Head lice expert and founder of NitNOT Eileen Hutchinson, a single mum from Hemel Hempstead who has gone from selling kitchen units to managing five different jobs so she could afford to fund making her head lice treatment products a reality. She recently appeared on the Dragons’ Den on BBC One where she successfully secured investment and now working on the next exciting stage of her NitNOT brand.
Eileen founded NitNOT, a company devoted to raising the bar in head lice treatment, and reassuring grown-ups and children that an itch-free, stress-free and shame-free future is within reach. NitNOT aims to revolutionise head lice treatments, transform unhealthy attitudes, and bring safe, environmentally friendly, non-toxic solutions to head lice and nit issues – solutions that genuinely work!
It wasn’t just the effectiveness of the product and Eileen’s enthusiasm for tackling this niche issue that impressed the two Dragons, it was her strong eco-friendly credentials which she has passionately pursued throughout the development of her products and production process. NitNOT’s ingredients are Vegan Certified, never derived from fossil fuels and the packaging is fully recyclable as it is made from sugar cane.
“The grilling she gave me was from the heart”, Eileen said, “I’ve worked hard to make sure that NitNOT is as environmentally friendly as possible. The energy used in production comes from renewable sources; Biogas (which is made from agricultural waste) and hydroelectricity.”
Eileen left the Den with an investment of £40,000 from Tej Lalvani, in exchange for 30% of her business, and was overjoyed with the feedback she received about her knowledge on the issue and successful treatment of head lice.
Eileen’s unique enthusiasm for tackling this niche issue caught the attention of Dragons’ Deborah Meaden and Tej Lalvani, along with her strong eco-friendly credentials. Deborah Meaden, a strong supporter of green business practices, made a counteroffer of £40,000 investment for 20% of the business after Tej Lalvani refused her offer to split the investment. Eileen is now hoping to share her eco-friendly head lice treatment and nit comb with the world, after successfully securing investment from Tej Lalvani on Dragons’ Den. However, although Eileen states she is a big fan of Deborah Meaden, she felt Tej Lalvani’s business credentials were the best suited to take NitNOT to the next level.
With her new business partner on board, Eileen is excited to be moving forward into the next phase for NitNOT. “I’m over the moon to be working with Tej, his expertise in branding and marketing is exactly what I was hoping for and his impressive in-store portfolio involving Vitabiotics fits perfectly into the same retail sector. We have had an exciting start working on re-branding our range and look forward to broadening NitNOT’s distribution base and enabling more families to eliminate these itchy pests. Tej’s team has been fantastic, it’s an exciting time for NitNOT!”
Upon entering the Den, the Dragons put her through her paces. However, Eileen was able to turn this around in her favour as she pointed out families battles with these pesky pests was the exact reason for her drive to solve the nation’s nit and head lice issues.
However, although Eileen states she is a big fan of Deborah Meaden, she felt Tej Lalvani’s business credentials were the best suited to take NitNOT to the next level, to the agreement of Deborah Meaden herself.
NitNOT consists of two products
NitNOT nit comb – a unique two-set interchangeable precision nit comb with its specifically designed teeth and ergonomically angled handle, enables families to tackle this sensitive issue faster and more efficiently than ever before. Perfectly designed to both treat an infestation at all stages of the life cycle, and to perform regular checks. Priced at £11.99
NitNOT ECO head lice Treatment is a hypoallergenic,pesticide and chemical-free treatment that kills lice and eggs without harming sensitive scalps, meaning you only need to concentrate on removing pesky nits and dead lice and eggs when combing. A 200ml bottle (enough to treat the average family of four) costs just £14.99.
NitNOT products are currently available directly from Eileen’s website www.nitnot.com.
Submitted by Cath Couzens