GRANT Douglas, who has cerebral palsy, set up S’up spoon because he struggled to eat certain foods due to his hands shaking. The mini version of the spoon which is aimed at children was launched Bobath Cerebral Palsy conference in Glasgow earlier this month. In the next 10 years Grant plans to expand the business to include more products.
Name: Grant Douglas
Age: 45
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
S’up
WHERE IS IT BASED?
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I SET it up to deal with my cerebral palsy. I couldn’t eat foods like soup or cereal with my shaky hands. There were no other spoons on the market that I could use that would work for me.
I decided I want to help people with the condition that find it difficult to eat. I tried to get crowdfunding to set it up but it didn’t work.
When a friend found out about my idea she put me in touch with 4C design in Glasgow who I worked with to invent the spoon I had in mind. Owning my own business isn’t something I set out to do, it just happened because I had a product in mind.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
THE spoon has a deep cavity that stops any spillage when it’s tipped back, it also has an angled handle that makes it easy to pick up from a flat surface.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
THE target is people with celebral palsy but also any person who has uncontrollable upper body movement which could be as a result of Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, essential tremor, stroke, a traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease or other conditions that cause tremor.
The feedback has been really good. I had people coming up to me a couple of months ago. They really like it, especially children because younger children find it hard to use a big spoon. It’s not easy for a small person and the spoon can help any child eat. When you are younger there are so many new and exciting foods to try so I am proud to be a part of helping make a child’s experience with food more enjoyable, a little tidier and a lot easier whether they are disabled or not.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
WE decided to make an adult spoon and not a lot of companies who make similar products do that. The product doesn’t run out of batteries or anything like that.
For some similar products you have to charge it up or pour the liquid in but this is easier to use. People who use it can treat it like any other piece of cutlery.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
THE challenge of trying to get the product right. I enjoy the feedback I get from people that use it and making something that will change people’s lives for the better. You can’t put a price on that.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
IT is definitely a good place for this. In Scotland it is so easy to make contacts and you can work with people quite easily. There’s a good community aspect here.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
I WOULD like to create a range of products – a bowl, a knife, that kind of thing. I know what I want to do. I’ve just got to make it happen. It has been an amazing few years since the initial launch and we have seen the product change so many people’s lives – just like it changed mine.
I knew from the first time using the S’up spoon that it would be a product which would benefit many, but little did I know that it would go to the extent of helping so many people across the world.
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