A DRAGON'S Den star has admitted to "having a rough couple of years" as her £37million arts and crafts company struggles.
Sara Davies, 39, is now working harder than ever to turn her fortunes around after her Crafter’s Companion began making losses.
Crafter's Companion is a leading company internationally which ships to over 40 countries worldwide including in Asia, South Africa, North and South America, Europe, and Australia.
The company also employs over 200 people across the world.
The Dragon is now restructuring her business after she says it was hit by increasing costs following Covid and Brexit.
She told the Mirror: “I’m just going to be really honest, it has been a rough couple of years.
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"And I kind of don’t want to shy away from that because I always feel, especially with my role on Dragons’ Den, I’ve got that responsibility of being a bit of a role model.
"I’ve had to work harder than I ever have in my life.”
“We’ve been navigating all the other difficulties – the cost of living crisis, the raw materials cost increases, the energy crisis, war in Ukraine, plus the effects of Brexit.”
Following the restructure of the firm based in Darlington, County Durham, investor firm Growth Partner will be the majority shareholder but Sara remains owner, founder and director.
A Crafters Companion spokesperson told The Sun last year: “These figures only tell part of the story.
"Whilst these are incredibly challenging trading times, there is significant confidence in Crafters Companion hence the financial investment.
"This will support the company’s next stage of growth without passing any cost onto the consumer."
Her big break came when she designed and marketed her ground-breaking product The Enveloper.
She sold over 8,000 in the first 24 of hours of the product being debuted on shopping channel Ideal World.
When Sara graduated with her first-class honours degree, she already had a business with a turnover of over half a million pounds.
Sara has been rewarded for her contributions to the industry.
She has received as many as 25 business business accolades so far and an MBE from Prince William for services to the economy in 2016.
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Sara was also a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 when she was paired with Aljaž Škorjanec.
Sara Davies has been approached for comment.
Dragons’ Den’s biggest success stories after rejection
SCORES of entrepreneurs have left empty-handed after a verbal lashing from the Dragons - but some plucky contestants go on to have the last laugh.
Levi Roots, who was greeted by stony faces when he entered the Den in 2006 singing about his Reggae Reggae sauce, is now worth £30million and set to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house.
Back in 2004 Rachel Lowe asked for a £75,000 investment for her game The Destination, which sees players ride around streets and try to collect the most fares.
She was turned down, but Rachel's cab driver-inspired board game went on to outsell Monopoly in its first year, after she secured a deal with toy retailer Hamleys.
Shane Lake and Tony Charles pitched their online takeaway ordering business Hungryhouse back in 2007.
James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne saw its potential and collectively stumped up £100,000 in exchange for each getting a quarter of the business.
But four months after leaving the den, Caan backed out of the deal.
That setback didn't hurt Hungryhouse's fortunes, however.
The firm soon found £150,000 from different investors and, by 2016, it had 10,000 restaurants on its platform.
It was ultimately sold to Just Eat for a cool £200million in 2016.
Entrepreneur Rob Law was rejected by the Dragons but wound up selling his kids suitcase company Trunki for £12million.
Law initially appeared on Dragons' Den in 2006 at 28 years old, asking for a £100,000 investment in exchange for 10% of his business.
But he got turned down after one of the Dragons broke the handle off a suitcase, calling it "worthless".
