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If you are going to build a successful company, it's going to make money. People are going to start to look at you, and in some cases, they're going to copy you. So definitely, protect your IP.” What advice do you have for women in business?
When Hannah Saunders walked into the den and pitched her baby skincare business to the dragons tonight, the dragons really admired her entrepreneurial spirit. With three vying for her attention, Saunders eventually decided on the Bartlett/Meaden combo.
No, these aren’t “plastic bras for travel” as Peter Jones put it. This is the RBR legflow from Paul Westerman’s company RBR Active, a medical device aimed at preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Westerman went away happy tonight, successfully securing Suleyman’s cash for a 35 per cent share of the business. The RBR legflow is a plastic two-dome shaped object that sits underneath your feet and you perform exercises on it while seated. According to the company, it has been Clinically-tested to increase blood flow in the lower limbs ten fold, and is registered with the Medicines Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA). I started making lip balm in my kitchen, then sunscreen followed pretty soon after that. I looked at different routes to market, selling online to consumers initially. To attract investment I knew I needed a much broader range and I needed to be able to demonstrate growth, so that's when we brought in the hand gel.” We've got trade marks for our Toddle Dribble-proof Lip and Cheek Balm, the bear logo along with the name Toddle, the Happy Gut Hand Gel. Then we've got registered designs for our Toddle design, and for our magic mist bottle, which has stood us in really good stead.
Entrepreneur Hannah Saunders pitched her range of child-friendly, eco-friendly, ethically-sourced skincare products to the Dragons' Den investors during Series 19 in March 2022. Her presentation attracted high praise from the Dragons, and gained the support of investors Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett, which she says really helped her on her way. Toddle Toggle. Never lose your hand gel again and save precious time rummaging around in your nappy bag! Use our signature Toddle Toggle to clip your happy germ hand gel to your bags and buggies, so it’s ready whenever you need it. Launched in March 2020, Toddle is aiming to revolutionise children’s skin care, a category dominated by plastic, and unsustainable practices. We spoke to Hannah about her success as a woman in business and how registering her IP has helped her protect and add value to her brand, ‘Toddle Born Wild’.It’s protects and improves the skin’s natural barrier. Our probiotic hand gel for children contains happy germs, like the cultures in fancy yoghurts! It’s these clever things that help improve the skin’s natural barrier… And it’s these natural antimicrobials – also known as live cultures – that help the good bacteria on your hands to thrive, whilst fighting off the bad bacteria. In addition, we also use essential oils because they have naturally occurring antibacterial properties.
I dread to think of the money we would have lost if we hadn't had the right IP protection. As it happens, I’ve already been able to protect my range from copycat products using my registered IP rights. ”We also have trade secrets. We ask everyone to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). The ingredients list tells you what’s in our products, but it’s actually quite hard to replicate somebody else’s product if you don't know the percentages. We guard those well.” Have you got any IP advice for entrepreneurs just starting out? I attended an IP workshop to get some practical business advice. I know that IP is sometimes overlooked, and i n terms of protecting yourself commercially, it’s so important to protect your brand when you’ve spent all that time, money and effort building up customer loyalty. Diving through The Independent archives, it appears Westerman actually wrote an article for the travel section about how to prevent DVT a couple of years ago. After being in the RAF for 9 years and loving the travel and adventure, Hannah became a mum in 2014. There's a lot to learn. I think one of the best assets that I have is my ability not to have any ego, but just do what's best for the business. I've always got my ears open and I'm very fortunate to have some incredible mentors that give me great advice.
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