Runaway Spray. Instant 'ladder' stop spray for stockings and tights.

I first had the idea for this product when I was in college. I had been to meet work friends in London for a evening function, and 'laddered' my tights on the train. Shops were shut, and I had to throw the tights away. Evening wear and bare legs in winter do not really go together. I felt really uncomfortable all night. It is something so trivial, but it does alter how comfortable you feel.

In college we had been set a task to mix two existing products to make another. Like putting an orange and a shampoo, and making a fruity hair care product. I though about the tights being thrown away, and wondered if there was a gap in the market. Not to combine any products, but to make a new one.

Little did I know that it would take extensive product searches, and ten years of research and development to get my product on the shelves of major stores. I had never even heard of a product search.

Once you have done your product search, and found there is no product like yours, then you can start the patent process.

It is always worth getting a breakdown of costings, so that you know from the start, just how much it will cost at each stage. Patents need renewing, as do trademarks, so keep them noted in your diary. A good patent agent will remind you of renewal times, but only if your patent is with them in the first place.

When I got my first orders from Superdrug and the Arcadia Group, it was a little overwhelming and so exciting. I had to learn really quickly, the processes for supplying a product to many stores at once. You learn about delivery schedules, packaging, labeling, security checks, more labeling, pricing, pr, and branding. It was amazing.

I am currently working on one of my new inventions, and hope to be able to tell you about it from the end of January.

I am also designing lots of other products at the moment , so I will keep you posted on how it is going.