Craft Focus - Page number 62 - June/July 2021 (Issue 85)

Conscious crafting Basharat Malik, founder of Honest Love Our Planet talks to Craft Focus about their eco credentials and the importance of honesty and clarity in building those important customer relationships Tell us a little bit about the history behind Honest Love Our Planet. Who started the company and when? Honest Love Our Planet started in the summer of 2019. It actually began as a passion project between two individuals who were keen to make a difference in this world by creating something that would help society. The main aim of the business is to develop the brand into a world class offering. We’d like our customers to enjoy and appreciate these beautiful handmade products. Where are you located and where are your products made? We currently have offices in Bath and Ebbw Vale. Our products are produced and hand painted in Indian administered Kashmir. In the future, our aim is to make 40 per cent of our products in the UK as we develop our customer base to address the business needs of customers. Tell us a bit about the company name. Honestlop is a sustainable business, one of our primary goals is to reduce carbon emissions. All of our products are handmade with zero carbon footprint. As the name suggests, one must love the planet you live on to make sure you care for it. We are doing our part as a company and this mission falls under our corporate social responsibility to develop ethical products. What company values do you hold? We’re a fair trade business and our ethics include honesty, integrity, responsibility, quality, trust, respect, teamwork, leadership, a customer-centric focus, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and finally leading to sustainable business in this globalised world. Tell us about your product range. What do you specialise in? Honestlop is an arts and crafts retailer who mainly specialises in christmas decorations and home décor. What’s your bestselling collection/ product? We started off with Christmas decorations and our best-selling products to date have been handmade papier mache baubles, moons, Christmas stars, elephants and reindeers. How would you advise a retailer who is interested in stocking your products? We work very closely with our retailers to provide them with support to develop our business relationship based on mutual trust. We have a product catalogue that helps our retailers to choose products they require. We’re completely transparent on pricing and expectations. We’ll also consider, on a case by case basis, sale or return options to develop initial trust and product demand so that retailers feel confident on future orders. What sets you apart from your competitors? We strive to offer our customers the most beautiful ornaments at a fair price, and with outstanding customer service. Protecting our planet by creating products 62