THIIS Trade Magazine - May 15

Issue 200 • May 2015

Providing news and views in the trade since 1999

TRADE MAGAZINE

For everything new

Our 200th issue...and the biggest yet!

TOWN CENTRE STRATEGY

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…from the editor So, here we are – Issue 200. Forgive us if we are a little nostalgic this month, but it is quite a milestone.

Quite a few of you have been with us from the very start and if you are one of those ‘mature’ readers, thanks for being there!

Just like the magazine, or newsletter as it was in the very early days, the industry has changed dramatically since our first issue, that’s why we are looking back at some of the stories we have carried since 1999 in this issue. For some of you it will be a reminder of where we were back then, for others it will be an insight into how the industry got to where it is today.

Goodness knows what the marketplace will be like when issue 400 appears – that’s why this industry is so fascinating I guess.

David N Russell

6

”Getting repeat business is harder when you have an out of town location”

32

”The one I’m most enamoured with is the sheer brilliance of what Coral Affleck-Major came up with”

37

”April 2009 and Asda gets interested in the marketplace”

Editor

46

”I have seen cheques that have been written for £2,500 on the basis of a simple phone call.”

Don’t be shy, why not get in touch...

On the front...

A look at some of the past issues.

See page 36 for more.

Editor David N Russell Tel: 01536 710050 E-mail: info@thiis.co.uk

Assistant Editor

Advertising Enquiries

Calvin Barnett 01933 278086 newsroom@thiis.co.uk

Ed, Jayne or Sue 01536 317000 advertising@thiis.co.uk

You can find THIIS on Twitter at: wwwthiiscouk

www.thiis.co.uk 3

18th & 19th October 2015 / NEC Birmingham

Ellen, Blue Badge Company

Kim, Sidhil

Rebecca, Capatex

Angus, Happy Legs

Trade Days was a resounding success for Drive Medical; with entry restricted to Trade customers, it was conducive to good, constructive business discussions - we were delighted to rebook for 2015.

Richard McGleenan,

Sarah, Helping Hand

As far as we are concerned you “nailed it”, we had an excellent show! We saw exactly the audience we wanted to see. We had enough time with them and they didn’t feel pressured and overcrowded on the stand.

Mark Diaj,

David, Gordon Ellis

Mark, Able2

Elaine, Electric Mobility

Join us again at the UK’s sole TRADE ONLY business to business event for the mobility, living aids and assistive technology industry.

Meet over 130 suppliers Over 1500 retailers expected at the show Take advantage of the special trade deals and save £££ Choose from a packed programme of free business, sales and marketing seminars

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Here are some of the suppliers offering the best deals at TRADE DAYS this year…

A & D Instruments Ltd

First Senior Group

Ontex Healthcare UK Ltd

Able2 UK Ltd

Flexel UK Ltd

OPPO

Ableworld Franchise

Flexyfoot

Patterson Medical Ltd

accentu8

Freerider UK Ltd

Platinum Batteries

Active Living by Paroh

Furmanac

Primacare

Aidapt Bathrooms

Geemarc Telecom Ltd

Redwood TTM

All Batteries UK

Globaleather.com

Repose Furniture Ltd

amplicomms

Guy-Raymond Engineering Company

Rika Care

Assistive Partner Ltd

Healthcare and Assistive Technology Society

Rise and Recline Ltd

BATHEX (Bathroom + Shower Accessories) Ltd

Healthcare Distribution Direct Ltd

Royams

Healthcare Matters

Sandpiper

BES Rehab Ltd

HMS Vilgo - Pharmaouest

Scootertech Ltd

Blue Badge Company

Horizon Mobility Ltd

Sidhil Limited

Camelot Furniture

Hospital Direct

Spearhead

Capatex Medical

Isagi Ltd

Sunrise Medical Ltd

Cefndy Healthcare & Manufacturing

Ivanhoe Trading Ltd

Classic Canes

Jetmarine

Swallow Evacuation and Mobility Products Limited

Cosyfeet

Karma Mobility

Symmetrikit

COTSSIP

Kymco Healthcare UK

Tap2tag

CPC Battery Services

Langham GE

Tente Castors LTD

Dartex Coatings

Leoch Battery Shenzhen Corp

TGA Electric Leisure Ltd

Drive Medical Ltd

Limbo Products

The Kirton Healthcare Group

Easy Move Sheets

Mackworth Healthcare

The Ramp People

Electric Mobility Euro

Manbat

The Sticker Haus UK Ltd

Electric-Trikes-N-Bikes

Mark Bates Limited

Topro Ltd

Embryonyx Ltd

Medequip

Uniscan

Enable Access

MG Retail Consulting

Z-Tec Mobility

Etac supplied by R82 UK Ltd

MK Battery

Autochair Ltd

Roma Medical

…and many more

Register for your FREE place now at: www.tradedays.co.uk

Scoota Mart goes for higher visibility strategy In the 200th issue of the magazine we have news from a retailer that has been in business a similar length of time.

Scoota Mart has just opened a couple more outlets, making a total of ten in all. The company has taken the decision to move into town centres though, changing a location strategy that has been in place for some years.

Managing Director Spencer Coe explained more. “In the past our outlets have been out of town, in warehouse type premises. Like many people in the trade, our thoughts were that they would be easier to find and easier to park outside. Over the past couple of years we have had a change of strategy and we are now re-locating into smaller spaces, around 1200 square feet, closer to town centres.”

“The outlets are smaller than we have been used to” Spencer told us, “but we have found that we can still stock all the products we need to and we have locations that have a lot more passing traffic and that’s making a big difference. We are now on main streets where people cannot miss us and I have to say that it’s transformed the company. We are getting many more customers and we are seeing the daily living products sell a lot more too as people just walk in and buy something that catches their eye. Instead of getting lots of customers who buy a scooter and then we never see or hear of them again, we are building a genuine customer base of people who keep in touch and just pop in time and time again. We didn’t used to stock the smaller items, but now our store staff are very keen that we have plenty on the shelves as they know it will sell. They are the products that bring people through the door in the first place.”

Spencer says that the growth in the market has been one of the factors in the change of direction. “Getting repeat business is harder when you have an out of town location that people have to make a real effort to visit. Back when we started you could run a national advert and you would get people coming to see us in Preston from Birmingham and Scotland. Times have changed and there are so many more retailers these days. If someone travelled to us from Birmingham today, they would be passing quite a few retailers on the way.”

“We’ve had to work an awful lot harder to maintain turnover” he told us, “and that is simply 6 www.thiis.co.uk

Spencer Coe believes that the switch to town centre sites is working well.

down to competition.”

Spencer says that generating more customer numbers means that the people working in the shops need to be customer focussed. “I don’t think that anyone who works in the team has a sales background, they are all from a customer service background. We are seeing some very positive things from the new outlets that are more visible. The latest shop to open in Bury has been selling small items in good numbers but also sold seven scooters in the first few days – that’s very promising indeed.”

Spencer tells us that he is looking to open more “We are building a genuine stores, but only when the time and the location are customer base of people who right. “I won’t just open keep in touch” a store for the sake of it.

If there is a retailer that is doing a good job in the area, then we don’t look to compete as I understand that there is a limited marketplace for everyone to make a living in.”

Scoota Mart is a great example of a company that is moving with the times – literally.

For more information call 01772 721000. The The latest outlet in website is at www.scootamart.com

Bury has seen brisk business since it opened its doors.

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A call to move away from gloomy Annabel McMahon, the Founder of Racketys Clothing had a clear message for the industry when she presented a seminar call ‘Fade the Grey’ at Naidex.

Annabel said that she is concerned that a large part of the industry just wasn’t reacting to what customers want in terms of product design and retail engagement.

Working for the last 10 years supplying products designed for the younger marketplace, Annabel feels that she is in a good position to know what the ‘customers of the future’ are looking for both in terms of what they want to buy and how they want to buy it.

She said that her aim was to take people through a journey, first highlighting the problems that exist as far as she sees them and then talking about what the future might look like, with examples of the companies that are, in her opinion, getting it right.

Annabel trained as a Textile Designer and spent the first 24 years of her career working with a large plc and smaller companies designing fabric and garments to supply the UK high street multiple stores, before noticing a gap in the market for modern high quality garments for children with disabilities.

In 2004 Annabel set up Rackety’s to become a vibrant on-line brand to cater for the much neglected market sector. Her aim was to take high street standards of design and quality and create helpful, life changing clothing for adults and children with disabilities.

“There’s so much grey in the industry” she said. “It’s all a bit gloomy and depressing. I think that we need to move away from the grey and gloomy as it really isn’t representative of what the customers are looking for these days.”

She added: “Everyone is aware of the statistics when it comes to the number of children and adults in the marketplace, but what they are forgetting is that the market is changing and the younger customers are coming through and they are the future market.”

Annabel was basing her comments on a survey of some of her customers after running a survey. “Our customers didn’t like what they described as the clinical appearance of products and colour was mentioned a great deal. There was also a lot of talk about ‘age 8 www.thiis.co.uk

Annabel McMahon believes that both suppliers and retailers can do more to give customers what they are asking for.

appropriateness’, that is to say, the products seem to be designed for someone a lot older that the users feel they are.”

“We asked our customers how they would rate the industry out of ten in terms of what it looks like and the score we ended up with was 4.2 out of 10. This was based on 100 customers completing the survey. A lot, maybe 60% of these, were parents of children with disabilities.”

The results of the survey didn’t surprise Annabel. “It was exactly what I was expecting to hear. Comments like they didn’t want to make their home look like a hospital and even comments like they didn’t want products that looked like they had been stolen from a derelict nursing home showed just how strongly they felt.

Another told us that her daughter was 22, not 102 and she didn’t want grey, drab equipment, she needs a bit of colour.”

As a manufacturer, “I think that we need to move Annabel does understand the constraints of away from the grey and gloomy producing a wide range of as it really isn’t representative of products and choices with different configurations. what the customers are looking “I understand that it isn’t for these days” going to be possible for wholesale changes immediately, but I am talking about small improvements and small changes. The problem is that some companies haven’t moved off the bottom rung of the ladder yet, they are just selling the products that they have always sold.

From a retailers perspective, making some of the products look good in a shop is difficult.”

She suggested that there were plenty of good things happening in the industry. “Just look at what Betterlife has just done recently with their new store. They have done such a fantastic job there with the design of the new retail outlet.

Then we have people coming into the industry from other sectors, such as the team at Spring Chicken, who are looking to do something different in the market. There are some dramatic changes being made in terms of what retail outlets and websites are looking like because of

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the new experience entering the marketplace.”

Annabel also used the example of the new brand for the Co-operative Pharmacy chain, Well, showed examples of what she described as ‘really funky bicycle shops’ and a store in Tokyo selling workwear. “These are examples of companies looking elsewhere for inspiration and influence and improving on what is already happening out there. People are really challenging how the products look, how the stores look and how the online offerings look too and that can only be good in the long term.”

“I’m concerned about the companies that are going to get left behind” she said. “Maybe they don’t realise that major changes are going on. I know that there are considerable restrictions for manufacturers or retailers and that it is really hard to make the changes – I get that completely, but maybe there has been complacency for quite a while. I came out of a marketplace where there were always plenty of people coming through behind you with new ideas and new designs and maybe that hasn’t been the case in this industry over the years. But, things are changing and it is becoming like that in our industry.”

Annabel pointed out a couple of things that would help. “I think that looking outside the industry is important and, if you are producing

products, engaging with younger designers.

Being open to change and listening to your customers is going to vital in the future if companies want to develop.”

She summed up by saying: “There are some great things happening in the industry, but there are lots of things that we can all do to make it even better too.”

Annabel’s company website is at www. disabled-clothing.co.uk or call 01538 381430.

The industry managed a pretty low score in a recent survey.

About THIIS Magazine THIIS has been providing the trade with all the latest news since 1999 and is read by anyone who either sells or supplies disability, rehab and homecare equipment.

Sent to over 3000 companies each month, the magazine has an estimated readership of 10,000 each issue.

THIIS also has a strong readership online too.

A recent issue had 1093 readers in the first three days after online publication.

For details of our advertising packages for product or recruitment, email info@thiis.co.uk

“The results of the advertising have exceeded our expectations and we have virtually reached the level of retailers we had initially hoped to attract. The magazine has proven an extremely cost effective medium to get to the trade.”

The online readership of the magazine is growing each month and read all over the world

10 www.thiis.co.uk

Graham Billcliffe, Horizon Mobility

200 issue milestone – a word with the Editor Calvin and David take a look at the very first issue

By Calvin Barnett This month marks the 200th issue of THIIS magazine. Elsewhere in the magazine you can read about some of the main stories that have been carried since the launch in 1999.

As the ‘new boy’ in the team I got the job of sitting the Editor down and finding out more about those early days and some of the most memorable events.

Plenty of people have been faced with the digital recorder over the years. This time it was David’s turn.

Here’s what he had to tell me…

One of the things that sticks in my memory is a presentation someone from one of the larger company’s did years ago. He suggested that the number of companies – both on the supply and the retail side – would reduce considerably as the market grew. I just didn’t understand that as I was expecting a lot more to enter the market and that’s the way it has turned out. The marketplace is just too tempting, with huge growth potential, not to attract new businesses.

Did you ever imagine that you would publish 200 issues of the magazine?

When we first started, THIIS was an 8 page newsletter with no photographs and so it was hard to envisage how it would develop. We’ve managed to get to 200 issues partly due to just how much the industry has grown since 1999, with more suppliers and more retailers. The magazine has mirrored the development of the marketplace in many ways.

When we launched I don’t think many people really understood just how much the marketplace would grow in such a relatively short time.

What are the most memorable stories you have carried over the years?

One that sticks in the mind was when B&Q entered the marketplace with bathlifts and a range of products. I suppose you could say the same “New entrants have popped about Halfords making a move too and then up with better products, better Asda. None of them service, better marketing, have made the impact that many thought they better PR and a more proactive might. That’s almost approach” certainly down to the fact that our market isn’t an easy one to make money in without being able to spend time with the customer and without your sales people really understanding the products that they are selling. You can get by without proper experience for a while, but in the end it will always catch you out. I think some people sees this to be an ‘easy’ marketplace to make money in, but that’s not what I see.

What was the marketplace like back in 1999?

A lot smaller and pretty unsophisticated. To some extent the industry has been dragged along by the demographics that everyone is aware of and we’ve seen lots of company’s spring up as the opportunities have become more apparent.

Everyone - suppliers and retailers, have raised their games as new entrants have popped up with better products, better service, better marketing, better PR and a more proactive approach.

Wheelchair Cushions from E-mail: enquiries@able2.eu 12 www.thiis.co.uk

Tel: 01254 619000

www.able2.eu

StockShop StockShop is where you can shift unwanted additional stock using discounted trade prices. It’s free of charge to use, just email info@thiis.co.uk for more information.

Neater Solutions clearance offer

Dignity ware high quality ceramic plate with raised lip and sloped edge for easy scooping. Cream with a blue edge detail. Dishwasher and microwave safe. 170 left in stock.

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Dignity Ware high quality ceramic bowl with raised lip to aid scooping.

Cream with blue edge detail.

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Dignity Ware high quality ceramic mug with large handle for easy grip and opposing hand rest for 2 handed use. Cream with blue detail. 115 left in stock.

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HOMECARE HAND WASH AT THE POINT OF NEED Over 10 million Britons are now aged 65+ and this number is rising. Homecare is helping compensate for hospital bed shortages.

“When considering homecare for loved ones, it’s often found that a lack of plumbing makes hand washing impractical. We’ve overcome that obstacle so you can have clean hands whenever and wherever they’re needed,” says Manty Stanley, managing director at TEAL Patents – the UK’s leading manufacturer of portable hand washing facilities.

TEAL Patents specialises in the design and manufacture of portable hot water, hand wash units which require no access to mains water and drainage. It has developed a range of units which are ideal for homecare.

TEAL’s Super Stallette II: • Includes a new, improved tap with a touch-free sensor.

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What has surprised you most over the past 16 years?

Just how hard we have had to work sometimes to get companies to send us some news! In the early days very few companies had marketing departments and even fewer were using PR Agencies. Pretty much everything we carried, we had to write ourselves. These days it’s a little different, but it still surprises me that companies, both suppliers and retailers, don’t make more of the news stories that they have. Over the years we’ve managed to generate a great deal of free publicity for the companies that have been featured and on a number of occasions, articles in the magazine have resulted in new and long-lasting business relationships. People have been constantly surprised at the calls they get after they have been featured in THIIS. Put simply, being on a page can make you money – sometimes quite a lot of money!

What have been the highlights for you since the first issue?

Getting the emails and phone calls thanking us after we have published something for a company is always nice.

Seeing the magazine and website develop and grow has been pleasing and we’ve had great support from the team at Typestart, the design studio that have worked on the magazine right from day one.

More recently, getting over 1000 readers online for the first time was a milestone too.

Another highlight was walking into a Medtrade show in the USA for the first time. It was vibrant, exciting and very different to anything else I had seen. Every time I have been I have always found it useful and interesting. That’s why I was so keen to see a trade-only event here in the UK. Watching the development and then the successful launch of Trade Days has definitely been a highlight of recent years.

What has impressed you most?

I think that seeing the ReWalk at Rehacare some years ago will always stick in the memory. It was the first exoskeleton to be at a show and was still in development at that stage. To see a guy who was in a wheelchair most of the time, get up and walk down the exhibition aisle was something a bit special.

What has frustrated you the most?

Products being launched as new that aren’t new and my soapbox item – companies not labelling products as being new when they are. Years ago a major company launched the same product at a

14 www.thiis.co.uk

dozen events over a two year period which was a complete nonsense. Amazingly, all the exhibition organisers let them get away with it.

At a major show some years ago I spotted a brand new bathing product. There was nothing on the stand to say that it was new and so I asked the salesperson why they didn’t promote it as being new. “We do” he said and he went to the back of the stand, pulled out a leaflet from a dispenser and said – “You see, we have a flash on the back of the leaflet.” As you can imagine, I was pretty unimpressed.

What’s the strangest thing that has happened over the years?

A couple of years after we had started the magazine the phone rang and the guy on the other end told me that ‘if you ever publish anything else about my company, I’ll break your legs’. An hour or so later I had a call from his solicitor looking “The guy on the other end told to take further action.

When I told him what me that if you ever publish his ‘client’ had said to anything else about my company, me, he apologised and got off the call pretty I’ll break your legs” quickly. The really weird thing was that we had published a positive article praising the company for a marketing idea. Clearly very publicity shy!!

How would you sum up the industry after reporting on it for all these years?

Unique I guess. Back in the 90’s it felt like a ‘club’ as the industry was pretty small compared to most.

When I first joined the industry the main scooter manufacturers had around just 40 retailers selling the products. Everyone knew each other. That’s not the case these days of course, but the industry is still small enough to make it ‘personal’ in many ways.

What advice would you give anyone who wants to be featured in the magazine in the future?

Tell us what’s happening! It’s easy to get coverage.

You can either write something yourself, have something written for you by a PR Agency or we can do a telephone interview with you to get the story. It’s fairly painless. It takes around 20-25 minutes on the phone. We write it, send it back to you for approval and then publish. Oh, and make sure that you have some high quality pictures. The better the image, the more of a splash you are likely to make in the magazine.

Second new opening in 6 months for Clearwell

The latest showroom takes the total to 8

Clearwell Mobility has opened its second new showroom in six months as an expansion programme fuelled by a recent funding injection continues.

The latest showroom includes a new concept area – the Clearwell Comfort Centre, where there is a range of specialist seating and a profiling bed.

The showroom features striking full height graphics and a significant investment has been made in the in-store technology with a 10” display screen at the till so that customers can be shown products from the company’s website and there is a free to use wi-fi zone throughout the store.

The new team is led by Linda Pemble who has many years of retailing experience most recently at Marks & Spencer.

Managing Director, Duncan Gillett, told us: “We are delighted to be opening a new showroom in

Royal Tunbridge Wells. There are over 40,000 pensioners within the Tunbridge Wells catchment and this showroom will help them to maintain an independent lifestyle for “This is the second new opening longer. This is the second in 6 months and is a further steps new opening in 6 months and is a further steps in in our plan to open a total of 6 our plan to open a total of new showrooms over the next 2 6 new showrooms over the next 2 years.” years.”

The company now has 8 showrooms with an (Below) The new annual turnover in excess of £2.5m. The website team in Tunbridge for the company is at www.clearwellmobility.

(Below left) Duncan co.uk Gillett with the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells

16 www.thiis.co.uk

200 prizes to celebrate the 200th edition Gordon Ellis and Co is supporting our special edition with a huge prize draw.

There are an incredible 200 products up for grabs and a bottle of champagne and chocolates for your team too. You could win Serenity Raised Toilet Seats, Springbok Walking Stick Handles, Sinclair Door Wedges and Derby P-Guards.

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Smart showers shaping the future Are you selling showers at the moment? If not, then maybe you are missing out on an opportunity.

According to manufacturer of accessible and adaptable bathrooms, AKW, Smart Homes are a hot topic within the industry and the trend will only intensify over the next few years.

The company has stepped forward to provide their own range of smart showers with its new iShower range. Developing the world’s first wireless and Bluetooth controlled smart electric shower, the new innovation can accommodate the care market and meet the wider consumer demand.

Lloyd Best, Group Product & Design Director told us: “The industry is changing and will continue to change, with all audiences crying out for good innovation. We undertook a study within both the care and private sectors to pinpoint where the gaps lay. The results informed us that consideration was needed for easy installation, longer lifespan and adaptable features that utilised wireless technology. So we began to outline how wireless technology and apps would enhance a new shower and remain relevant as future developments materialised rather than just offering it as an add-on.”

He added: “iCare, the first in a range of three models to be launched this year, has a wireless interface between the shower and AKW digital waste pumps. It can be used with a free phone app that monitors flow rate, water usage and temperature meaning the user is firmly in control.

This will lead to creating greater visibility over water usage, energy consumption and generally provide the home owner or shower user with 18 www.thiis.co.uk

intel that will help them run a smarter home.”

“This product is a giant leap forward in smart shower design.

The range is future proof, allowing consumers to easily download programmes and also see the future with the potential development for remote monitoring and music streaming, making it appeal to the private consumer market.”

Tom Doyle, Product Designer, says that finding a balance between designing a new attractive shower design and incorporating features to “The industry is changing and assist carers and those will continue to change, with all with limited mobility was a huge task. “The audiences crying out for good process had to address innovation” the needs of the installer so we specifically created a shower that was super-quick and easy for installation. By creating 3D models of the iCare shower it provided a starting point from which to develop and improve on. So although some designs on paper seemed flawless, the models provided us with a greater overview of practicality allowing us to address the finer details. It also meant we could get feedback from the RNIB and our test models that we had installed.”

The company believes that the future is bright for smart showering. For further information visit www.akw-ltd.co.uk

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Store design award for Betterlife A few months ago we featured the new store from Betterlife in the magazine.

It is back in the news after being crowned ISG Store Design of the Year at the Oracle Retail Week Awards 2015, beating off tough competition from Waitrose, Debenhams, John Lewis, Argos and JD Sports to name a few.

Betterlife is the ‘independent living’ offering from LloydsPharmacy.

The company says that the store, which is in Leeds, has been designed to create a more engaging retail experience.

Grant Abrahams, Head of Betterlife from LloydsPharmacy said: “This award demonstrates the innovative thinking behind a brand that has now become one of the fastest growing in the UK, thanks to increasing customer demand, so we are thrilled that all the hard work has been recognised. The store is much more than just a

large retail space - it’s an interactive experience designed with customers’ needs and concerns in mind. For many people, admitting that they need some help with their mobility can be an overwhelming chapter in their lives, so our plans have always focused on how we can make the experience not only easy but also relaxing, enjoyable and informative.”

The Betterlife website is at www. betterlifehealthcare.com

Read the interview with Grant we published about the development of the new store a few months ago.

You can find it by visiting the ‘Magazine Articles’ section of the website and searching for ‘Betterlife’

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The shopping experience – some simple suggestions Fiona Jarvis established Blue Badge Style in 2007 with, her website states, the aim of acting as an agent for change, altering mind-sets toward accessibility.

She is also keen to improve what she believes to be a lack of style and fashionable design for the equipment she finds herself shopping for.

And shopping was the subject of a session with Fiona and Helen Davies of Pink Flamingo at Naidex. Helen has worked with some of the leading global and UK brands and retailers and one of the things her company does is to help retailers to understand shoppers, their behaviour and their needs.

Fiona believes that customers want to know just how accessible your premises are and suggested that details of accessibility should be available on company’s websites. A good point - I would imagine that not too many websites in our marketplace carry that information right now.

Helen made a number of other simple but important points that might be missed sometimes, such as making sure that what you want the customer to see is at their eye-line and that means a different level for someone in a wheelchair.

“We are all ageing, but we are getting younger”, she said, making the point that people in their 20’s and 30’s today are going to be looking for a different shopping experience than older people today.

Encouraging retailers to take a look at the signage they are using she said: “Shoppers will read five words or less to get the information they want.” Something to consider maybe if your showroom is full of lengthy sales messages.

She suggested that taking a look at how the big high street retailers get attention at the front of the store with a focus on products of the week, deals of the week and managers specials would generate interest. She backed it up by saying: “85% of people who go shopping not knowing what they want will buy more than they intended.”

She also used another statistic too: “90% of people won’t buy if they can’t get the answers

22 www.thiis.co.uk

to their questions”, suggesting that making sure everyone in the team know the sorts of questions that customers might ask for each product is key to closing more sales.

Helen threw in an idea that is pretty simple to do, but is probably not in many, if any showrooms. “How about having a mirror “90% of people won’t in the showroom so that customers can see can’t get the answers themselves sitting in questions” different scooters.” Her point was that style is just as important to customers buying products like this as it is to clothes shoppers.

She also mentioned using more ‘new’ and ‘latest product’ signage. After years of ‘banging on about it’ as you might imagine, that was music to my ears!!

The website for Blue Badge Style is at www. bluebadgestyle.com The website for Pink Flamingo is at www. pinkflamingoshopper.com

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Expansion and growth for Essential Following a 32% growth in 2014, Essential Healthcare Solutions has launched a new holding company, Essential Group of Companies.

Essential Healthcare Solutions, which provides equipment to the NHS and care homes, will now become part of Essential Group of Companies.

The company says that Essential Healthcare Solutions has changed its business model over the last 12 months to streamline its product range and offer a more consultative approach to its customers, a change which has resulted in significant growth, increasing turnover from £1.6m to £2.2m and with 11 new staff being recruited. The company aims to double its turnover in the next 12 months.

MD Thomas Owens said: “2014 was an important year for us as we secured significant

24 www.thiis.co.uk

investment from the Leeds City Region Business Growth Programme and support from Kirklees Council, employed 11 new recruits and moved into our new state-ofthe-art premises which “This has set the foundation to will have its own training help us achieve our ambitious facility onsite. All this has set the foundation to help growth plans for the next five us achieve our ambitious years” growth plans for the next five years.”

Call 0845 344 1912 or visit the website at www.essential-healthcare.com

AKW_iCareAd_THIISmag_April_275x185.indd 1

13/03/2015 14:16

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Last month we featured a new section where we highlighted some of the ‘tweets’ that we liked. Here’s another set…

Sometimes you don’t have to show the product to get the message across.

Making people smile is never a bad strategy.

Clark & Partners are using their blog to give customers advice about staying safe online.

Something a little different from the Invacare team in Belgium.

It’s difficult to resist something cute!

26 www.thiis.co.uk

A good way to remind customers about getting their product serviced.

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Trade Days registration opens with accommodation offer

18th &

Registration for the trade-only show, Trade Days, is now open and there is a chance to win accommodation at the show.

The launch event last October received industry-wide acclaim and, with 6 months to go before the second event opens, the show is already host to 98 companies, with over onefifth being brand-new to the show floor.

New companies that have signed up so far are All Batteries UK, Autochair, Bathex, BrigAyd, COTSSIP, Experia, F A Parkes, Geemarc Telecom, Haze Batteries, Hospital Direct, Karapharm, Leoch Battery Shenzhen Corp, Manbat, Mark Bates, Platinum Batteries, Scooter Pac, Simplantex Healthcare, Spearhead Trade, STABILUS UK, Steroplast, Swallow Evacuation and Mobility Products, and Van Os.

The organisers are promising that 2015 will offer even more of the dedicated trade-only experience. New highlights include Mark Bates Ltd sponsoring the VIP Lounge to host discussions on its bespoke insurance and Experia bringing its sensory bus to illustrate the uses of sensory environments within the retail sector.

Trade Days takes places on 18th-19th October at the NEC. As mentioned, the first 100 registrants will enter an early bird prize draw to win complimentary accommodation at the show.

To register, go to www.tradedays.co.uk

Ellen, Blue Badge Company

Kim, Sidhil

Re

Angus, Happy Legs

Trade Days was a resounding success for Drive Medical; with entry restricted to Trade customers, it was conducive to good, constructive business discussions - we were delighted to rebook for 2015.

Richard McGleenan,

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Join us again TRADE ONLY bu event for the m and assistive tec

Meet over 130 suppliers Over 1500 retailers expected at th Take advantage of the special tra Choose from a packed programm sales and marketing seminars

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Stairlifts 0844 225 3121 | Moving & Handling / Bathing Solutions 0845 271 1107 | Mobility 0845 0745 945 | www.handicare.co.uk 28 www.thiis.co.uk

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Affordable subscription. No big initial outlay. Fully integrate your quotation, sales, purchasing and stock process on one platform.

Cloud based and paperless, iRetailer will help you gain efficiency, save money and increase sales time. See our advertisement in this issue or www.assistivepartner.co.uk/iretailer.aspx.

FREE Arm caps and Head Covers with ALL chair orders (excluding premier range).

FREE Headboard with ALL bed orders Call 0115 9133572 to place your orders or enquire about any other deals we have running at the moment.

Ongoing deals throughout 2015 On Sitting Pretty’s Zip speed 48hr delivery dual motor lift & recline chairs: Brinsley, Lambley, Tuxford in sand fabric at just £450! Bridgford fully upholstered adjustable beds...

With deluxe memory foam mattresses in Cocoa or Sand fabric; 3ft single bed £425 / 5ft dual operated double bed £685.

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Did you know we offer 3 months mobility scooter and powerchair cover, including new and reconditioned scooters, to all customers completely free of charge! Our mobility scooter cover ensures customers are covered for compensation claims and breakdown recovery with no excess to pay should they need to make a claim.

TGA is offering all retailers a FREE travel bag with every foldable Minimo mobility scooter ordered before the 31st May 2015. This high quality, durable bag protects a Minimo when folded either during storage or in transit.

Worth over £99 RRP, this stylish accessory will help you wrap-up a Minimo sale everytime.

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SEERS Medical offers a FREE PRESSURE REDUCING MATTRESS 150kg with every Signature Care Bed ordered before 30th June.

Only 10 available at this price.

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30 www.thiis.co.uk

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Big move for Drive and Park House Stephen Owens, Managing Director of Park House added: “Everyone at Park House Healthcare is delighted with the acquisition by Drive Medical. It is an excellent fit for our people whilst providing a formidable platform to increase market share and quickly gain recognition as leaders in Pressure Care.”

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The website for Park House Healthcare is at www. parkhouse-hc.com The website for Drive Medical is at www.drivemedical. co.uk

In a big move for the industry, Drive Medical has acquired Park House Healthcare, manufacturer of specialist pressure care products, hospital and community beds, and moving and handling equipment.

Park House Healthcare was founded in 1984 and has service, training and distribution centres strategically located throughout the UK. The company’s international distribution network extends to more than 25 countries.

Richard McGleenan, Managing Director of Drive UK told us: “Park House Healthcare has established a leading reputation for providing high quality, innovative products and services to their customers. With over 25 distributors worldwide and over 30 years of healthcare experience in the UK, this is a key acquisition for us and extends our product portfolio in the pressure prevention and long-term care market segments. We look forward to working with Stephen and his team in expanding our business in this specialised area.”

Richard McGleenan, MD of Drive UK (left) with Stephen Owens of Park House Healthcare

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‘Brilliant’ marketing idea does the business for retailer We’ve carried details of the Happylegs walking machine before but this is a story about a clever marketing idea that one of the company’s retail partners has put into place.

Angus Long of supplier Embryonx told us more about it…

Successful retailers are the ones that come up with innovative and cost effective methods of promoting products to existing and new prospects.

I often wonder why some retailers sell more of my products than others given that, more often than not, they are all very similar set ups in that they have almost identical showroom layouts in similar locations with comparable stock and customer profiles.

The difference I have concluded is down to the way in which they promote, sell and operate.

Quite simply the successful retailers are the ones that are proactive in pushing and promoting a new or different product that is relatively new, unique or with limited competition.

Certainly that is the case with the Happylegs walking Machines we supply. New and relatively unknown products are not generally going to be asked for by browsing customers so demo stock and marketing materials need to be easily available. Promotion doesn’t need to cost much as it can be piggybacked onto existing activity.

Most suppliers will provide their retailers with point of sale marketing material so a simple activity such as popping a brochure into every mailing sent or into a bag of every store sale is easy and effective.

Better than brochures are demonstrations.

70% of people who try a product want one, so getting a demo is often a passport to success.

There are lots of ways of doing this, but the one I’m most enamoured with is the sheer brilliance of what Coral Affleck-Major came up with at 1st Choice Stairlifts. Coral has a successful track record in marketing and what she came up with was a very simple, extremely cost effective and successful method of getting a demonstration, but more importantly sales.

34 www.thiis.co.uk

For some time I’ve always thought that people who use a stairlift are the ideal prospect for the Happylegs walking machine since most stairlift users have difficulty walking. The Happylegs is a very portable product making it easy to set up and do a home demo while measuring for a stairlift quote.

However, given that the stairlift market is highly competitive some stairlift retailers were understandably concerned that a demonstration of another product could get in the way of the “The one I’m most enamoured stairlift sale. with is the sheer brilliance of What 1st Choice do is the opposite; what Coral Affleck-Major came they demonstrate the up with” Happylegs when the customer is having their stairlift fitted. The engineer tells the client that they have a new product which they would like them to try out and give their opinion on. People are generally obliging and will offer help if asked for it. The engineer is on-site for a several hours fitting the lift so the customer gets a decent chance to try it out unpressured. When the engineer is ready to leave and take the demo Happylegs machine away in a many cases the customer likes it enough to buy it there and then - simply brilliant as there is no promotional cost to the company as they are already visiting the property and there is no conflict of interest as the stairlift sale has been achieved.

So, congratulations to Coral and Colin at 1st Choice, for coming up with one of the best marketing techniques to yield excellent returns for negligible cost that I’ve come across for some time.

If you would like more information about the product, then contact Angus on 0845-3008823 or 07968-421428. The website is at www. embryonyx.co.uk

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Roma scores as sports range grows Roma Medical’s rugby wheelchairs are proving to be a success as the sport grows quickly in the UK. Prince Harry

According to the company, since 2012 the number of wheelchair rugby clubs in the UK has more than doubled.

As Director John Pitt explained, the company started producing the specialist chairs as supply issues became apparent. “The Roma Sport division was initially set up to manufacture rugby wheelchairs which were previously imported into the UK from manufacturers from as far away as New Zealand” John told us. “Players were having to wait up to six months and sometimes even longer for new chairs. Repairs and replacement parts were also a problem.”

John continued: “We were frequently asked to repair other manufacturer’s rugby wheelchairs and so decided to produce these very robust aluminium wheelchairs ourselves.”

John says that the chairs conform to all the international rules and specifications of the IWRF (International wheelchair rugby federation). “We work very closely with GB Wheelchair Rugby and our wheelchairs were used exclusively by the

pictured with Roma British Services team Director John Pitt in last years’ Invictus and Manufacturing Manager John Games.”

Radcliffe at the Basketball wheelchairs and Tennis wheelchairs Invictus games. have now been added to the Roma Sport range and the company also offers a made to measure facility using a patented electronic measuring “A number of the English device which John says Premiership rugby clubs and ensures a perfect fit not previously available. clubs in the Super 12 league are John added: “A number of the English Premiership also setting up wheelchair rugby rugby clubs and clubs in teams” the Super 12 league are also setting up wheelchair rugby teams and we are working with them as they come on stream. We believe that that the sport will become even more popular in the years ahead.”

For more information on the range, call 01656 674488. The website is at www.romamedical.co.uk The chairs ready to go in competition.

36 www.thiis.co.uk

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From the start… the THIIS story THIIS launched in 1999 and this month see’s our 200th issue. Over the years we have carried thousands of stories and written millions of words.

Here’s a look back to how it all started and how it developed and some of the stories we carried in the early days…

PU

Y U CA LL O S F LL -U UR O P N R BA EW N N ER !

The first issue of THIIS was just an 8 page, black and white newsletter without photographs.

Among the items that we carried was news that Scandinavian Mobility had acquired the Roho division of Raymar and that Freerider UK had been set up and was launched at the Mobility Roadshow.

There was also an item about an American company abandoning a ‘Superstore’ concept and instead buying nine smaller retailers. We also had an item that gave advice for anyone who was suffering from ‘Junk Fax’!

A couple of years on and we were using photographs! In this issue we headlined with the closure of the Corby facility that Invacare had inherited as part of a deal with Scandinavian Mobility. The new Mangar Handy Bather was also featured.

Uniscan launched the Triumph walker and Boots discontinued their Active and Independent catalogue. This issue also marked the start of safety fears over riser recliners as a young boy

was killed after getting trapped under a chair.

Issue 42 and we were glossy! This was the first time the industry had a battering from ‘Which’. Pressure selling was on the agenda and direct selling was on the increase. It came at a time when we had just seen the first big ‘collapse’. Ashdale had bought a number of established retailers, including Beard Bros in Watford, but the business ran into trouble and there was a good deal of ‘fall-out’ “The business ran into trouble at the time. We were up to 24 pages now and and there was a good deal of recruitment advertising ‘fall-out’ at the time” also started to appear.

January 2004 and the headline story is all about the possibility of stairlifts being sold online as ‘do-it-yourself’ kits. We also reported on a management buyout at Chiltern Invadex and commented on an email newsletter that was being sent by Gerald Simonds – probably one of the first email newsletters to be

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38 www.thiis.co.uk

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sent in the industry.

Interestingly, we commented that it might be harder to make them effective as more companies use the same marketing channel. As traffic into ‘In Boxes’ has grown hugely since then, the challenge is very much on.

2006 and we’ve added colour to the cover. This issue features the OT Stores team. We are now up to 48 pages too. In this issue we also wrote about expansion plans for R82 and featured Castle Comfort, a retailer that was using all the right direct mail and copywriting triggers to get customers calling. We also had a photograph of Mangar MD, Andrew Barker, sat on a camel (yes, a real camel) to promote the launch of their latest product – the Complete Air Moving Elevating Lift.

August 2007 and the big news was that B&Q appeared at the Mobility Roadshow this year with a bathlift. Retailers held their breath to see what the impact might be but the answer was, very little.

One retailer did a scouting mission to a B&Q store close to his shop and reported that he doubted that there would be a threat as the staff in the store didn’t really know much about the product. Over the next few months the products moved towards the back of the store, before disappearing completely.

April 2009 and Asda gets interested in the

• 3-4mph, range up to 10 miles • robust yet light-in-weight • fits further under wheelchairs

‘Plus’:

NEW 32st capacity!

marketplace. The range was branded ‘mobilease’ and was to be rolled out across 350 stores in the UK. We also carried a very frank interview with Mike Williams of Ableworld as the company went into profit for the first time after trading for 8 years. There were also features on a new scooter rental service and Flexel had three pages as the company expanded into new premises.

“April 2009 and Asda gets Our first full colour cover on the magazine appeared interested in the marketplace” in June 2010. This issue had Sir Sterling Moss on the cover after his appearance at the Mobility Roadshow. Features included the new 1st Call Mobility facility, the rough and tumble of a TCES debate at the NAEP conference and the purchase of More than Mobility, by three people who had worked at AOL. We were now up to 64 pages each month.

February 2013 and the magazine is looking a little more like it does today. This month we featured the opening of one of the Clearwell Mobility stores by actress Liz Smith.

We had a feature on a new range from Patterson Medical with retail packaging, the launch of the new OT Show, a look at telecare as a retail option.

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www.thiis.co.uk 39

Read more about it…

You’ll find more news on the THIIS website.

Here are just a few of the news items you can read more about at www.thiis.co.uk in the newsroom section.

Mobility Networks Italian and Baltic expansion The Mobility Networks Group, a specialist in products for vehicle accessibility, has strengthened its regional presence in Italy by opening a new headquarters in Gatteo A Mare, near San Marino.

The company has also has expanded operations into the Nordic and Baltic regions.

To read the full story, visit the Newsroom section of THIIS and enter ‘Italian’ in the search facility

N&C racing ahead to celebrate 140 years Nicholls & Clarke (N&C) has announced a sponsorship deal in the prestigious 2015 Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship. The Company have signed a deal with Mark Cole, Pro motorsport race driver. 2015 is a milestone for Nicholls & Clarke as the Company celebrates 140 years of supplying products.

To read the full story, visit the Newsroom section of THIIS and enter ‘N&C’ in the search facility

40 www.thiis.co.uk

Medequip strengthens Community Equipment offering Medequip Assistive Technology, provider of community equipment services, operating more than 30 local authority contracts across the UK, is the first in its field to gain accreditation to CECOPS (the Community Equipment Code of Practice Scheme) Part 3, covering clinical and professional responsibilities.

To read the full story, visit the Newsroom section of THIIS and enter ‘Medequip’ in the search facility

Rebound therapy boost for sales Dolphin Mobility is getting a sales boost by supplying a number of hoists which are being used as part of a rebound therapy programme at SEN schools. The company says that it has noticed a significant rise in the number of enquiries for hoists which are suitable for use as part of a rebound therapy programme.

To read the full story, visit the Newsroom section of THIIS and enter ‘Rebound’ in the search facility

new to the team Have you expanded the team or maybe promoted an existing team member into a new role? If so, why not send us details so we can introduce them to the trade? Just send through the details to info@thiis.co.uk

Kent joins Primacare

National Sales Manager added accentu8, has announced the appointment of Gavin Wilson to the new position of National Sales Manager.

Gavin joined accentu8 parent company the Wilcare Group, in 2011 following the acquisition of Boston Designs where he held the position of Operations Director.

Anthony Kiff, Managing Director said: “These are exciting times for us as we roll out a six model family of chairs within the accentu8 brand. Gavin has tremendous product experience and will play a key role in heading up the expansion of our customer base and sales team across the UK.” Gavin, who has a BSc in Design Technology said: “I believe we offer something completely new for the traditional rise and recline furniture market.” The website for the company is at www.accentu8.net

New identity for 100 year old company As it approaches its 100th year, RSL Steeper will now be known simply as Steeper.

The provider of orthotic, prosthetic and assistive technology products has re-launched with a new identity.

There’s a new strapline too – creating life’s turning points, together.

The company says that the rebrand is the result of extensive research and workshops with employees, customers, clinicians and distributors and brings together all divisions of the company together under a unified and consistent identity.

For more information, visit Shaun Joyce, MD of the Orthotics www.steepergroup.com Division and right Paul Steeper, MD of the Prosthetics Division with the new identity.

42 www.thiis.co.uk

Primacare has announced the appointment of Kent Meredith as Northern Area Sales Manager. Kent has fulfilled a similar role for A.J.Way for the last 7 years and has been in the chair business for the last 25 years.

The company says that the appointment of Kent coincides with the company’s aim to concentrate and expand in both the retail and contract market with their range of bespoke chairs. He will be covering the North Midlands, North and Scotland.

Kent can be contacted on 07791 286675. The website for the company is at www.primacare.co.uk

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RGK Wheelchairs acquired

by Sunrise Medical Sunrise Medical has announced the acquisition RGK Wheelchairs Ltd. RGK was formed in 1988 by two friends who met playing basketball for Great Britain. Greg Eden and Russel Simms couldn’t find high quality performance chairs so decided to start their own company.

RGK now has a strong sports and performance brand and has designed and supplied many Olympic Associations and Sports Governing Bodies as well as top flight sportsmen and women over the years and are key partners to many athletes in the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

“This is an exciting time for the RGK team and

New user-friendly canopy launches The suppliers of the new ‘ScooterPac’ say that the product is completely unique in that it fits virtually all scooter models without adaptations.

The canopy is made from lightweight aluminium and is quick to fit. The canopy neatly folds away behind the seat.

Call 0330 124 1733 for more details

44 www.thiis.co.uk

of

clients” said Russel, RGK’s Commercial Director.

“In order to continue on our path of growth it has been necessary to seek out a partner that shares the same values and culture and is able to provide the necessary resources, support and investment to take our success to the next level.”

Thomas Rossnagel, CEO Sunrise Medical added: “RGK will play a vital role in Sunrise Medical’s strategy of expanding further into the global high end sports and active manual wheelchair market place.”

The website for RGK is at www.rgklife.com

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Sell the benefits, not the product!

By Laura Adkin, Dealer Manager, Kirton A J Way Selling always sounds simple in theory, but with a wide range of products to sell and any number of variations on one theme it can be difficult to get your message right every time and actually push the right product. One thing I find helps to make the process a little easier is to not actually sell the product at all. I’m aware that might sound ridiculous, but hear me out…

Let’s take riser recliner chairs as an example.

With so much competition (trust me, I know!) the market is saturated with manufacturers and suppliers all trying to sell, let’s face it, very similar products. While you and I might be able to spot a brand just by glancing at the style of chair, the chances are a typical end user really won’t have a clue. That leaves you with a bit of a dilemma; how do you differentiate and prove to your customer that buying a chair for £200 more really is worth it? Well, you have to sell the benefits and not the chair itself!

Most of you are probably already doing this without even realizing, but by honing the skill you can expect to see an increase in sales, especially on those higher ticket items that often seem a trickier sell.

Product knowledge is king Absolutely key to selling product benefits is knowing your product; the more you know the easier you will find it to communicate the USPs. Don’t just learn the key features of a scooter, chair or wheelchair – go deeper than that and get to grips with exactly what those features will do for your customer, or enable them to do for themselves. You might be able to run off a list of flashy feats of design and engineering, but unless you know what they mean in terms of enhancing quality of life, your customers will just switch off.

Make a list of all your product features and then decide exactly how each one benefits the user. If you can’t think of a benefit, the chances are that feature isn’t one worth mentioning!

Qualify your customer Once you know the true benefits of your products the trick is to understand which ones to try and sell. Never assume anything and always take the time to assess the customer properly before even starting to demonstrate product. Understand their motivation – why 46 www.thiis.co.uk

have they come to see you? Understand their needs – what are their basic requirements and what do they want the product to help them with? Understand their limitations – what sort of environment will they be using the product in, is it restrictive? And what is their budget? Once you have all this information you can go about deciding which product will benefit them the most, based on their individual circumstances.

Practice makes perfect You generally only have one chance to sell the benefits of a product to your customer; afterthoughts don’t really wash and can seem a bit desperate or insincere. It’s important to get it right first time, so nothing beats a bit of practice.

Get your team together and make sure everyone “You have to sell the is well versed on the benefits of your products not the chair itself” so it all just rolls off the tongue. Discuss the types of customers you get through the door and how different product benefits might suit different needs.

For some members of staff this will mean a real change of mindset while for others selling the benefits rather than the product will already be a default sales technique. Encourage everyone to use this approach though and you’ll have a formula that will work for years to come and make a real impact on your sales. Remember, you don’t have to go it alone – why not spend a morning at our Haverhill or High Wycombe premises where we can train you in various sales techniques, including how to sell the benefits of A J Way riser recliners and Kirton specialist chairs. A tour of our factories can be a real eye opener too, giving you the confidence to convince customers that the quality and build of our products is an enormous benefit in itself!

For further help and support or to enquire about becoming a Kirton A J Way retailer contact the Dealer Management team on 01440 765026.

Visit www.kirton-healthcare.co.uk or www. ajway.co.uk to see the full seating range.

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Making business sense of sensory There’s a good chance that sensory products don’t form a great deal of your product range at the moment. For the majority of retailers in our marketplace, it’s a pretty niche sector, but it could be well worth considering.

Companies like you own have been banking cheques for hundreds of pounds and occasionally a few thousand, just by having the right phone number to hand to call when the opportunity arises.

David Payne is Sensory Plus Product Manager for Kirton Healthcare and he believes that more retailers should consider a range of products that he has been used to selling now for many years. David says that sensory can be a new opportunity for retail outlets to add value to their business. He has over 11 years’ experience of the sensory marketplace and over 20 years in the industry in total.

“I would imagine that for many business owners, the sensory sector is an area of the marketplace that they haven’t considered too much before” David told us.

There are a host of different ways that sensory equipment can be used to provide a range of outcomes, but basically it’s about creating an environment and atmosphere where things can happen for different people with different needs and abilities. Most of the time we are looking at a very simple premise, which is to make something happen.”

“I think it’s very important to talk about what sensory isn’t” David explained. “While it might be something that you have heard about, you might just associate it with things like bubbles, lights and touchy, feely things. While it can involve very high level technology, it can take many forms and can be very simple indeed. For example, some people enjoy working with UV paints and UV lights. It’s also not just about people with impairments, you will find sensory products used in mainstream schools and residential care.”

“Even though there is a lot of new age music 48 www.thiis.co.uk

Sensory products come in many forms and have a wide range of uses.

associated with sensory products, you don’t have to be a hippie to understand it! Yes, you might walk into a sensory room and hear pan pipes or hear “It’s very relevant for seniors talk about aromatherapy, but essentially it is living at home or for residential equipment just like retailers care – it has applications right are selling right now that solves a problem and across the board” makes a life a little better.”

“The good news” David says, “is that you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand it or to get involved with it. Sensory products evolved in the 1970’s and came into the UK from Holland and that’s when people started to see sensory rooms for the first time. But it’s not just about building rooms, there are plenty of small pieces of equipment that can make a difference and that are very popular.”

As David mentioned, it’s definitely not just about special equipment in locations such as special schools. “A lot of people that retailers in this marketplace are face to face with are looking at or already using sensory equipment. It’s very relevant David Payne for seniors living at home or for residential care – it believes that has applications right across the board.” sensory products “We are dealing with the same customer can produce useful income for retailers audience as retailers - Occupational Therapists, family carers, people working in care homes,

Telephone: + 44 (0) 1422 314488 I Web: www.drivemedical.co.uk I Email: info@drivemedical.co.uk

The New Easy Rider from Drive Inspired by the success of the Sport Rider, the design team got to work on a new model that would continue to redefine the typical luxury scooter.

www.drivemedical.co.uk

nursing homes, NHS. In fact all types of audiences that already come to your business on a daily basis for different needs. A conversation about sensory products may well result in some business.”

David says that there are some simple ways in which a business relationship can be established. “It can be as simple as a retailer opening up a conversation with a potential client, maybe talking about sensory products to see if there is a need there. All we need is a phone call outlining the details and we can take everything forward from there. There’s no need to have a great depth of knowledge, experience or facts about sensory. Having said that, we can provide the basic knowledge that you would need to be able to introduce the concept.”

And what does a retailer get out of the relationship? “When we convert a lead to a sale, then the retailer receives 10% commission. That might not seem like a large percentage but when you bear in mind that it’s really just a phone call to get things moving, it could be a profitable thing to do. I have seen cheques that have been written for £2,500 on the basis of just that, a simple phone call.”

“Some retailers offer a more comprehensive sensory service” David adds, “with a range of products which they have both in the showroom and online and we are happy to talk to companies about going down that route too.

We are also happy to support retailers with joint presentations and promotions too. I’m sure that

there are other ways in which we can work with retailers that we haven’t yet explored and we are very happy to discuss different options that might suit a business.”

As David said at the start of the conversation, sensory products might not be in the sights of retailers right now, but they are being sold in ever-growing numbers and that has to be a good reason to take a look. “We have developed some excellent installations around the UK and it’s very likely that many of them are on the patch of a local mobility retailer. I believe that sensory products are very easy to add onto any existing “I have seen cheques that have range and that businesses been written for £2,500 on the can find themselves with an additional profit stream basis of a simple phone call.” for very little effort and minimum fuss.”

To find out more, call David on o1440 765000 or email davidpayne@sensoryplus.co.uk

Retailer support for replica hospital ward Ableworld has teamed up with a local College’s Health and Social Care department to produce a realistic working environment.

A Skills Development Academy has been launched, benefiting students and the local community.

A former classroom has been transformed into a replica hospital ward and an elderly person’s house and the area will give students the chance to carry out lots of practical work and learn more about hospital and domiciliary care.

The facility has been decked out with hospital beds, infection control equipment, a hoist along with a reclining bath, a wet room, a rise and recline chair and a stair lift.

The company has sponsored several pieces of equipment and will use the space to demonstrate products to its clients and provide specialist training sessions for students, staff and the wider community.

The website for Ableworld is at www.ableworld.co.uk

(Above) Adam Robinson (left), Ableworld’s Area Performance Manager with Patrick Grange a Governor of South Cheshire College (Below) MD Mike Williams inside the new facility.

50 www.thiis.co.uk

new on the market Anything new? If you have a new product that you would like to have featured in THIIS and seen by 3000 companies next month, then send details to info@thiis.co.uk. All we need is a short product description and hi-res jpg image

New products from Etac By changing seat and back angles and adjusting the elevating leg supports on the new Etac Prio wheelchair, you can vary body position and pressure points.

When the back is reclined, the dynamic pelvic support releases the tension, giving the user a relaxed reclined position. The head support follows the same dynamic principle: It moves slightly backwards when raising the wheelchair user to an upright position, which gives the user freedom to move the head.

The Nova 500 NG sit-to-stand hoist is intended for users with some weight bearing capacity.

The low entrance height makes it easier for the user to stand up from a sitting position. The centre of gravity is optimised to provide stability and a large lifting span allows it to be used for both children and adults.

Call 0121 561 2222 or visit the website at www.etac.com

New product saves Caregivers backs The new Seba from ArjoHuntleigh is a lightweight, ergonomic board with a centre pivot point that allows caregivers to safely get patients from a supine position to seated at the edge of the bed.

Seba reduces the lift load for caregivers by up to 80% and ensures a healthy working posture throughout the lift process. Olle Esser, Global Product Manager says: “Patients that feel comfortable and secure will be more motivated to take an active role in improving their mobility or rehabilitation.�

More details at www.arjohuntleigh.com

52 www.thiis.co.uk

New spoon for shaky hands After receiving donations from four private backers, the team behind S’up Spoon are taking the product into production.

According to the designers, although the spoon was designed to help those with cerebral palsy, it soon became apparent that it could also help people to eat who had shaky hands such as those people with other conditions - such as essential tremor or Parkinsons.

The spoon head has a deeper cavity to hold contents more securely and reduce spillage.

For further information call 0141 353 5490 or email mark@4cdesign.co.uk

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new on the market Additional handle for Platinum stairlift Platinum Stairlifts has launched an updated Horizon Plus stairlift carriage, featuring the addition of an extra handle for the lever-linked footrest.

The extra handle means that whether the stairlift is at the top of the stairs or the bottom, the footrest can be raised and lowered with ease, with minimal effort from the user and no need to lean across the carriage.

It also means that once the user is seated on the lift, the footrest can be operated from either side of the chair.

Call 01535 631177 or visit the website at www. platinumstairlifts. com

State of art chair from Careflex CareFlex has introduced what the company describes as a new, state-of-the-art Level 4 chair, the SmartSeatPro. It is highly adjustable with a modular seating system for clients with complex postural and pressure management needs.

The level of flexibility offered by the four part back-rest ensures the SmartSeatPro can be readily configured to suit individual needs, aiding pelvic stability as well as trunk and head alignment.

Many features are included as standard, such as ‘Back Angle Recline’ to offer a comfortable hip position, ‘Tilt in Space’ to redistribute body weight whilst maintain hip and knee angle, and the patented WaterCell technology for long term pressure relief.

For more information, call 0800 018 6440. The website is at www.careflex.co.uk

New products from Gordon Ellis The new Panda range is made from bamboo wood, which is attractive, strong and naturally resistant to water, without compromising on style.

The Panda Step can be used by the bath, bed, or anywhere someone needs a step up.

The Panda Curved Transfer Board features four slip resistant pads for extra surface grip, with rounded edges for comfort and to make it easier to clean.

Gordon Ellis has also introduced the new Serenity raised toilet seat range, in an attractive retail box or bulk pack. Available with or without a lid, or you can sell a separate lid later. The lid retail pack clips neatly to the back of the toilet seat box, reducing the number of product lines a retailer needs to stock. The Derby P-Guard can also be attached directly to the Serenity seat, using the included fitting, to add a convenient splash guard.

Available in standard 2, 4 and 6 inch sizes (5, 10 and 15 cm).

The Springbok walking stick handle provides a second handle on a walking stick. It is ideal for standing up from a seat, getting out of a car or even after kneeling down for gardening. The handle springs out of the way when not needed so you can’t catch it on anything.

For more information, call 01332 810504. The website is at www. gordonellis.com

54 www.thiis.co.uk

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Retail options - Local v global, which route is best for you?

By Calvin Barnett Chris Sowter of

At Naidex, a couple of UK retailers shared their thoughts on the keys to success. Speakers Graham Johnson and Rob Wilcock from Ability Plus and Edward Trewhella from Cornwall Mobility discussed the importance of offering customers excellent levels of service in their local community, whilst Chris Sowter from Amazon explored the opportunity and potential to be had by engaging with the world’s largest online retailer.

Ability Plus launched in 2009 and has seen considerable year on year growth of 20 to 30%, despite seeing a number of their competitors going out of business. Speaking on the current market, Rob Wilcock said: “The modern shop based mobility retailer has never before been under the level of competition as in the current climate, be it from the internet sales or mainstream retail.”

Understanding that the market was changing with increased competition and changing buying behaviours of customers, Ability Plus undertook market research to understand what it was they needed to do to remain competitive. It was from this research that the Kent based retailer determined that their key to success centred on the need to be completely customer focused and focus on the local community. Edward Trewhella, CEO of Cornwall Mobility, also echoed the need to focus on the needs of customers and talked about the importance of being embedded in the local community by building close ties with charities and groups in order to reach their customers.

Rob Wilcock explained Ability Plus’ customer ethos splits into five distinct categories; knowledge, continuity, positive experience, support and clarity. According to Graham

Amazon and Rob, the company has spent a long time developing a culture where all employees put the customer first and are experts in every product they sell. Calling it his ‘granny test’, Rob explained that all Ability Plus’s employees are told to think first and foremost if they would be happy to recommend and sell a product to their grandma.

Rob commented: “When we speak to a customer, we question the customer and we find out what their expectations are from the product and what they hope to do with the product, then we match the correct product with them first time.”

This focus on customer service in local areas and matching individual needs with the right products is what retailers such as Ability Plus and “Calling it his ‘granny test’, Rob Cornwall Mobility attest have been the decisive explained that all Ability Plus’s factors in their success employees are told to think first and growth. This model however stands in stark and foremost if they would be contrast to Amazon, the happy to recommend and sell a world’s largest retailer.

Chris Sowter, vendor product to their grandma” manager for medical appliances, spoke about Amazon’s growing activity in the mobility and independent living market. Amazon has 237 million customers across 12 countries, over 5 million Facebook followers and is the largest online retailer in the world, with around 25.1 million active users purchasing from Amazon each year and over 30,000 products in their growing medical devices category alone.

Interestingly, Amazon’s ethos shares similarities with that of local retailers, as Chris explained that “Amazon wants to be the earth’s most customercentric company.” Whilst all companies talk about

Keep an ‘i’ out for…. ...the i-glider, which made a first appearance at Naidex as a prototype.

The clever design combines a walker, a manual wheelchair and a powered mobility product. You can walk with it, sit and ride or sit and be pushed.

Now the challenge is to get it produced and at a price that people will buy it for.

According to the designers, it’s scheduled for late 2015, early 2016.

The website is at www.i-glider.com

56 www.thiis.co.uk

being completely customer focused, how they satisfy the needs of customers differ. For Amazon, what customer-centric means is giving customers the best price and largest selection and reducing time spent searching for the right products. For Amazon, customer-centric means convenience.”

This question of convenience compared to customer care is one that will continue to grow as the market continues to grow and customers become more accustomed to purchasing mobility and independent living aids online. Both Ability Plus and Cornwall Mobility pride themselves on spending the time to learn about each product and to understand the needs of their customers.

Edward explained: “You need to be local to be able to support the equipment that you’ve sold. It does push up the cost to run that type of service, but it is very much different to the customer who buys a mobility scooter on the internet and has no support.”

With players like Amazon focusing more on the mobility market however, there are significant risks that local retailers will face in the future.

With a generation of more internet savvy shoppers, both in terms of end users and friends and family of end users, buyers are becoming more price sensitive.

Rob explained that “fit for purpose does not

necessarily mean fit for a customer’s purpose” and the need to understand how a customer intends to use their products and give a full assessment is essential, especially when dealing with vulnerable individuals who may be at risk with the wrong product. There is the risk of shoppers visiting local retailers, taking advantage of the staff’s professional knowledge, being recommended a suitable product then purchasing from an online retailer.

With the costs associated with training “For Amazon, customer-centric employees, premises, means convenience” everyday business costs, wages and more, the need to excel in offering good customer service will be even more essential for local retailers that will be unable to compete with the reach and prices that online retailers such as Amazon are able to offer. Building loyalty and trust within local communities will be an ever more important factor for both ensuring success for local retailers and the continued safety of customers in a time when retailing continues to move online.

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To find out how you could enjoy a summer of cricket at Lord’s, contact Greg Askew on 01933 272437 or 07515 967323 or email: greg.askew@bhta.com.

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Europe dominates in hospital bed market report The global hospital beds market will reach US$ 6,731.8 million by 2020 according to a new report by Persistence Market Research.

The report suggests that Europe dominates the global hospital beds market, with Russia being the largest market in the region. Asia is also expected to experience high growth rate over the next five years in the hospital beds market.

The report says that the global hospital beds market was valued at USD 5,254.2 million in 2014.

Europe has the largest market for hospital beds, estimated at USD 1,643.2 million in 2014 and expected to reach USD 2,010.2 million in 2020.

Flash - You can read more about the report on the THIIS website Newsroom section at www. thiis.co.uk

Hill-Rom is mentioned as one of the leading players

Exhibition & Event Guide June 16-17 2015 – NAEP Conference - Chesford Grange Hotel - www.naep.org.uk June 24-25 2015 – Health+Care, Excel, London. Call 020 7348 5261 www.healthpluscare.co.uk June 25-27 2015 – The Mobility Roadshow – Donington. www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk September 17th 2015 - Kidz Scotland, Royal Highland Exhibition Centre, Edinburgh. Call 0161 607 8230/8223 October 14-17 2015 – Rehacare – Dusseldorf – www.rehacare.com October 18-19 2015 – Trade Days – NEC – www.tradedays.co.uk October 27-29 2015 – Medtrade, Atlanta. www.medtrade.com November 19th 2015 - Kidz Up North – Manchester - www.kidzupnorth.co.uk November 16-19 2015 – Medica – Dusseldorf. www.medica.de November 25-26 2015 – The OT Show, NEC. www.otshow.co.uk November 25-26 2015 – Therapy Expo – NEC – www.therapyexpo.co.uk November 3-4 2015 – The Care Show – NEC. www.careshow.co.uk January 25-28 2016 - Arab Health, Dubai. www.arabhealthonline.com January 31- February 1 2016 – IIC Show – Manchester Central – www.iicshow.co.uk February 2-3 2016 – Moving & Handling People, Amnesty International’s Human Rights Action Centre, London. www. movingandhandlingpeople.co.uk February 20 – March 2 2016 – Medtrade Spring - Las Vegas - www.medtrade.com 58 www.thiis.co.uk

training diary

Doing any training?

If you are providing training for the trade, then simply send us the details of the course, the date, any costs, the venue and the contact for booking places and we’ll include it in the Diary. Email info@thiis.co.uk with any details you have.

MAY 2015 R82 UK Ltd - Structured Training in the Management of Medical Devices – Posturally Supportive Equipment for Children - 6th & 7th – Block 1: Mechanical, 13th & 14th – Block 2: Technical, 27th & 28th – Block 3: Clinical - City & Guilds Accredited and endorsed by the College of Occupational Therapists. Halesowen. £185 + VAT per Block.

JCM Seating Solutions Ltd - Postural Management Workshop: Specialist Seating - 7th May 2015 Free of charge - Peterborough, JCM Head Office.

Global Training by Silvalea – Complex Sling Solutions 2 - 13th May. Interactive Online Training.

FOC. Electric Mobility – Servicing / Maintenance & Fault finding for Rascal Mobility Products – 13th May 2015 – FOC including lunch - Ilminster.

Sunrise Medical Limited - Power Mobility: Matching Technology to Need (CPOW) - Wednesday 13th May 2015 – West Midlands – FOC to Sunrise Medical Account Holders.

Sunrise Medical Limited - Power Wheelchair Assessment (CPDE) - Thursday 14th May 2015 – West Midlands – FOC to Sunrise Medical Account Holders.

Global Training by Silvalea – Manual Handling Products - 14th May. Interactive Online Training.

FOC

wish to attend the Quantum training. This will be returned to you once the specific training has been attended.

Global Training by Silvalea – Walking & Standing Harness Solutions - 18th June. Interactive Online Training. FOC

Invacare - Robin Overhead Hoist training – 19th May - FOC

R82 UK Ltd - Structured Training in the Management of Medical Devices – Posturally Supportive Equipment for Children. 10th & 11th – Block 1: Mechanical, 17th & 18th – Block 2: Technical, 30th & 1st – Block 3: Clinical.City & Guilds Accredited and endorsed by the College of Occupational Therapists. Halesowen. £185 +VAT per Block

Pride Mobility Products - Introduction to Pride Mobility Products Technical Trouble Shooting.

May 20-21 2015 – Pride Mobility - A deposit is required for each delegate that you wish to attend the Pride training. This will be returned to you once the specific training has been attended.

Sunrise Medical Limited - Power Control Systems and Programming (TPSM5) - Wednesday 20th Thursday 21st May 2015 – West Midlands – FOC to Sunrise Medical Account Holders.

Global Training by Silvalea – An Introduction to Slings - 20th May. Interactive Online Training. FOC. Global Training by Silvalea – Toileting Sling Solutions - 21st May. Interactive Online Training. FOC JCM Seating Solutions Ltd - Technical Training 21st May 2015 - Free of charge - Peterborough, JCM Head Office.

JUNE 2015 Invacare - Pressure Ulcer Awareness & Mattress Care – 3rd June 2015 - FOC

Invacare - Servicing/Maintenance of Patient Lifters – 14th May - FOC

Sunrise Medical Limited - Powerchair Control Systems and Programming - Practical Training (TPSM5/P) - Wednesday 3rd June 2015 – West Midlands – FOC to Sunrise Medical Account Holders

Quantum - Powerchair training programme Thursday 14th May 2015 – Pride Mobility - A deposit is required for each delegate that you

Global Training by Silvalea – Amputee Sling Solutions - 11th June. Interactive Online Training.

FOC

60 www.thiis.co.uk

Pride Mobility Products Ltd Training - Introduction to Pride Mobility Products Technical Trouble Shooting. June 17-18 2015 – Pride Mobility - A deposit is required for each delegate that you wish to attend the Pride training. This will be returned to you once the specific training has been attended.

Global Training by Silvalea – In-situ Sling Solutions - 19th June. Interactive Online Training. FOC. Invacare – Impetus training – 23rd – 24th June £149 + VAT

JULY 2015 Electric Mobility – Servicing / Maintenance & Fault finding for Rascal Mobility Products – July 1st 2015 - Ilminster. FOC including Lunch.

Global Training by Silvalea – Paediatric Sling Solutions - 8th July. Interactive Online Training.

FOC. Global Training by Silvalea – Sizing & How to Measure - 9th July. Interactive Online Training.

FOC. R82 UK Ltd - Structured Training in the Management of Medical Devices – Posturally

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S T Y L E I N N O VAT I O N C H O I C E The Flexx is a highly configurable wheelchair that looks great and is built to the durable standard you would expect from a Karma wheelchair. Adjustments can be made the wheelchair set up to provide the optimum comfort and performance for the user, these include:

* The Flexx is now crash tested.

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a Backrest angle a Seat to ground height 15” to 20” a Backrest height a Seat depth a Rear wheel position a Castor angle

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Karma Mobility Ltd Unit 6 Target Park, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8YN T: 0845 630 3436 E: info@karmamobility.co.uk www.karmamobility.co.uk

For further details please call 0845 630 3436

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training diary Supportive Equipment for Children. 8th & 9th – Block 1: Mechanical. 14th & 15th – Block 2: Technical. City & Guilds Accredited and endorsed by the College of Occupational Therapists.

Halesowen. £185 +VAT per Block Global Training by Silvalea – Complex Sling Solutions 1 - 15th July. Interactive Online Training.

FOC. Global Training by Silvalea – Complex Sling Solutions 2 - 16th July. Interactive Online Training.

FOC JCM Seating Solutions Ltd – Postural Management Workshop: Specialist Seating – 23rd July 2015 – Free of charge - Peterborough, JCM Head Office.

AUGUST 2015 Global Training by Silvalea – Manual Handling Products - 12th Aug. Interactive Online Training. FOC.

Electric Mobility – Servicing / Maintenance & Fault finding for Rascal Mobility Products – 19th August 2015 - Ilminster. FOC including Lunch.

Global Training by Silvalea – In-situ Sling Solutions - 20th Aug. Interactive Online Training. FOC.

CONTACTS FOR BOOKINGS BES Rehab - Contact marketing@ bescorporate.net

Pride Mobility – Call Chris on 01869 324600 or email service@pride-mobility.co.uk

BHTA - Call 0207 702 2141 or email nigel. woods@bhta.com

R82 UK Ltd – Call 0121 561 2222, or email Martyn Davis on mda@r82.com

Invacare – Call Joan James on 01656 776283 or email jjames@invacare.com

RMS – Email Katie@rms-kent.co.uk

Prism Medical – Call Colin Williams on 0844 980 2260 or email: traininginfo@ prismmedical.co.uk

Global Training by Silvalea – An Introduction to Slings - 13th Aug. Interactive Online Training. FOC.

Sunrise Medical – Laura Payne on 01384 421 538, email laura.payne@sunmed.co.uk, or visit www.SunriseMedical.co.uk/STEPS

Global Training by Silvalea – Toileting Sling Solutions - 19th Aug. Interactive Online Training.

FOC.

Global Training by Silvalea - +44 (0) 1626 331655 info@silvalea-globaltraining.com or visit www.trainingbysilvalea.com Quantum Rehab – Call Hayley 01869 324600 or email sales@quantumrehab.co.uk

Electric Mobility – Call Sharon Newton on 01460 258118 or email sharon.newton@ electricmobility.co.uk Disabled Living – Call 0161 607 8200 or email training@disabledliving.co.uk. Visit http://www.disabledliving.co.uk/Training/ Events---Courses Kirton Healthcare – Email: lizgatt@ kirtonhealthcare.co.uk JCM – Contact Rachel Davis on training@ jcmfactory.co.uk

ent v e n io t a c u PD ed C d n a e d a r t est ts The UK’s larg r Occupational Therapis just fo room ists all in one BOO YO K STA UR TOD ND AY

al Therap n io t a p u c c 3,000+ O

2,400+ delegates were Occupational Therapists and Case Managers including Lead, Head and Band 6 or 7 OTs +50% increase in attendance growth from 2013

25th and 26th Nov 2015 NEC Birmingham theotshow.com

CALL CARMELA RODIA ON 0207 348 5767 OR PANAYIOTA DAMIANOU ON 020 7348 4909, ALTERNATIVELY EMAIL THEOTSHOW@CLOSERSTILLMEDIA.COM

PR Tips

The power of the local press

By Andrew Gubbins, CAS Communications.

Whether you are a manufacturer or retailer never underestimate the power of your local press.

Many local newspapers are printed on a weekly basis and therefore will be read over a period of time as opposed to daily editions, so the OTS (Opportunity To See) is far greater.

They will also have an online version which is available for a far greater length of time and you can distribute the links through your social media activity.

It is important to build and maintain a good relationship with your local journalist. Most newspapers will have a designated reporter for each town so invest the time to keep in touch with them. Positive stories are always popular therefore if you have news about a large order, new personnel or a new showroom etc let them know. Many publications also have regular features about independent living and these can be another good opportunity to promote your business through either editorial or advertising.

64 www.thiis.co.uk

Whenever there is a national news story, local papers often pick it up and this is where that investment in building relationships can be very beneficial. Should there be a relevant national story, contact your local press and offer to provide a short expert comment for them to “Most newspapers will have a incorporate into any story designated reporter for each they might be working on. Newsrooms are often town so invest the time to keep short staffed and this will touch with them� save them time whilst promoting your business.

Of course all this takes time, so if you think your business could do with some support, why not contact Andrew Gubbins on 01491 578888 / 01844 355477 / 07771 800 434 or email andrew@cas-marketing.com

in

Power for the extra mile.

Strident Batteries from Ivanhoe.

Motivated by a history of success in providing high performance battery power to the mobility market, Ivanhoe is proud of the range of Strident batteries that has been tried, tested and proven over years of service in many vital applications.

Our passion for producing a quality, reliable product with outstanding customer service underlies the success which you can rely on every time.

Ivanhoe – where expertise exceeds your expectation.

Please contact our sales team to find out more about the full Ivanhoe mobility range of products.

UK central sales line: Tel: 0845 555 55 11 | Fax: 0845 555 55 22 Email: sales@ivanhoe.uk.com

Ivanhoe Trading Limited Head office address: Global House, Hall Lane, Dereham, NR20 3GG

UK central sales line: Tel: 0845 555 55 11 | Fax: 0845 555 55 22 | sales@ivanhoe.uk.com MOTIVATION THROUGH INNOVATIONTM

Northern office: Southern office:

Tel: +44 (0)1302 365987 | Fax: +44 (0)1302 365988 Tel: +44 (0)1362 300102 | Fax: +44 (0)1362 300103

association update

Association Update Enjoy a summer of cricket at Lords

Working with healthcare professionals

Through BHTA Advantage, members can enjoy a summer of watching cricket at the finest ground in world cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground, for just £100 as a member of Middlesex County Cricket Club. Reduced from the normal price of £260, for much less than half price, watch every single Middlesex match for free at the Home of Cricket this season in all competition formats.

Not only that, but as a Middlesex member you can sit and watch each day’s play of Middlesex’s season unfold from within the surroundings of the famous Lord’s Pavilion and Long Room. You’ll also benefit from priority access to tickets for International matches at Lord’s and have the right to sign a guest into the Pavilion with you on Middlesex match days to enjoy the day’s play with you. Make the Home of Cricket your home this summer and join as a member of Middlesex County Cricket Club now.

All BHTA members have access to BHTA Advantage, an exclusive portfolio containing money-saving discounts, as part of their subscription.

To find out more, log into BHTA Advantage or contact Greg Askew on 01933 272437/07515 967323 or greg.askew@ bhta.com

Working with COTSS-IPP, who represent OTs in independent practice, BHTA has organised a successful training session on changes to consumer legislation and how these affect OTs’ business with clients.

This fully-booked session demonstrates that demand is high, so we’re now planning a series of joint sessions for industry and OTs in September 2015, which will cover the Consumer Rights Act (which comes into force on 1 October) and what you need to do to comply with this. These events will also discuss the implications of the Care Act for you and your business.

Close working relationships with allied health professionals including OTs and physios are important to many suppliers, and can be a good source of cross-referrals. We expect these sessions to be a useful networking opportunity as well as an important update on new legislation.

Dinner to mark Ray Hodgkinson’s retirement as Director General As Ray moves into his new role as Director of Public Affairs, BHTA is holding a dinner on July 9th at the House of Lords to mark the end of his tenure as Director General, recognising his long service in the role and significant impact on the industry.

Guests will enjoy a drinks reception before a three course dinner, in the beautiful and historic setting of the Peers Dining Room in the Palace of Westminster. Places are strictly limited and we anticipate a waiting list. For more details or to indicate your interest in attending, please contact kate.webster@bhta.com

MEMBERS BENEFIT AT TRADE DAYS We were delighted to see many BHTA member companies at Trade Days 2014, which was one of the first BHTA Engage initiatives. This year’s show is set to be even larger and all BHTA members benefit from a 10% discount on their stand space, making their presence at the show even more cost effective.

Registration is now open for Trade Days 2015, held on 18 and 19 October at the NEC - many of last year’s exhibitors have taken larger spaces having had a successful two days. There are also a number of interesting new companies on the show-floor already and we look forward to seeing you there.

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The Extra Roomy footwear brand that 0 really gives your business extra oomph! 900 s

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Cosyfeet is the brand for Extra Roomy footwear, socks and hosiery.

Cosyfeet brings more customers to your store - for you to sell more!

Cosyfeet offers a one width fitting which means less complication.

Cosyfeet products encourage repeat business, bringing customers back to your store again and again.

Cosyfeet customers ask for our product by name.

Cosyfeet offers impressive stockist support.

Want to know more? Potential stockists should call John Negus on 01458 449075 or email: johnn@footshopltd.co.uk CF038_V2.indd 1

66 www.thiis.co.uk

www.cosyfeet.com 16/06/2011 09:58

1000 bed deal for Medstrom Medstrom is supplying more than 1,000 new beds to University College London Hospitals (UCLH) to drive down the risk of patients developing pressure ulcers.

UCLH set a target of reducing pressure ulcers by 50 per cent in 2014-15, and is on track to meet that goal. Medstrom is also supplying the latest mattresses, patient trolleys and associated products as well as providing a maintenance service.

Phil Adams-Howell, clinical procurement lead nurse, said: “This contract is unlike any other bed contract we’ve previously had, or any other NHS organisation has currently got. It pulls together the supply and maintenance of our beds into one agreement.”

According to the company, performance targets are much more stringent than under

previous contracts – for example, between 8am and 7pm, critical care areas such as ITU can expect to get a bed, mattress or repair within an hour (two hours for general wards).

The website for the company is at www. medstrom.co.uk

Sunrise snaps up drive control company Sunrise Medical has acquired all of the assets of Switch-It Inc., a developer, designer, manufacturer and distributor of special drive controls, special input devices and other high tech product lines predominantly used on high end complex rehab powerchairs.

Pete Coburn, President, U.S. Commercial Operations for Sunrise Medical said: “Switch-It is a strong fit with our business and this acquisition accelerates our global offerings in the high end mobility market”.

The website for Switch-It is at http://switchit-inc.com

68 www.thiis.co.uk

Etac powerchairs under Balder brand The range of adult and junior electric wheelchairs from Etac will now be marketed under the Balder brand, with a new logo developed for the range.

The company says that the range has new innovative developments planned including the integration of a pioneering gyroscope for even better driving stability, upgraded upholstery and ergonomically improved armrests.

Balder now sits alongside other brands from Etac such as R82, MoLift and Immedia.

The Etac website is at www.etacuk.com

THE LUXURY SCOOTER

THAT RIDES LIKE A CAR Introducing the luxurious, Class 3, Freerider FR1 steers and “ridesDrives, like a car, with looks you can take pride in ” ELEGANT HANDLING The height-adjustable, fixed tiller design gives car-like handling, while independent 4-wheel wishbone suspension makes for a smoother ride.

SPORTY LOOKS Take to the road or pavement with rugged good looks, a 35 mile range* and a maximum legal speed of 8mph.

If you’re looking for a mobility scooter that’s earned its right to take its place on the road, look no further than the FR1.

REASSURINGLY SAFE With fixed twin mirrors, LED lighting and indicators and LCD dash, you can see and be seen all the way around.

A pleasure to drive, with looks to take pride in, plus a host of comforting safety features and handy extras you’ll find useful every day, the FR1 is the next-generation scooter for anyone who takes pride in their ride.

HANDY EXTRAS Including an easy access captains seat, double carry bags, and even a USB plug for mobiles or tablets!

www.freeriderfr1.co.uk or call 01535 669604 Email us on sales@freerideruk.co.uk *Varies with user weight, terrain type, battery charge, battery condition and tyre condition.

We reserve the right to change specifications without prior notice.

Freerider UK Ltd, Unit 2C, Acre Park, Dalton Lane, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 4JH, UK.

Thumbs up for new chair World Champion athlete Hannah Cockroft has given the thumbs up to the new Kuschall Champion chair after Invacare presented her with a new model recently.

Kuschall Champion folds into a very compact frame in one easy movement and features quick release wheels making it extremely lightweight and easy to handle and transport.

For more information on the range, visit the website at www.invacare.co.uk

Huge fine for hoist death A healthcare firm and its director have been ordered to pay more than £335,000 in fines and costs after a 100 year-old resident died from injuries she sustained in a fall from a hoist at a former Bedfordshire care home.

Luton Crown Court heard that the resident fell as she was being moved by two carers between a chair and a bed using a hoist.

She suffered multiple fractures when she hit the floor, including her skull, hip and knee, and died the following day as a result of her injuries.

The sling used was described as being ‘very complicated to fit correctly’ and the carers were given no training in how to safely use it. The sling was also not the one recommended by Central Bedfordshire Council as being suitable for the residents medical conditions.

Read the full report on in the newsroom section of the website at www.thiis.co.uk

It’s a winner In the last issue of the magazine we carried details of the new Ottobock competition which revolves around customers sending in photographs of themselves.

Well, here’s the first monthly winner, Bridget Holden, abseiling in the Lake District.

As we said in the ‘Things we like’ item last month, the clever competition is going to produce the company a good deal of material that they will be able to use to generate coverage and sales.

EZ FOLD-N-GO WALKER FROM

E-mail: enquiries@able2.eu 70 www.thiis.co.uk

Tel: 01254 619000

www.able2.eu

LinkedIn group grows

www.dlf-data.org.uk

Our trade only LinkedIn group continues to grow and, at the time of going to press, had over 260 members.

There are a number of discussions taking place and so if you are a LinkedIn user, why not join and take a look at what’s going on.

The private group is moderated by two managers who will post new discussion points, with members being able to submit their own discussion points for approval. All members are able to participate in discussions by commenting on discussion topics with their own anecdotes and views.

MK push the power of Gel MK Battery has produced a new promotional / informational video featuring MK Gel Batteries.

The short presentation has been designed to illustrate the technical advantages that differentiate the high-quality engineering, construction and performance characteristics that the company say make MK Gel batteries the longest lasting, most dependable batteries available today in the Mobility arena.

You can take a look at the video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BX9ViTAt64o&feature=youtu.be

Are you part of the UK’s leading source of equipment information and advice for older and disabled people?

• Over 11,000 products listed in-depth • Used to support 25,000 telephone enquirers in 2013 • The data source powering www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk targeting 1 million visitors in 2014 Enhanced profiles, premium listings and other sponsorship options help to fund DLF’s work in developing and maintaining these trusted services. To find out more about getting involved with ‘the industry’s charity’ please phone Janet Seward on 020 7432 8011 or email janet.seward@dlf.org.uk

Reg Charity No. 290069

jobs on offer Mobility Specialist

R82 & Etac Manual Wheelchairs An exciting new opportunity has arisen to join one of the world’s leading manufacturers of paediatric and adult mobility equipment. You will be joining a growing business that significantly improves people’s lives with a truly innovative product range.

As a key member of the team you will report to the R82 National Sales Manager and be responsible for developing business with new and existing customers, which include wheelchair services, rehabilitation engineers, physio and occupational therapists.

Primary Responsibilities: • Develop and seek out new business and opportunities • Increase levels of business with existing customers • Introduce new products to the market • Achieve monthly and annual sales target • Carry out individual product assessments for end users with healthcare professionals

Skills and experience: • A proven success in a sales position in either paediatric seating or mobility.

• Experience in a rehabilitation engineer, physiotherapist or occupational therapy role.

• Excellent communicator including presentation skills • The ability to develop and maintain flourishing working relationships • Experience in carrying out product demonstrations and assessments • Must be able to demonstrate good planning and organisational skills • A positive, can do and highly motivated attitude We offer a competitive salary, excellent commission scheme, company vehicle, lap-top, phone.

Email your CV with a covering letter (include details of your current remuneration) to Shawn Clarke, National Sales Manager, R82 UK Ltd, shc@r82.com

r82.co.uk

Commercial and Fundraising Manager Salary Circa £45,000. This is a full time post.

Are you an outstanding and enthusiastic individual with a successful commercial track record? Are you a forward-looking creative thinker, with good people skills and the ability to make things happen?

Would you like to be part of a team that enables and enriches people’s lives?

Designability is a unique engineering design and development organisation working to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and healthcare problems, supported by charitable donations, research grants and commercial income. We are a team of 20 professional design engineers, therapists, technicians and support staff, who work closely with healthcare professionals, disabled people and other end-users to develop appropriate solutions.

We are looking for an outstanding individual who can inspire our dedicated fundraising, operational support, engineering and clinical teams, to grow our commercial work and fundraising activities, while consolidating our successful Wizzybug early powered mobility programme. As Commercial Manager you will co-ordinate our new product development and consultancy

programme, the production unit, and the finance and accountancy team, working with the Director to meet agreed targets.

Designability aspires to become the leading national charity enabling and assistive technology, and the post holder will work with the Director to develop our national and international profile.

You will have a relevant degree (or equivalent) and, ideally, a postgraduate marketing or business qualification. A successful commercial track record is essential, with a good working knowledge of financial systems and controls.

Experience of third-sector fund-raising activities and knowledge of assistive technology, medical engineering markets is desirable.

For more information visit www. designability.org.uk, email director@ designability.org.uk, or call Professor Nigel Harris on 01225 824103 for an informal discussion.

Designability is pleased to work in partnership with the University of Bath.

All applications should be submitted online through the University jobs website: http://www.bath.ac.uk/jobs/CT3147 the closing date is Monday 25th May.

National Account Manager Nationwide Cover The Company: Sidhil Sidhil Ltd Ltd are are aa leading leading UK UK manufacturer manufacturer The Company: and and supplier supplier of of clinical clinical beds, beds, mattresses mattresses and and treatment treatment furniture furniture to to the the social social care, care, NHS, NHS, Care Care & & Nursing Nursing home home and and distributors. distributors.

The Role: We are now looking to recruit a National Account The Role: We are now looking to recruit a National Account Manager to join us to further manage and develop profitable Manager tofull joinportfolio us to further manage and develop profitable sales of the of Sidhil products to CES national sales of the full portfolio of Sidhil products to CES national accounts and social enterprise national accounts, supporting accounts and social enterprise national accounts, supporting these channels through commercial, clinical and contract these channelsactivities. through commercial, clinical and contract management management activities.

The Person: This role is for a highly organised individual who The Person: role ishigh for aquality highly customer organisedservice, individual who is focussed onThis providing delivery offocussed results and possesseshigh the quality drive tocustomer meet/exceed sales and is on providing service, delivery profit targets. be adaptable needs and of results andMust possesses the drivetotobusiness meet/exceed saleshave and strong time management skills; astowell as theneeds following: profit targets.

Must be adaptable business and have time management skills; as wellmattresses as the following: •strong Experience in the sales of clinical beds, & plinths.

•• Previous experience of managing major accounts. & plinths.

Experience in the sales of clinical beds, mattresses •• Previous of managing account management principles & practice.

Previous knowledge experience of major accounts.

• The ability to work autonomously, set and agree agendas.

•• Previous knowledge of account management principles & practice.

Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

• The ability to work autonomously, set and agree agendas.

Package •The Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

• A competitive rate will be paid to the successful applicant Thedependent Package on skills and experience.

•A competitive willand be paid to the successful applicant Company Car, rate Laptop mobile phone.

• Opportunity to opt to auto-enrollment pension. dependent on skillsinand experience.

34 days annual holidays bank holidays.

• Company Car, Laptop andincluding mobile phone.

•• Company Sicktopay period. pension.

Opportunity optafter in toqualifying auto-enrollment Sales related bonus.

•• 34 days annual holidays including bank holidays.

• Company Sick pay qualifying period.

Please visit: http:after //www.sidhil.com/about/careers/ • Sales related bonus. if you would like to apply for the job.

Please visit: http: //www.sidhil.com/about/careers/ ® if you would like to apply for the job.

HC GROUP

National Business Development Manager Following a period of significant growth Alpine HC Group is actively recruiting for a driven, enthusiastic and motivated, National Business Development Manager to take a driving role in developing its local authority and NHS business opportunities.

As a leading provider of care equipment to care operators throughout the UK, Alpine HC Group is now seeking to develop its local authority and NHS business, focussing specifically on its unique range of community beds and pressure care mattresses.

The successful candidate will need to be able to: 1. Demonstrate a proven track record in new business development 2. Have a thorough understanding of local authorities and the NHS 3. Demonstrate knowledge and expertise in pressure area care Attractive Package includes: Basic Wage plus Commission, Company Vehicle and Benefits If you feel you would be an ideal candidate for this exciting position, please send your CV to recruitment@alpinehc.co.uk

Meet the family!

It’s been nine months since Handicare and You-Q got (back) together and we are delighted to announce some new arrivals to our Handicare family: welcome to Alex, Samm, Luca and XP! With the adoption of the You-Q wheelchairs Handicare offers you a complete range of high quality power chairs, each with their own character and looks. This means that, if you customer needs front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or mid-wheel drive, Handicare has an option to suit!

Like to know more? Call 0845 074 5945 or visit www.handicare.co.uk

jobs on offer Rehabilitation Engineering Technician £19,000 - £22,000 depending on experience Hours of Work: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday Millbrook Healthcare is a leading provider of Community Equipment and Wheelchair Services to NHS Primary Care Trusts and Local Authority Social Care organisations.

We are looking for someone with experience of working in a mechanical engineering role to join our Wheelchair Services team in Lincoln. Working across the Lincolnshire area, you will be responsible for supporting the Wheelchair Assessment Team in the provision, assessment and maintenance of powered and non-powered wheelchairs for mobility, postural support and pressure care management to people with mobility needs (adults and children).

To be considered for this position you must be able to demonstrate the following experience: • Mechanical engineering skills and ability to use a wide range of hand and power tools • Computer literate with previous experience of working with standard software applications and databases • Experience of working with wheelchairs and/or users of wheelchairs is desirable but not essential • HNC or equivalent in Mechanical Engineering (or, in the absence of a formal qualification, evidence of mechanical engineering skills and the application of these to problem-solving situations)

• You must currently have no more than 6 points on your driving licence You will be provided with a company van, mobile phone, and the option to enter into the company Pension Scheme. 24 days annual leave per annum are offered along with a Childcare voucher scheme and also a flexible benefits scheme offering discounts with major retailers.

This role is working in a regulated activity and subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Any convictions cautions, reprimands or final warnings are not “protected” as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013).

Please email your CV to: careers@millbrookindustries.co.uk If you have not heard from us within two weeks of submitting your application, then unfortunately you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Check the ‘Jobs On Offer’ section of the website for more opportunities

Millbrook Healthcare is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

• You must have held a driving licence for at least 3 years which qualifies you to drive a light goods company van • You must not ever have had any serious convictions on your driving licence or been disqualified from driving

Swedish product deal for Doability Doability is introducing a new product in partnership with Swedish manufacturers Novista.

According to the company, the Novista weighted duvet is a new and promising competitor in the market of weighted blankets, which are gaining popularity as a drug-free alternative therapy for a range of behavioural conditions such as anxiety, ADHD and autism for all ages.

The blankets are derived from the concept of sensory feedback therapy, and are found to have a calming effect on individuals, much like physical contact such as a hug.

Doability’s Managing Director Clive Taylor says: “This ticks all the boxes for Doability – it is a high quality, tasteful and unobtrusive assistive aid, designed to a high level, which is the kind of product we want to provide”.

He added: “We would love to hear from the tradeabout distribution of the product.”

For more information, call 0113 372 0080. The website is www.doability.co.uk

74 www.thiis.co.uk

Coming Soon to Quantum

A new and exciting addition to the Quantum Range...

The Q6 Edge 2.0 Mid-Wheel Drive power chair from Quantum, offers a great range of enhanced features and benefits. With new innovative drive controls and exceptional powered options available.

K U b a eh R on i m t u a t m n for ua n I Q e r @ uk o l w e M o l v l r e o l o F F #i

‘?!’ Tel: 01869 324600 Email: sales@quantumrehab.co.uk Web: www.quantumrehab.co.uk

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THIIS is produced by BHTA Engage: 2-4 Meadow Close, Ise Valley Industrial Estate, Wellingborough, NN8 4BH Tel: 01933 278 086 E-mail: newsroom@thiis.co.uk Providing news and views in

the trade since 1999 BHTA Engage Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any way without the written permission of the publisher. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher and although every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate, the publishers take no responsibility for errors or omissions.