still missed or not addressed quickly enough. The post 6 Major Product Failures and the Quality Lessons Importers Should Learn appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
A machine in the factory doesn’t need to stop working completely before it starts causing problems. Worn tooling, loose components, blocked filters, inadequate lubrication, and other forms of equipment deterioration can gradually affect process stability and product quality. By the time the machine finally breaks down, the factory may already have produced hours, or even The post Preventive Maintenance: How to Reduce Factory Downtime and Quality Problems appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
A product can meet its specifications, pass its safety checks, and complete every stage of the NPI process, yet still frustrate customers once it reaches the market. That is because technical validation confirms whether a product performs as designed. It does not always reveal whether the product feels intuitive, comfortable, responsive, or easy to use The post Why Technically Correct Products Still Fail Users appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
When quality problems keep appearing after production has already started, the instinctive response is often to increase inspections. That may help contain the immediate risk, but it does not explain why the problems are occurring or prevent them from returning. The first step is to determine whether the failure comes from the product design, the The post Recurring Production Problems: When to Fix the Supplier and When to Walk Away appeared first on QualityInspection.org.
