DAWN has only just broken, but Sara Davies is already up and about.

As a new mother, such early starts are nothing out of the ordinary.

However, today, she’s not been awoken by her little boy, Oliver.

Instead, it’s her alarm making the noise, heralding the beginning of another European business trip.

Mrs Davies is heading off to the airport to meet a TV appearance appointment.

It’s nothing new.

A familiar face to millions of people, she has appeared on a host of TV channels, including Create and Craft and Made In Tyne and Wear.

This time her trip is taking her to Germany, but, as the driving force behind Crafter’s Companion, she regularly matches her time in the country with trips to the US to highlight its products.

The firm, based in Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, designs, makes and supplies craft products for enthusiasts across the world, including its flagship paper crafting tool, The Ultimate.

However, it also has a base in California, in the US.

The site may be a long way from the bedroom Mrs Davies founded the firm in nearly ten years ago while completing a business degree at the University of York, but its significance is huge.

Employing 20 staff, she expects the US office to double annual sales from $3m (£1.9m) to $6m (£3.8m) this year, as it battles major chains for a slice of a $30bn market.

Such figures show why the US will form a key part of the company’s future, even if it does mean a few early rises and quick turnarounds to get back to Oliver as soon as possible.

“I’ve already clocked up my 54 flight of the year, but I feel like I’m getting the best of both worlds”, said Mrs Davies.

“When I go to the US, the flights are long, and they do affect the body clock, but they are worth it.

“Last week, I was up at the crack of dawn to get to the airport to go to Germany for a TV show.

“But the trips away are helping the business, and we have had a fantastic couple of years.”

Mrs Davies revealed the firm is looking to add to its US operations, with more senior appointments to lead sales and marketing.

She added: “The biggest challenge being an entrepreneur is knowing what you are good at and what you need to build on.

“We have brought in people to fill the gaps where we were not so strong and have built a management team to take us forward.

“It’s almost like I’ve got the reins and I’m looking after the galloping horses.

“We have a really good business in the US and this year has been a real turning point.

“The market over there is being quoted as being worth $30bn (£19bn), whereas the UK is valued at about £3bn.

“It’s very different too because craft is more mainstream in the US.

“In the UK, we have a lot of independent traders, as well as the Hobbycraft chain, but the US has four of five big chains, which makes crafting very accessible for people and makes it a totally different proposition.

“I always envisage driving the product development from the UK, but strengthening the team in the US, and making California more US-centric, will help us.

“We have got very competent staff over there, but we need people to drive the sales and operate at a high level in marketing.”

Mrs Davies said Crafter’s US focus will not come at the expense of its European operations, which are run from its headquarters in Coundon’s Collingwood House.

Employing more than 40 people, the firm was named in The Sunday Times BT Business SME Export Track 100, which ranks small and medium-sized firms with the fastest-growing international sales over the last two years.

It also saw turnover for the year to April rise 14 per cent to £8.9m.

Mrs Davies pointed to Germany, as well as the Netherlands, as key areas to propel its growth.

She added: “We are putting a lot of emphasis on Europe, and do a lot of business in Holland and Germany.

“For all it is a smaller country in terms of geography, Holland is the most closely aligned market to the UK in terms of trend.

“It is a big nation of card-makers and paper crafters, and Germany’s market is at least five times larger than over here.”