David Ferguson
BA(Hons) Business Administration and Law

After graduation in 2002, David spent five years living, working and travelling abroad. Upon returning to the UK, the recession was in full swing and finding a full time job was proving extremely difficult. After three months and over 25 interviews he finally secured a job in sales for one of the largest insulation companies in the UK. His role saw him going to customers’ houses to survey their loft and walls and then offer advice on potential ways they could save money on their heating bills by having their homes properly insulated.

A majority of the products were generally very easy to sell, as the government offers grants for the installation of the insulation and once done, customers would then save money on their utility bills.

However, it quickly became clear to David that selling loft insulation was much more difficult than selling cavity wall insulation. This was due primarily to two reasons; firstly, many could simply not be bothered to clear their loft, and secondly; to get the government grant, loft space must be insulated to standard regulation depths and nothing can be stored directly on top of the insulation as it loses it efficacy. On a practical level, this could mean the loss of all storage space in their loft, which is not an option for most people. 

Being an avid fan of Dragon’s Den, David was aware that the best product ideas are usually those that solve a real problem. So he began thinking of eco-friendly solutions to the issue and came up with an incredibly simple idea that hardly required technical skill in its design, but would be extremely effective and perhaps most importantly, easily installed. Taking the initiative to protect his idea, David did a little market research and could not find any other product like his already on the market, and so hired a patent attorney to file a patent application.

“Beepurple helped me turn a prototype invention into a marketable product. Through discussing a number of issues during a one to one meeting, I realised that in its current form, the product was not yet viable as the production costs were too high. I was then put in touch with experienced professionals in the manufacturing industry, who re-designed the product specifically to make it cost effective to mass produce. Also my business plan was more like an essay, very long, wordy and not very captivating.  Beepurple pointed out that whilst some very detailed information is needed, the document as a whole should be easy to read, look attractive and ultimately be inspiring to those who read it. Adjusting the tone of the business plan really helped me re-work it into something that ultimately got me the investment that I needed to take operations to the next level.”

The product, ‘Loft Storage Stilts’, will make it simple for a person to create a raised storage platform in their loft, therefore allowing them to have loft space fully insulated to government standards without losing any storage space. Before Loft Storage Stilts were available the only way to retain valuable storage space in a loft would have been to only partially insulate the loft or buy timber and raise the height of the existing joists in the loft, an expensive and difficult task.

With the idea fully realised, tested and designed, David still faced the challenge of actually selling the product. Whilst it is notoriously difficult to even meet with buyers in large companies, David has managed to secure an exclusive contract with B&Q, who are now stocking Loft Storage Stilts in all of their stores under their own ‘Diall’ brand.

“This is really exciting for us as B&Q is the market leader for DIY products in the UK and have a great reputation. B&Q are also part of Kingfisher PLC, Europe's leading home improvement retail group and the third largest in the world.”

Future work will keep David busy investing in patenting the product in a number of other countries across the globe and he will also be looking to work with the insulation companies across the UK, who could provide or sell the product whilst installing insulation.

“When I originally had the idea for Loft Storage Stilts I thought I’d be able to develop, patent and get the product into the stores within 6 months.  It’s now almost 2 years to the day and I have finally got there but it has been a long rollercoaster of a journey. For anyone that is thinking of bringing a product to market – be prepared to be patient and persevere. This product would not be on store shelves today without determination, hard work and a fair amount of risk taking.”

Contact

07595 963397
david.ferguson27@googlemail.com