Have Wristband, Will Travel Safely

It's every parent's nightmare. You're out with  one or more small children at the zoo or in a busy supermarket and as you're paying for an item or tying a shoelace, a child goes missing. Rational thought goes out the window and panic threatens to overwhelm you. Until your child is safely back in your care, the supermarket or zoo can feel like the most dangerous place in the world. It's one of the most gut-wrenching feelings any parent can experience and anything that can help alleviate the worry and stress and reunite you safely and quickly with your child would be a godsend.

Identifying A Simple Solution

This week on Kickstart Your Business, we featured a product that will have parents everywhere breathing a sigh of relief. IDme, a safety wristband, was designed and developed by Dee O'Leary, a mother of three whose experience of losing a small child in a local supermarket sparked a great business idea that is fast becoming an essential travel item for small children. The award winning wristband holds essential information that means a good samaritan can quickly help the lost and vulnerable child to reunite with their anxious parents. 

Endless Opportunities

This is one of those business ideas that's so simple, it's a wonder we didn't think of it ourselves! The possibilities are endless for a product that is so fit for purpose and meets an instantly recognisable need in its target market. And that market extends beyond the parents of wandering children and can cater for sports enthusiasts or individuals with medical issues or special needs. As Gerard pointed out on the show, there is also endless opportunity to customise the strap and create a range of designs that will appeal to children and adults alike (much like Swatch did with their watches). 

Over To You

What type of designs could Dee use to customise her product and create individual and eye-catching safety wristbands ? Listen back to the show on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you think. 

We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast live on The Right Hook on Newstalk106 in Ireland every Thursday at 6.40pm and is available on Playback.