48 Think outside the box Rachel Watkyn, Founder of Tiny Box Company talks to Craft Focus about their journey from the Dragon’s Den to where they are today Tell us a little bit about the company. Where are you based? When did the company start? We’re based in the stunning Ashdown Forest in Sussex near to the Bluebell Railway. The company started in 2007 and has been in various nearby locations as we’ve expanded. Who founded the company and why? In 2007, I was searching for recycled packaging for my (then) range of ethical and fair trade jewellery and accessories. I thought this would be easy but I was wrong. What I did find, after months of research, was that there was an extremely high demand for recycled and ethical packaging but no one to meet that demand. So, I rose to the challenge and started up a packaging company with a huge difference. How has the company evolved? A year after I founded the company we appeared on Dragon’s Den, it turned out that my idea was innovative enough to capture the imagination of Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones who recognised the demand and invested my fledgling company. A decade and a half later, Tiny Box Company has thousands of products in stock and has over 50,000 customers, ranging from individuals and sole traders to international corporations. We’ve managed to stick to our core values of sustainability and that makes me very proud. What do you specialise in? Recycled gift packaging, from postal boxes to rope handle bags to Christmas cracker boxes! Talk us through the current products you’re particularly excited about. Do you have a favourite? Our Christmas range is incredibly exciting,
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