Date: 22nd August 2014
Neomi Bennett, a registered nurse, has developed a multi-award winning product and is selling this successfully. She has appeared on Dragon’s Den recently and has secured investment (through a crowd-funding campaign) and so can now scale her operation up. There is a lot of information on her website including videos
Anti-DVT stockings are very hard to put on. It is very difficult to get them over the foot and ankle. The Neo-Slip is a simple pouch made of a low friction material which the user slides over the foot before putting on the stocking. The stockings are footless so once in place the bag can be removed. From watching her videos I would estimate that using this device makes it five times faster to put a stocking onto a patient.
This project is very interesting because in some ways it typifies the kind of invention that has a good chance of being successful and Neomi has shown how to do it.
Firstly, it is very simple, with low development costs.
Secondly, the manufacturing set up costs are low: it is just a sewn fabric item.
Thirdly, it is a niche market health product which makes it easier to trade at higher profit margins.
Lastly, it is a product that will save the users’ time and in a commercial environment that means it will save money.
Neomi’s website has been set up really well with testimonials, endorsements and videos and in many ways her project is a model example of the right kind of invention and the right way to go about it.
I asked Neomi to comment briefly about her project, she responded:
“ ….The most important thing that has helped me turn my idea into reality is self belief and focus. Once you have these everything becomes possible…..”