Mark Champins

Oi – You with the funny face and no hair! Weren’t you on Harry Hill or Dragons Den or something. Oh Yeah – It was Dragons Den – How was that then?

“Going into Dragons Den was a really nerve wracking experience, but in fact, the worst part was the waiting around. All the “contestants” had to sit in a room waiting to be called for – like being at the Dentist. In many ways I think I would rather have been waiting to have my teeth pulled out. I was there for about six hours before I got called in.

When I was eventually summoned, I didn’t have a great deal of time to compose myself, and before I knew it, I was in the middle of the pitch.

Fortunately I didn’t lose the ability to talk, and I remembered my two minute presentation and fielded most of the questions OK.

Four of the Dragons started to show signs that they wouldn’t invest and duly dropped out. I didn’t feel bad because I didn’t think they had really grasped the point of the products, and to perfectly honest, didn’t seem to be listening too carefully. They were very complimentary though. Finally I was left with Peter Jones, who, it was revealed had been waiting for the others to drop out to make it easier for him to negotiate!!

When he said he wanted 40% I decided I would walk if he didn’t move on the percentage. 40% is too much – and I was confident I could get the money elsewhere. However, after a little negotiation I managed to get a 5% claw back if I make £250K profit. We shook on the deal, and I left the Den.

Apart from playing the “wacky inventor” a bit too much, I was reasonably happy with what happened. I now look forward to developing Concentrate into a dynamic business and I aim to produce a whole range of clever products designed to have a beneficial impact on the way kids learn.”
How has that experience helped you with your business?

The whole experience of Dragons Den was quite hard work, but like doing anything that is hard, I think you learn lots from it. Subjecting my business to the scrutiny of the Dragons, and listening to what they had to say to take onboard their criticism and suggestions has been particularly helpful.

What’s it like working with Peter Jones?

Peter Jones is a shrewd character. He is quick to spot opportunities and I think he is a genuinely nice person. He has a good team around him who help to develop the companies he invests in, and a great set of contacts to help make things happen. I have learnt lots from him! He’s also ridiculously tall.

Wotcha!

Which superfoods help our brain function at optimum level? Would it be walnuts, sage or turmeric, or all of these? Actually, there are many natural ingredients doing a great job for our brain, but here we present you a list of five, based on researches and consumer’s reports:

Green tea- that’s too easy! Not if you’re looking for the real deal: stone-ground Japanese Matcha is not the regular green tea bag, but the green tea leaf itself, whole, the powder being mixed with hot water. Very rich in chlorophyll, calms the nervous system and reputedly has anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits.

Fresh berries- especially Acai and blueberries-have the highest content of antioxidants and vitamins. Brain benefits rise and disease risks lower.

Cacao beans (don’t jump on your chocolate!)- enhances cognitive functions and positive moods, because of its rich content of flavonoids and antioxidants. Either chose organic high-quality cocoa powder or dark chocolate bars (at least 75% cacao content or higher).

Do you like fish? If not, you should. Wild salmon is one of the best sources of essential fatty acids and high-quality non-land animal protein. It was proven to improve brain matter, synaptic connections and even mood, reducing the risk of Dementia, Alzheimer’s and stroke.

Controversial coffee beans are also rich with antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Fresh-ground gently roasted coffee bean powder reduces the risk of mental decline and diseases. Just keep your coffee simple, without artificial cream and sweeteners.

And don’t forget overall moderation IS the mother of health.

Super!

Mark Champkins

Hey…hey you! Yes.. you in the stupid hat! Don’t you design all kinds of tat for kids in school? What’s that all about then?

Well … Since you ask… All the ideas come from talking with students and teachers, and watching what goes on in a typical classroom.

The idea for the Chairpadbag came when I saw a boy hang his rucksack over the back of his chair. All his classmates had to continually get up and go over to their bags to get books and equipment, except him. I thought that was pretty clever! Later in the lesson I asked the pupils to design their “classroom of the future”, and aside from introducing chocolate rivers, and monkey helpers, all the kids insisted on soft, comfy chairs. Whilst thinking about how to make existing school chairs more comfortable, and looking at the stowed rucksack, the idea came to me!

Hydration is really important to parents too. Just 2% dehydration leads to a 20% drop in the ability to concentrate.

The Bottlecoolerpenholder idea came about when a parent complained to me that they gave their child a bottle of water each day, and it always came home untouched. Watching a lesson I saw the one thing all the pupils always remember, and have in front of them when working is their pencil case. If their water could be kept with their stationery, I reasoned, then they would always remember to have it in front of them when working, and would be prompted to drink during lessons.

We wish you a Happy New Year!

Did you know that 2010 is the international year of the bottom?* Countries all over the world will be thinking of ways to make their posteriors as cozy as possible. This, of course, is not true.

However, we all know it’s not that nice sitting on a hard surface for too long – but for some reason, nearly all the chairs in school are hard, and a little bit uncomfortable.

How can you hope to concentrate properly if you are uncomfortable?

One day there will be robot teachers that can float, and mark 18 practice SAT papers at the same time. These floating robot teachers will go from house to house teaching stuff, and everyone else will be able to stay in their favourite armchair for as long as they like.

Until that happens, we’ve got a solution. How about carrying a little bit of padding around with you? Then, you can use it whenever you have to sit on an uncomfortable chair? Have a look at our Chairpadbag below.

The schoolbag “Chairpadbag” is a new way of staying comfortable in class. It is designed to hook over the back of a school chair, with a special padded flap that folds out over the backrest and seat to make even the hardest seat comfy. It is also expandable, ensuring there is enough room for everything a child might need for school.

• Makes the chair comfortable and keeps the child’s books close by: hook it over the back of your chair and fold out the lid
• Easily expandable bag space with zipper
• Ergonomic strap design
• Reflective strips running down the seams of the bag ensure it stands out on dark nights.
• Grippy rubberised logo stops the padded cushion from slipping around on chairs.
• Smart name tag makes it easy to identify whose bag is whose.
• Magnets sewn inside the padding to make sure the flap folds away easily.
• Dimensions: 30mm x 35mm WxH
• Material: nylon

For more information about the Chairpadbag read our Chairpadbag FAQS.

Happy Year of the Bottom!