A DUO from Wokingham wowed a national television audience after reinventing the wheel. Well, the handle at least.
Simon Allder and David Alner appeared on last Friday’s edition of the Channel 4 teatime show Buy It Now.
In the show, they have to pitch a new product idea to the audience in just 90 seconds. If they get at least one sale from a member of the audience they are then given a chance to meet with retailers to see if their product can go from being an idea to a fully-fledged retail product.
The pair have created revolutionary rotating wheelbarrow handles.
They say that the iTip is a safe and easy way to tip your loaded wheelbarrow, sack trolley, cement mixer or anything else that requires controlled movement, something that they then demonstrated to the audience.
And they are just handles: they can be fitted onto virtually all wheelbarrows in minutes.
The duo said that they are suitable for gardeners, especially those with mobility or dexterity issues. Also, they are ideal for protecting builders, landscapers and stable hands from strain injuries.
During their appearance on Buy It Now, they demonstrated first the difficulty in lifting a normal wheelbarrow and then the ease in which the iTips could be fitted and used. During their 90 second demonstration they attracted interest from a range of shoppers in the audience.
Host Brian Conley then facilitated a host of positive feedback from the audience, one of whom said they were very keen, pointing out that it would be good for people with mobility issues to use in the garden.
And at one point, to laughter from the audience, Mr Conley slipped over some logs only to have his dignity saved by the guys.
Because they had sales from the audience, they were able to pitch the idea to the retail panel.
In turn, the panel complimented them on the iTip, saying it was ingenious.
And it’s fair to say that the gadget was a hit, with the panel snapping up the device, with an introductory price of £14.99.
The pair said: “This idea came from a real requirement to help gardeners and builders alike, in their day-to-day stresses and strains.
“Quality and cost were always a consideration and this was reflected in our success on Friday.”
iTip handles are available to pre-order on the website www.itiphandles.com
The show can be seen on Channel 4’s catch-up service, All4
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/buy-it-now/on-demand/67043-030
