Sales Is Vanity, Profit Is Sanity: Made To Grow S04 E06 Manufacturing Podcast with Andrea Wilson

<p>In this episode of Made to Grow, Rich Dale is joined by Andrea Wilson, founder of <a href="https://manufacturinguk.org" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ManufacturingUK.org</a> and one of the best known campaigning voices in UK manufacturing, for a conversation about where SME and micro manufacturers can actually turn for funding, guidance and honest advice.</p><p>After thirty-two years as Managing Director of Hone-All Precision, during which she became an unofficial advice line for other business owners looking for grants, contacts and direction, Andrea has turned that role into a free platform covering everything from education through to exit. </p><p>She and Rich talk through why grant funding so often passes smaller manufacturers by, why a fresh pair of eyes on your shop floor is the cheapest improvement tool you have, and why an exit needs planning years before you intend to make one.</p><p>Andrea Wilson <strong>(LINKEDIN URL NEEDED)</strong> spent thirty-two years as Managing Director of <a href="https://www.hone-all.co.uk" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hone-All Precision</a>, the Leighton Buzzard precision machining specialist, completing a five-year earn out after the sale of the business so that the transition was handled properly and her team was looked after.</p><p>She is the voice of the Support UK Manufacturing campaign for a dedicated Minister for Manufacturing, serves as Ambassador for SMEs at the Confederation of British Metalforming, and has now launched ManufacturingUK.org, a free to access resource hub for the whole of UK engineering and manufacturing, built with tools, templates and guides donated by the industry itself.</p><ul><li><p>Why grant funding is so hard for smaller manufacturers to access, from the language of the guidance to the postcode lottery and the schemes pitched at a level that excludes micros and SMEs before they start</p></li><li><p>How the regional support map on ManufacturingUK.org brings local grants, growth hub contacts, sector clusters, trade associations and networking groups into one place</p></li><li><p>The Starting Smarter page, where industry experts and companies including Flowlens have donated guides, toolkits and templates that show what good looks like</p></li><li><p>Why owner managers should invite every visitor onto the shop floor and ask what they saw, including the feedback that stings</p></li><li><p>Asking for help without ego, fear or shame, and why the manufacturer