An Edinburgh mum was delighted to see the bosses of her business featured on the hit TV show Dragon's Den.
Lyndsey Anderson runs both the Edinburgh and West Lothian Mini First Aid franchises and couldn’t believe it when her business was featured on the show.
Founders of the Mini First Aid business and Lyndsey’s ‘bosses’ Kate and Matt Ball were invited to pitch for an investment on the top BBC One programme.
The husband and wife duo left an impression when they brought four of their six kids on to demonstrate how the business teaches children vital first aid skills such as using an Actfast Anti Choking Vest or performing CPR.
Lyndsey watched from her sofa with a glass of bubbly as the Ball family managed to attract a £50K investment from Sara Davies, founder of Crafter’s Companion a multinational company with a turnover of over £34 million per year.
Lyndsey, who is now the proud owner of a business ‘as seen on screen’ told Edinburgh Live about what services Mini First Aid provide, saying: “I am a midwife, mum of two teenage boys and wife to an accident-prone husband, so I have a lot of experience in emergency situations at work and first aid situations at home.
“I see first hand how overwhelmed parents are when they leave the hospital and love that our baby and child first aid classes give parents the confidence and knowledge to deal with any first aid situation.
“Our classes teach parents, grandparents and carers the skills to deal with medical emergencies for babies and children.
“We teach these in open classes in venues throughout Edinburgh and West Lothian and we also run private classes in halls and people's homes.
“All the franchisees work very closely together and Matt and Kate are amazing 'bosses,' They have supported and guided us through a very difficult year.
“I am so happy that they received an investment from Sara Davies. You never know when you will need first aid, there is no skill more important than one that saves a life so what an amazing investment to make.”
The franchise was set up by Kate Ball from her kitchen table in 2014, where she started running first aid classes for parents and carers in her local Leeds area.
But Kate saw the potential for growth and together with her husband Matt, franchised the business across the UK.
Kate and Matt say they are delighted to be working with Dragon Sara Davies to expand the business.
Talking about her experience on the show, Kate said: “The whole Dragons’ Den experience has been incredible. Family is right at the heart of everything we do at Mini First Aid, so it felt completely right for the children to be involved.
“Bringing our youngest set of twins was just too tricky though!
“Sara and I have some really exciting ideas, so watch this space!”
