Hurd & Co, the esteemed business based in Somerset and celebrated for its craft industry achievements, is excited to announce the 2024 launch of its UK Training Academy. This pioneering online platform is specially devised for home-based crafters aspiring to convert their pastime into a profitable business.
The company’s rise from a modest table-top knitting hobby in Somerset to a multi-award-winning entity is a testament to the founder’s devotion to the craft world. The academy, accessible on the Skool online platform, comprises three detailed courses: “How to Start,” “Stand Out,” and “Sell at Your First or Next Craft Fair,” offering a complete “business in a box” approach.
The academy’s curriculum includes 12 well-structured modules per course, expertly crafted to assist participants in every phase of launching and maintaining a prosperous craft business. It has earned an official endorsement from the Rural Living Show in Taunton, affirming its dedication to craft excellence.
Dawn Hurd, the inspiration behind Hurd & Co, has a remarkable story of overcoming adversity. Transitioning from the fitness and health sector to crafts in 2009 due to personal challenges, including 8 miscarriages, Dawn invested around £18,000 in coaching from Big Business Events. This investment turned her business around from incurring losses at craft fairs to earning four-figure sums at prestigious events, such as the 2019 Pure London Fashion Show’s United Nations installation.
The UK Training Academy is Dawn’s way of sharing her success formula with upcoming craft entrepreneurs. The academy is a reflection of Hurd & Co’s nature-inspired and community-focused ethos.
Moreover, Hurd & Co has launched “Sit and Knit,” a weekly, free community group conducted both offline and online, aimed at fostering creativity, bonding, and addressing loneliness among the elderly.
Committed to social responsibility, Hurd & Co donates 5% of profits from each adult scarf sale to Age UK Somerset. The company is also an active participant in the sustainable wool campaign, supported by King Charles III.
Dawn Hurd remarks, “Empowering individuals go beyond where they are currently to generate an income, turn hobbies into profitable enterprises is a daily passion of mine.”
For more information on joining Sit & Knit, the online masterclasses, or the upcoming Training Academy, please visit www.hurdandco.com. Join us in unleashing the transformative power of creativity and community.
