Sara Davies, 35, born in County Durham, founded her business Crafter’s Companion while she was a student at the University of York. As of 2019, Crafter’s Companion exports to more than 40 countries and employs 200 people worldwide. In 2018, she estimated her personal wealth to be £11 million, however, in 2019, she said her personal wealth was £35 million. Tonight she will star in the BBC hit show Dragon’s Den, but why does she insist on putting her five-year-old son to work for just £2 a day?
Sara Davies, who will be the show’s youngest featured investor, will appear on Dragon’s Den tonight after previous Dragon Jenny Campbell decided to leave the show in early 2019.
But apparently appearing as the new Dragon is not her first interaction with the show.
In a recent interview with the BBC she revealed she had been invited to pitch on the show 13 years ago.
However, she found alternative ways to fund her business which has now grown into a £35 million operation.
However, ensuring that privilege does not negatively affect her two children is important to Ms Davies.
Speaking to the Mirror, she said: “Just because I’m a lot wealthier now doesn’t mean I want my kids to grow up differently to how I did..
“I worked in my parents’ decorating store from six. My mum would get me in every Saturday polishing the paint and straightening the wallpaper for 50p.
“My five-year-old son will help out at the shop, which my sister owns, and she’ll have him doing the same thing that I was back then.
“With a bit of inflation he will get a couple of quid. My boys can negotiate much better than I can.”
How did Sara Davies make her fortune?
Sara Davies made her wealth from the business Crafter’s Companion, an international craft supplies business, which she founded and owns.
She first launched the business whilst studying business at university in 2005 with savings of just £5,000.
As part of her degree, she undertook a placement with a craft company, during which time she spotted a gap in the market.
On her website, she describes how her business came into being: “Crafter’s Companion started life as a big dream in my little university bedroom.
“This is where I had my light bulb moment, and the Enveloper was born!”
The Enveloper, became Crafter’s Companion’s signature product, allowing crafters to make envelopes from a material of their choice.
According to an interview with Craft Business, she “begged” to sell this product on shopping channel Ideal World TV and when she appeared on the show she sold 1,500 Envelopers in the first 10 minutes and 8,000 on the first day.
Sara is making nine investments during this series and said fellow Dragons did not expect her to come in with all guns blazing.
She told the Mirror: “I give them a run for their money. They may have felt, ‘She’s nice, we’ll take her under our wing’. But I fight them. I took business off Peter Jones. I’m a smiling assassin.”
Dragons Den will air at 8pm tonight on BBC Two.
