Entrepreneurs who secured a huge investment on Dragons' Den say the experience was 'terrifying'. Sally and James Coneron, creators of the ‘Clear ‘N’ Collect’ gardening tool, secured significant investment from BBC Dragons' Den star, Sara Davies, to help them achieve their dream of worldwide toolshed domination.
The husband-and-wife team, who appeared on the show on Thursday night, impressed Sara with their simple yet ingenious idea that’s designed to make life easier for professional and domestic gardeners alike. Sara Davies immediately saw the huge potential for professional gardener, James’ invention, and jumped at the chance to put her money behind the business for a 25% share, dropping to 20% after 18 months.
Mirroring retail specialist Sara Davies’ story - who launched her business, Crafter’s Companion, when she had a great idea for a transformative gadget, - Sally and James hope to grow their own smart idea from a small UK brand to a global phenomenon. Sara said: “There’s nothing I admire more than businesspeople who have a clear vision and a strong concept. Sally and James want their product to be a staple in every toolshed, garage and work van throughout the world, and I’m excited to join them in their journey to achieve this goal”.
Sally added: “Going into the Den was one of the most terrifying yet rewarding experiences of my life and James and I are over the moon to have secured investment from Sara.
"Our main objective when we applied for the show was to access the very best support to strengthen our global distribution strategy. Not only does Sara have a remarkable track record in creating a multimillion, international brand, she’s also great to get along with and clearly very passionate about retail. We can’t wait to get working with her.”
James said: “It’s a dream come true to have Sara behind us. I knew we were onto something when I created my cardboard prototype a little over three years ago, and despite a relatively successful period since our launch in 2020, our business is now ready to be taken to the next level.”
The couple, who live in Ascot with their three young children, plan to use their £50K windfall to maintain watertight legal protection for their patented product, invest in a global digital marketing strategy for ‘Clear ‘N’ Collect’ and improve their distribution network.
In 2020, the Coneron’s took the plunge in turning gardener, James’ idea for a multipurpose tool that rakes, scoops and deposits garden debris into a reality, and Clear ‘N’ Collect was born.
James, co-founder of CW Land Gardeners, came up with the idea for a multipurpose garden rake after spending the last 20 years ‘breaking his back’ collecting leaves and debris. The tool can collect materials like leaves, cuttings and grass without the need for repetitive physical bending, and the clever open-and-close mechanism works on patios, driveways, lawns, artificial grass and gravel.
The Clear ‘N’ Collect device is made from 100% recycled plastic in the UK, is robust - as perfect for heavy-duty professional use as it is for light domestic gardening.
