North Sky Design

Making innovative products with greater efficiency

I run a business called North Sky Design. It’s a product design and design-for- manufacturing consultancy, mainly focused on higher-volume products. The main aim of the business is to help people make products more efficiently.

We do a lot of work out of Asia. My business partner has a factory in Taiwan, which we use for manufacturing. He’s got deep experience in high-volume manufacturing, and I’ve got a background in prototyping and small-batch production. So together we cover the whole process from product development/design to prototyping right through to mass supply.

Rapid growth without external funding

North Sky Design is about three years old now, and it’s taken off really well. We’ve grown from zero revenue to around £300k–£400k this year, with consistent profits every year and no external funding.

That’s something I’m really proud of. It’s also a nice feeling to know that clients value what we do, that they’re willing to pay for it and come back for more.

The business works well because of the partnership between me and Tom. We have complementary strengths. The sum of the parts is definitely greater than the whole.

Growing in a complex global market

Our biggest challenges have been global: things like tariffs, shifting trade rules, and general economic uncertainty. For example, some of our clients wanted to move production due to US tariffs, which created opportunities, but then the rules changed again, so plans were put on hold. That stop-start uncertainty makes it difficult to plan long-term.

There’s not much we can do to control that. Global manufacturing often moves to wherever is cheapest or where supply is consistent/stable (or both). For a lot of mass-market products, that’s what buyers care most about.

Luckily, most of our clients aren’t just chasing the lowest price. We tend to focus more on medical and technically complex products, where quality and compliance matter. Our clients know that they can pick up the phone and deal with someone who knows exactly what’s going on and solve their problems quickly.

What I love about the job

My favourite part of running North Sky is product design, doing CAD (Computer Aided Design) work and prototyping. It’s not the most profitable part of the job, but it’s what I love.

Seeing something you’ve doodled come to life as a real product is incredibly satisfying, even if it never works right the first time.

Going from an idea on paper to something on a shelf or online - that’s a great feeling. It can be frustrating in how long the process takes but ultimately rewarding.

The sky’s the limit

For North Sky, the future looks really bright. We’ve gone from nothing to hundred of thousands in turnover, with just two people. The model scales well because we act as a middleman, so we can grow revenue without having to massively expand the team or infrastructure.

If growth continues, we’ll probably open an office in Taiwan to manage relationships and logistics directly. At a certain point, it’ll make sense financially to have a designated employee of North Sky on the ground there rather than paying intermediaries.

It’s been exciting to see the business evolve. We’ve stuck to our original vision but adapted as we’ve gone. We’ve learned which opportunities fit us and which don’t. Being small and lean gives us flexibility, and having two founders who think alike on the big things makes decisions quicker and easier.

Growth doesn’t always mean adding more people or space. Sometimes it’s about staying efficient and selective. That mindset has really helped the business succeed.

Working with Gravitate

There are plenty of good advisers out there, but what stands out with Gravitate and Mike is that when you ask for something to be done, it actually gets done.

The advice we get is always good and pragmatic. Mike also provides really solid general counsel beyond straightforward accountancy. It’s not just, “Here’s your P&L.” If we have staff issues or operational challenges, he’ll offer an opinion or share advice based on his experience, either from working with other clients or from running a business himself.

Both Mike and Charlotte actually understand how manufacturing works. A lot of accountants genuinely don’t.

We love working with Thomas and the North Sky Team. Co-Founder and Director, Mike Crocker and Client FD Charlotte Turner enjoy working in close partnership with clients to help them know their numbers and boost financial resilience.

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