The Invention: The F.A.B. Light™!
The FAB Light™ GOES TO THE DRAGON'S DEN!
FABulasses: Sandy Pye, Rhonda Pond (co-inventor), Tiffany Roe, Kelly Horner,
Linda Pond (co-inventor), SaraNot Stanley, Linda Bennett
Stay tuned for the 2012 season of Dragon's Den, for you don't want to miss the pitch to The Dragons by Linda Pond and The FABulasses. Knowing that lively entertainment is the goal for tv, The FABulasses donned their brilliant pink and black ball uniforms, and made their way to Toronto for the actual taping of their epidsode. The FAB Light™ sure generated a ton o' buzz in downtown Toronto.
We can't reveal the deal (if there even was one), but the experience was like something out of the movies!
The many uses of The FAB Light™! Find A Brand! Get Your Company Noticed!
The FAB Light™ is a single LED (Light Emitting Diode) encased in acrylic. The material causes a 'light pipe' effect as the light cascades through the clear acrylic, lighting your enclosed container while it lights up your company's logo or message.
Patented in both the U.S. and Canada, this invention was based on a single question: "How come there is a light in a fridge, but not in a cooler?" Now, the FAB Light™can be placed on the inside lid of any hinged box that may require light: Tool Box, Jewelery Box, Toy Box, Chest Freezer, Fishing Tackle Box. It can even be worn on the wrist as a hands-free lighting device, requiring only the bending of the elbow to turn the light on and off.
The invention itself came from a NEED, and led to a connection of opportunities. There is a very fine line between a NEED and an IDEA - a subtlety that is missed by many inventors. This point was exemplified at Linda's NEEDs Networking Event, where laid-off high techies were asked to list NEEDs, rather than ideas.
DISCOVERY OF THE NEED:
On a warm August night in 2005, Linda and Rhonda Pond - who have been the Mother/Daughter, Pitcher/Catcher duo for The Carleton Place Ladies Fastball Team, The FAB U Lasses since 1988, were enjoying an after-game refreshment with their team around the team cooler. It was then that Rhonda uttered those fateful words, "here's a NEED for your event tomorrow Mom - this cooler NEEDS a Light" . It demonstrated perfectly what Linda meant by a NEED, so she used it as an example at her company's Networking event, held the very next day. Two engineers were so enthralled with the idea, they came up with a working prototype two days later. What began as an example, ended up being the NEED they solved and took to market.
THE FOLLOW THROUGH:
An extensive search on the Internet and a complete patent search revealed that there was nothing like it yet in the marketplace. The journey really began then, for now there was a swelling number of people who said, "Wow! What a great idea! A light in a cooler!
The network that had been built by Linda and Customer Connects®, was now paying off. They took their ideas to the members - local engineers in Ottawa who could help with designing, prototyping, and connecting Linda to other resources needed to take an invention to market.
The turning point came with the introduction of The FAB Light™ to Coghlans, Ltd, a wholy Canadian distributor of camping accessories. They loved the idea, and offered to help the ladies perfect it and get it ready for their customers. Shortly following the required design changes, Coghlans sumitted their first purchase order for their version of The FAB Light™, called 'The Cooler Light'. Currently, 'The Cooler Light', is sold in most major retail stores. Look for the familiar green and red packaging in the camping aisle. They are selling like hot cakes!
The really amazing part of this story had yet to be told. With the generous help from local companies, Linda created a business model where she received design and prototyping services for no charge up front, in exchange for royalties, once the product started to sell. That kind of commitment boosted the confidence of the inventors. They knew they had Wow Factor, especially when people said "WOW! Why didn't I think of that?" (They probable DID think of that, just didn't do anything about it).
This uniqe business model allowed the product to get to market, without the inventors succombing to large debt at the end. Royalties are a fair and wonderful and cost-effective way to capture an opportunity.
Read about how Linda accomplished what many women have never experienced in her book 'Top Secrets of a Girl Entrepreneur'.
Linda Pond is also in demand as a professional speaker with expert knowledge in entrepreneurship and brand marketing. Get her to speak at your next event. Experience her remarkable story, which mirrors her energy, humour and enthusiasm.