Ellie Barden set up Grace Forge, her blacksmithing and metal fabrication business, six years ago.

She creates unique metalwork in mild steel, beautiful copper jewellery, and runs workshops. In this inspiring conversation relevant to independent craftspeople, makers and anyone interested in the art and business of blacksmithing, Ellie:

• Describes her journey from an apprenticeship as a farrier to running her own blacksmithing business
• Gives invaluable tips about advertising on Etsy, a platform used by many independent makers
• Covers the importance of investment into a business (Ellie is a Business Enterprise Fund client, using a loan for new equipment)
• Talks through her own process combining traditional and modern tools and techniques in blacksmithing, and how she weaves her inspirations from nature and architecture into her work 
• Explains how she came to feel ready to run workshops
• Covers the value of building diverse income streams

Ellie is both fascinating and informative and we hope you enjoy this episode.

What next?

• More about Ellie's business, Grace Forge: https://www.graceforge.co.uk
• Ellie's Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GraceForge
• Blacksmithing workshops: https://www.graceforge.co.uk/blacksmithing-workshops
• The Dunfell Shepherd’s Hut: https://www.graceforge.co.uk/dunfell-shepherds-hut
• More about the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF), which Ellie says was "the most personable company, it was an easy process, they were just so helpful and so down to earth, flexible and accommodating"  https://www.befund.org/about

FUNDED: Brilliant Entrepreneurs and Founders is a podcast by the Business Enterprise Fund a social enterprise dedicated to breaking the "finance shackles" faced by many small and medium-sized enterprises & social enterprises.

Find BEF online at https://www.befund.org and on LInkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-enterprise-fund/

• This podcast is produced and edited by Jamie Veitch https://www.jamieveitch.co.uk/
• The music is "Aerosol of my Love" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Artwork design by Research Retold https://www.researchretold.com