Next into the den is Saint Helens based Entrepreneur Helen Davis who's brought a Couple of friends along to help her with Her pitch wiggling with him [Music] And Helen's previous track record Suggests she's clearly no dummy My first business was commercial window Cleaning we turned it over in between 750 and 850 000 a year But I did decide to sell so that I could Focus 100 on this it was a tough Decision but it was the right one [Music] As one door closes another opens and in This particular case it happens to be a Lift door This is my opportunity I've been Envisaging for a while now and and I Know that I'm gonna feel fearful But this is my time I'm Ready the Company's ready and I'm hoping for the Best [Music] Hello Dragons I'm Helen Davis owner of Easy tots who's this this is my friend Lindsay and one of her gorgeous twins This is Ali he's seven months old So I'm here today looking for dragon all Dragons to join me with an investment of 80 000 pounds in exchange for 20 stake In my company Easy tots is a four-year established Award-winning weaning brand for babies
And toddlers our signature products Include our silicon easy mat range of Which we now have four Unique Designs Our most lovemat is the easy map Mini It's a silicon suction plate with four Strong suction cups it's the only Solution that acts as both a plate with Suction and a lunchbox in one it's Designed with folding sides and it comes With a lid so it's easy to take out Anywhere with you Today we've sold over 130 000 easy mats Across the range plus many more Thousands of our bowls bibs and weaning Cutlery all amounting to 1.3 million in Revenue so far Thank you very much for your time today And I look forward to you testing out Our samples [Music] Ollie's giving Peter the once over [Music] Thank you so much Lindsay say bye-bye Bye-bye Ollie Stickable feeding mats for babies That can be used on the go of the Offering from Helen Davis Who's seeking 80 000 pounds in return For a 20 share in her company But with a sector Savvy Tuka Suleiman First to the questions gaining Investment won't be Child's Play Hi Helen hi you probably know I'm in the Baby business I certainly do
I know this very well I know there's a Break which is more thicker silicon and It's more solid the mats without any Suction cups so they're just self-seal So we do have different functions the USP of our best selling product is that It's dual purpose so that parents can Use it for everyday feeding on their High chairs but then they can put the Food in it before they go out pop the Lid on and throw it in the bag to take Anywhere feeding mat on the go yes is That that is exactly what what it is So explain to me um your channels of Sales okay I started out as an Amazon Business Um over time I knew that I needed to Diversify that to add additional Channels so this year 38 of our Turnovers come from International Distribution and then we have an even Split after that between our direct Sales through our own website and Amazon Sales So give us some numbers for when you Started today 2016 returned over 246 000 yep with a net profit of 11. and the Following year was 368 with a net profit of 14. yeah 2018 2018 was 272 000 with a profit of only Three thousand So what happened during year three I got my marketing strategy wrong
I had some new releases and a channel That small marketing budget that I had Into launching those and neglected the Best seller and that obviously had a Knock-on effect But I have spent time after that year Rethinking everything and this year Turnover is likely to reach 550 and we Are looking at a net profit of about 85 To 100. Despite some teething troubles Helen's Baby business is growing but Sarah Davies appears preoccupied by traction Of a very different kind That took some serious pulling off yeah My five-year-old daughter can't can't Remove it brilliant so if I saw someone Out about with one of these and I went On Amazon to look for this are you going To come up first in the first two years We ranked up for suction plate suction Tray But it's inevitable that once you're a Top seller you're gonna get cheaper Versions direct from factories in China And that has happened but we still Retain our best seller status in the Category So is it a specific strategy that you've Chosen not to go with Retail Partners or Has that opportunity just not abroad yet I've just focused on where I can Definitely see a quicker return There is only me in the business at the
Moment so do you do the physical Pickpack dispatch as well yes I've done Everything well done well thank you a Bit of a workholic but it's needed The baby entrepreneur's dedication to Her burgeoning Enterprise has clearly Impressed Sarah Davies But will hellem's status as a one-woman Band have also struck a chord with Peter Jones You've done incredibly well you're a One-person business and you're doing Everything end to end We've made about eighty thousand pounds Over four years twenty thousand a year What do you pay yourself at the moment This last year is the only year that I've actually paid myself out of the Company so I take a small salary of About 12 Grand and I've took about 25 in Dividends What that does for me as an investor it Demonstrates that even if you do push The scale up you're not going to make Sufficient money to bring somebody else In to help you grow this business And that's my concern is I think that This is a great business for you the But I don't think it's a good business For an investor So that's why I'm going to say it's not Something that I'm going to invest in Today and say that I'm out A blow for Helen as the Den's longest
Serving Dragon foresees limited reward For an investor and Bows out Will Deborah meaden see any more scope To make this baby business boom Here's the good news you've done a great Job and quite quite quickly got But then it feels like you kind of Didn't know what to do with that You made as we all do at the beginning Made quite a few mistakes but you did That over a protracted period so you've Got four years of trading where really The profits are not if you took your Salary out there's nothing yeah in fact There's a loss to be carried forward So I'm afraid it's leaving me thinking I Can't find the hook yeah to hang an Investment on so I'm really sorry Helen I won't be investing I'm out Look I want to congratulate you on what You've done so far thank you but I don't Think I can add value to it So unfortunately it's not an investment For me so Good luck But I'm out Okay Hello the difficulty is it's your baby Yep I do believe in it you wake up every Morning this is your life it is yes you Know and so if I was to be interested in Getting involved in this I'd want a Substantial amount to basically plug it Into my system yep
And that's not what I want to do to you I don't want to take away your dream On that basis I'm not going to invest in them out Right Further disappointment for Helen as the Dragon who appeared her most natural fit Declined the deal The baby entrepreneur's hopes of Securing the cash she desperately needs To fund further growth now rest solely With Sarah Davies I was a bit of a blowout that Uncle T Came out I thought you know given that he's big In the baby space I actually thought This would be right it'd be straight I Really did I guess that maybe is the difference Between being an investor in the sector And being a consumer or potential Consumer for the product I'm a you know I wouldn't say I'm a Young mum now my my youngest is nearly Four but I know what this is like in Terms of you'll be out somewhere at Lunch you'll see another mum has the Latest innovation in the market and we All rush home or don't even rush home Get our mobiles out and get on to order It Thanks brilliant thank you Sarah I totally hear a lot of the criticism That the other dragons have leveled at
You and you've had some bumps in the Road But I think you're a really credible Entrepreneur You just need a bit of help So I'll make you an offer Thank you Sarah I will offer you all of the money all Eighty thousand But I would want 30 percent of the business and I think I've been really quite generous okay Thank you so You know don't even need to think about This But love to accept your offer thank you So much brilliant great well done thank You so much thank you looking forward to Working together Helen yes Daniel thank You Helen has done it it seemed that her Prospects of success were slipping away But she leaves the den with the 80 000 Pound she was seeking And the backing of a dragon who can Transform business baby steps into Commercial Leaps and Bounds well that Was some experience Um it's pretty hairy but Exciting at the same time we've got Competition now you she's in the baby World I am in the baby world I'm so over the moon with this Opportunity this is going to be a Game-changing moment for our company and
I can't wait to see what's going to Happen in the future
