Sara Davies MBE is today one of the most familiar faces and respected voices in the world of business.
Best known for her role on Dragons’ Den, she’s an investor, published author and recently launched her own podcast, ‘Mind Your Business’, with her younger sister Helen Goddard.
However, her career was kickstarted by the launch of her first business, Crafter’s Companion, from her university bedroom at the University of York in 2005.
Davies recently joined TV presenter Steph McGovern and a delegation of 50 North East female founders at 11 Downing Street to meet Chancellor Rachel Reeves and spoke to BusinessCloud about her own founder journey.
Female founders make history in landmark trip to 11 Downing Street
From an early age, she knew she wanted to work in business after seeing her parents run a decorating store for more than 30 years.
Together with her sister Helen, the young Sara regularly helped out and was exposed to the basics of running a business and the value of money at an early age.
Her own break came when she went to university in York and was introduced to the world of crafting.
Big break
She quickly identified a gap in the market and founded Crafter’s Companion in 2005.
Davies said: “My Dad was my mentor. I started my business in October 2005 and by the time I graduated in June 2006 my business was bigger than the family business.”
She said being a female founder presented its own challenges.
“I was quite often the only woman or the only young person in the room or I didn’t speak like them,” she recalled.
“They assumed that because I had a North East accent I wouldn’t be as clever. They under-estimated me.”
She said founding a business can be a daunting experience.
“You don’t know what you don’t know and you don’t know who to ask,” she said.
Her profile was transformed in 2019 when she joined series 17 of Dragons’ Den, becoming the youngest Dragon in the show’s history at the age of 35.
She’s invested in a string of dynamic and exciting businesses but said she looks for certain qualities in a founder.
“Any business I get involved in, I’m looking for passion, vision and drive,” she said.