North Shields couple launches Kickstarter campaign to fund their business venture

With the help of North Tyneside Council’s Business Factory, a North Shields couple are looking to bring the first silicone children’s tableware to market.

Graeme Blyth and Maria Poblet, parents of two small children, have started up a business producing silicone, child friendly products for the dinner table.

Now the duo, who have received Intellectual Property and patent advice from The Business Factory’s Ideas to Market specialist advice team, are turning to crowdfunding website Kickstarter to fund their venture.

Graeme said: “It is astounding really that so little safe and child friendly options exist for children’s tableware. Ceramic breaks, melamine scratches and plastic is known to contain a number of harmful chemicals which can be released when heated that as concerned parents we knew there must be a safer option.

“We did a lot of research in to the market and now have a full colourful and quirky product range designed and manufacturers in place so all we need now is the initial funding to bring the first round of product to market.”

The Business Factory has helped more than 3000 people to consider starting their own business, resulting in over 700 new businesses since 2010.

Graeme added: “There has been great interest in both our product range and our non-traditional route to market. We have nearly reached our target but are still seeking pledges from people who would like to use our product range and it would be great if a few more of these could come from people in our local area.”

Cllr Frank Lott, North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for Business Support added: “We are committed to supporting and encouraging enterprise across the borough and recognise that no two businesses are the same and each new business requires individual support which is why we offer a range of specialist advice services through The Business Factory in areas such as intellectual property, taking products to market, lease negotiations and sales and marketing. It is important that we can help start-ups to tackle difficult issues such as patent law and intellectual property to ensure that the foundations of their business are rock solid from the outset.”

To find out more about the products, and to invest www.jinjabiscuit.co.uk