We were recently contacted by one of our customers who bought some temporary blinds from www.blindsinabox.co.uk. Keep reading to find out our blinds helped them and one of the many ways you can use BLINDSINABOX.

‘I have attached a couple of photos of our blinds in use in our kitchen/diner. We needed to stop people from looking into our kitchen and had been completely stuck on how to achieve it. The blinds in a box have given us the perfect solution as they stick directly to the frame and are so easy to cut to size. We also think they look great clipped into this butterfly shape.

Many thanks.

Linda’

Thanks Linda! Here are the images of Linda’s blinds – we agree! We also think they look great clipped.

You can buy our blinds here – from as little as £7.15 for one!

BLINDSINABOX were recently featured by Egertons – an independent estate agent in Cheshire. Below you can read a copy of the blog article on our temporary blinds as well a link to the original. Thank you, Egertons!

—

As an independent Estate agent we pride ourselves on the relationships we have with our clients and we go that extra mile to make the sale or purchase of your home as easy as possible.

We have recently completed on a sale for Sue. She came into the office quite giddy and happy, to thank us for all our help and to say how happy she is in her new home. She wanted me to share her experience and asked me to do this blog to be a help to all of our clients.

One of the things that have made her move smoother was the discovery of BLINDSINABOX.

As featured on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den programme.

They are paper blinds that you stick up on your window and cut to size. Quick and easy to fit and look smart from the inside and out, giving you instant privacy and time to choose you window dressings.

“The service was excellent. Even though it was Christmas the blinds came in a couple of days.”

In September 2008, the BLINDSINABOX team pitched their product to the Dragons on BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den.

BLINDSINABOX were pleased to accept the offer of investment from James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne.

We think this is an excellent find and are more than happy to pass Sue’s experience.

Original: http://egertonsestates.co.uk/2012/01/cor-blindy-what-an-estate-agent/

If you’re a Blindsinabox customer who’s a flat-sharer, our friends at EasyRoommate, the UK’s leading site if you’re in need of a flatshare in London, Manchester, Birmingham or rest of the UK, have a few words to share on avoiding the perils of surfing online for accommodation which sadly do exist. Caution, though, is always the best approach, and here’s a few tips on staying safe:

Firstly, never ever send money to anyone without seeing a property. You may be in need of somewhere to live in a hurry, but that’s what online scammers thrive on. They’ll pressure you into sending money immediately to secure a place, but chances are, when you arrive to move in, it’s in no way yours to occupy. One really common way they’ll ask you to send money is via Western Union. Despite what they say, no matter how convincing someone may be, never use this service! It allows scammers with connections to receive your money and disappear without a trace.

Be very cautious as well about what personal details you send to someone before even meeting them. Online fraud is a major issue, and scammers can use your details to ill effect.

If you’re unsure of who the person is, don’t be afraid to ask for references from them, too, like proof of ID, a bill of theirs, just something to prove they are who they claim to be. It’s also been known to happen that a scammer has access to a property, shows the prospective tenant around, takes the deposit but actually is in no way legally affiliated to the property, and thus, after paying the deposit and initial rent, it’s certainly not yours to rent. They’ve taken your money and run.

Lastly, once you’re moved in, don’t forget to sign some form of tenancy agreement. It protects you as well as the landlord, and sets guarantees that your deposit will be protected, that you won’t be kicked out without the right length of notice, and that there are certain expectations to be fulfilled by both the landlord and you.

Blindsinabox are proud to offer customers a further £5 discount on our box of 6 brilliant temporary blinds.

This offer applies to both our white and blackout blinds.

Blindsinabox are always trying to improve the competitiveness of the product and price is a key part of this. Our product is already much cheaper than the average window blind because of our unique design but by negotiating a seasonal discount with our suppliers we have been able to reduce the price with a further £5 discount.

Having received investment from James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne of BBC’s Dragon Den, Blindsinabox are putting into practice everything we learn. We value our customers and always strive to improve our product – and that includes making it as cost-effective as possible!

This is a limited time-only offer available from the website.

The economic uncertainty over the last couple of years has had a huge impact on some many things for so many people. Disposable income has become much more valuable and there is plenty of research to suggest that the credit crunch will have a lasting effect on the way people think about spending their money.

In most cases luxury items or services will be the first to be cut down. Many people will go to restaurants less frequently and even the type of food we make at home is affected. For example perishable food such as fresh meat, seafood and fruit is consumed less. People are more likely to eat more non-perishable food such as canned food and pasta are much more likely to be consumed more.

In the UK the recession also had a big impact on the holiday industry. People were less likely to go on wildly expensive holidays. However, as with most things, there are winners and losers in times of economic difficulty.

Although luxury holiday companies may have suffered, people were more open to the idea of short city break holidays, which didn’t involve long and expensive flights. In addition the UK holiday market experienced an increase in demand. The reduced travelling time and lower costs are very attractive in harsh economic times and when there is a good summer in the UK, the beaches and tourist towns tend to receive a major financial boost.

The recession also had a major impact on house prices and for anyone that was looking to sell their property during the economic downturn, anything to add a little extra value would have been more than welcome. As a result the amount of DIY work carried out by homeowners increased. However for companies which do more than just DIY the performance was never going to compensate for losses in other departments.

Nevertheless it did demonstrate the passion for DIY is still strong in the UK and people always want to add value to their property. Even though you might be hopelessly over-optimistic about your DIY ability, often little touches like a fresh coat of paint can have a big impact on appearance and value.

Furthermore consumers are thinking much more about the impact of the way they spend their money. For example buying products from recycled sources such as temporary blinds made from paper or cheap window blinds generally are much more attractive compared to expensive wooden venetian blinds.

Renovating a home or apartment can be a disruptive process to say the least. Even with the very best planning and consultation there can still be unforeseen errors which can have quite a big impact on the project.

There are however ways of reducing the stress and hopefully the cost of a renovation project. The first thing which should always be done when carrying out a home renovation project actually starts well before anything any physical work happens. The planning stage needs to be thorough and well in advance and must include worst case scenarios. The internet gives you the ability to conduct a massive amount of research so there really is no excuse.

For households with children safety must be a consideration because any worksite which has power tools and sharp objects is dangerous for children and in fact adults. It is therefore imperative that you ensure for example nails and chemicals are not aimlessly left lying around. If the project is going to be a case of DIY then extreme caution is advised, especially if you try to bite off more than you can chew. Only do what you are capable of doing.

There is no question that DIY can save money but it can also cost money because if you do make big mistakes, the likelihood is that they will have to be corrected professionally which will cost you even more money. The reason there are companies which specialise in say window fitting or home insulation is because they know what they are doing and they have done it hundreds of times before.

The majority of people do realise that there are many things which are beyond their capabilities but what’s equally important is to get at least several estimates from different companies.

Perhaps the biggest reason for this is because you will see that the prices can vary dramatically. It also a good idea to ask the different companies for contact details of previous customer in order to get a testimonial. Decorating and building companies should take pride in their work and therefore be happy to pass on details.

It is also important to plan specifically for during the renovation because it could have a big impact on how the home runs. For example if the lounge is being worked on it could leave you with exposed windows which can remove all or any privacy you have. This problem can easily be solved with some cheap blinds or perhaps temporary blinds that can easily be installed and removed.

Deciding what the best type of window blind for you is not always an easy decision. Some people might have their mind made up early on and for others it can be a really difficult decision. With summer all but over, things are made harder because a warm sunny day is the ultimate test for a window blind.

One group of people who probably have little interest in blinds besides their functionality are students. After a night binging on alcohol, being woken by the sun is the last thing they want. A good set of blackout blinds, or temporary blinds is more than adequate.

If you are in the process of decorating house temporary blinds can be handy, but what’s more important is that you have thought through your decision to get whatever blinds you decide. Changing blinds can be a challenge which may require specialist help, so do go through the process again and again should be avoided.

With window blinds one of the main differences found is their direction. Some choose horizontal and some choose vertical. You might be asking, what is the difference? Actually there is a difference. Horizontal blinds are the best for controlling the level of light whereas vertical blinds are excellent at providing privacy or complete darkness.

If perhaps you live in a colder climate then insulating blinds are going to be best for you. Typically these types of blinds have a honeycomb structure which then trap air and provide insulation. Air is after all one the best conductors available, weird as it may sound, so by harnessing this in your window blinds you are creating extra insulation for the home at a cost of nothing.

When it comes to choosing you window blind there are several things to take into consideration. Arguably the most important is your location, and therefore your climate. If for example you live in a very hot climate that you want blinds which will help keep the room cool. The interior design of the house which includes the colour schemes is also important and finally how much you want to spend. If you know all this information you are ready to find the best blind for you.

The recent flooding in Pakistan has been on a scale not seen 80 years. Pakistan is a country used to experiencing floods, but when four months worth of rain falls in the space of a couple of days there is little mankind can do to compete with the power of nature.

What has been particularly tragic about this natural disaster is that it is poorest who have been hit the hardest. The flooding has spread to an area about the size of the UK, three quarters of which is farming land. Over 3.4 million hectares of crops have been lost, and they are now needed more than ever.

Flooding is a type of natural disaster which doesn’t just destroy farmland, livestock, crops, villages, roads, bridges and buildings. It also brings with it disease and massive logistical challenges. The things you and I take for granted – clean water, shelter, medicine, soap, food, all is in extremely short supply and urgently needed.

According to Oxfam, with people living in constant wet and damp conditions, skin conditions, infections and respiratory illnesses are increasing rapidly. Worse still, the number of suspected malaria cases have more than trebled in recent weeks.

This natural disaster will take more than weeks, months or years to recover from. It will take a whole generation. To put things in perspective just look at the following figures:

• 21 million people affected
• 10 million people displaced
• 8 million in need of immediate assistance

At Blindsinabox we have got in touch with UNICEF and we are proud to announce that with every purchase made at Blindsinabox will donate £2 to the Pakistan Flood Appeal.

Interior design is always changing and the pace of change seems faster than ever. Perhaps this is because we are responding faster to changes in society such as the pressure of reducing our carbon footprints.

Alternatively it could be because people enjoy spending their disposable income on their home more than ever, which is baffling as the recent economic difficulty has forced many to stop spending on their homes. However, if we put that to one side and look further down the road, say thirty, forty fifty years, it is incredibly exciting to think how homes will change.

Today it is encouraged to have a well insulated home by installing double glazed windows and loft insulation. Even little things like cheap window blinds or temporary blinds can improve the insulation of a home by keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

We are already seeing how interactive technology is becoming further integrated into our daily lives. If you consider that ten years ago your mobile phone wasn’t capable of much more than making calls and sending text messages, and it is know a powerful media device capable of just about everything, just imagine what your kitchen could do.

Being economical and consuming less are increasingly important in a world with a rapidly expanding population and a planet with limited resources.  More consideration will be put into the sustainability and longevity of the kitchen.

The combination of technology and a ‘green’ consumer focus will produce some very creative kitchens. It is perfectly conceivable that the kitchen will be integrated with a vegetable garden. For several years herb gardens and allotments in particular have been growing popularity.

Growing your own food is a concept that over time will without doubt have to happen and by getting closer to nature again the kitchen will reflect the combination of technology and nature.

The kitchen is the traditional heart of the home and an area where technology is heavily adopted. Efficiency in the home is an increasingly important issue because of the emphasis on carbon footprints. As a result the kitchen is an area which is always undergoing being improved with technology.

The type of flooring in your home can have a big impact on the look and feel and if there is one material which will forever be fashionable is real wood. It has a unique look which is virtually impossible to replicate. Many have tried and there is good vinyl out there however it is never going to have the same distinctive and loveable characteristics as real wood.

Another significant advantage to real wood is that it can be repaired easily if damaged. This is usually done, depending on the damage, by sanding down the wood and refinishing it whereas with vinyl flooring it has to be pulled up and thrown away.

Wooden floors are also thought to add value to property which is another reason for their popularity. In some older properties you can find the original wood flooring dating back well over a hundred years and they are a distinctive and unique selling point adding significant value to the property.

For allergy suffers wooden floors are a blessing in disguise as they do not hold dust and pollen, unlike carpet, and they are very easy to clean. For those with severe allergies or pet owners, a wooden floor is highly recommended.

If you are considering refurbishing a room in the house and wood is being used there is a good chance that sanding will be involved to it is worth noting that it may be worth putting up temporary blinds or cheap blinds particularly if you have curtain or drapes in the room.

Perhaps one of the most desirable features of real wooden floors is the feel. Timber is thick and it helps to keep a warm home being a good insulator and it has a soft sound. Characteristics such as this, is why timber will forever be fashionable.

Finally timer is a renewable material. You don’t have to search too far to find high quality timber that is has environmentally friendly. Tree planting is an important aspect for timber companies; after all it is in their best interest to ensure that the raw material does not run out.

Having a bright home is certainly a desirable feature of a home. A bright home is an uplifting and positive place to be, as opposed to a poorly lit dim room which is more conducive to sleep. For some people having lots of light come in a room is a mixed blessing because they often worry about people seeing in to them. This is especially true if your home has large windows that look on to either a neighbour’s home or a public street.

Cost is a factor which affects everyone and will dictate what can and can’t be done. Those with a small budget need not worry because there are plenty of options available which are both well designed and affordable.

A good example of a stylish and affordable option is blackout blinds. Cheap window blinds can be purchased from various stores and on the net and will do an excellent job of reducing the room’s temperature in direct sunlight, and it will prevent anyone from looking inside.

There are also different levels of light reduction with blinds. Some blackout blinds will block virtually all light, whereas others might only stop fifty per cent of the light. In addition, with cheap blinds it is typically very easy to customise them for any size window and shape. It is a highly flexible product which will appeal to people on a tight budget.

Blinds are a popular choice because of their flexibility in the home. They can be used in the lounge, bathroom and bedroom. They don’t cost a fortune and can be setup without much difficulty at all. With most blinds you can also adjust the angle to let in as much or as little light as you desire.

However blinds aren’t the only option for a room. For example in the bathroom frosted or other types of bubble or translucent glass can be fitted which does allow a large amount of sunshine to enter whilst severely limiting the amount of detail that can be seen through it. The only drawback for this option is that it can be expensive, especially if there are multiple windows to have fitted.

The reason frosted glass is typically used in bathrooms and not in say lounges and bedrooms is because if you do have a room with a view it will wasted if you can’t actually see it. With this in mind it is clear to see why blinds, drapes and curtains are a much more popular choice for the home.

So far this summer has been perfect for any barbeque enthusiast. We have had excellent sunshine and some very high temperatures. Whilst this makes for a great summer outdoors but also means that when indoors many people either struggle to sleep because of the heat, or have to pay big electricity bills due to air conditioning.

Thankfully there are alternatives which are also much more affordable. One such option is shades, blinds and curtains. This is a great option for many reasons. The first is that blinds are effective and efficient. Blackout blinds significantly reduces the power of the sun but can also allow air to pass if the window is open slightly. In addition you don’t have to spend a fortune; cheap blinds can be very effective. So if you’re on a tight budget you should definitely consider cheap window blinds.

For some properties dealing with the heat can be more of a challenge. If for example your house is situated in direct sunlight it is going to heat up considerably. For some families it is a great opportunity to plant trees to try and provide shade but this is a long term solution and will take years to really be effective.

Another option is to ensure all your windows are open. This is particularly effective if you live in a breezy area, say along the coast. The advantage with this over air conditioning is that it costs nothing and the air quality is much better. Air condition continually recycles the same stale air again and again and it is surprisingly easy to catch a fever or a chesty cough.

Hot countries have been home to people for thousands of years. Rather than suffer people have flourished and over thousands of years the architecture developed around keeping cool. As the UK seems to be getting generally warmer during the summers perhaps this is something that we need to consider when building homes in the UK.

Air condition is not a requirement of modern living and if we are intent on living greener lives we are going to have to look at alternatives such as blackout blinds. A combination cheap blackout blinds, keeping the windows open and maybe a couple of ceiling fans will do wonders for cooling your home this summer, and summers to come.

By Candice Krieger, September 8, 2008
Grandmother-of-eight Simeone Salik was £40,000 better off this week after a successful stint on BBC2′s reality-TV show Dragons’ Den.

During the episode – aired on Monday – Mrs Salik, 67, faced the dragons together with her two business partners. In case you missed it, the trio pitched for investment in their online firm, blindsinabox.co.uk, which sells instant temporary blinds. They secured £40,000 for a 50 per cent stake in the business, with the option to regain 10 per cent if they reach certain targets.

Mrs Salik tells People: “My grandchildren think I’m cool for doing it, that’s the main thing.” And how were the dragons? “I wasn’t scared of them. It was a lovely and exciting experience.”

Mrs Salik founded the company last year. Businessman Dominic Lawrence and interior designer Janice Dalton then came on board. “I was in the process of building a house when I went to buy some inexpensive blinds as a temporary solution to provide some privacy, and also to keep the light out of the bedroom, but I couldn’t find what I wanted.” So she decided to have some made and realised that there was a gap in the market.

The article can also be viewed on The JC site by clicking here.

Simeone Salik from Blindsinabox talks to Blinds & Shutters about the company’s offering and the benefits of the product.

“Having decided to build a retirement home, the last things on the agenda for the interiors were the curtains. As I was unsure about what type of curtains, I tried to find a temporary interim solution whilst I made up my mind. Despite a thorough search, none were available in the UK, and I realised I had found a potential gap in the market. I asked my interior designer, Janice Dalton, to join me in the business as she was so enthusiastic about them. She also has a fantastic understanding of design and can see how the blinds can be of use to other members of her profession. We were introduced to Dominic Lawrence, who has an import business, to help find a suitable manufacturer and in 2007 Blindsinabox started selling temporary instant blinds on our website.

“I had worked in PR many years ago and with those skills, managed to obtain some fantastic press for the product. The blinds seemed to ‘hit the spot’ and online sales were increasing on a daily basis.  We recognized that to grow the business we needed to increase our profile and made the decision to appear on Dragon’s Den. We knew that if we secured investment, we could benefit from the expertise and contacts of whichever Dragon took an interest in our product. We were nervous, but well rehearsed, and had such belief in our product that we hope this came over in our pitch. The Dragons can be hard and unkind, but certainly recognise a good business opportunity and we were so pleased to gain investment from James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne. We thoroughly enjoy working with our new investors and their teams and the business has already started to benefit from their input. The blinds are a really good solution for retailers when customers’ blinds have not arrived in time or if they cannot decide what they want immediately.  They will tie the customer in to the retailer. Also they can make a profit from the sale (10 boxes for £20 a box plus VAT and p&p instead of £39.95 per box).  Can also be used as a temporary measure if customers feel they need to ‘save up’ for expensive fittings.  They can be taken on holiday or used in a nursery in blackout version.”

By The JC – New homes & interiors

You’ve just moved into your new home, you haven’t got any curtains and you discover that your bedroom is on full view to the neighbours. A quick affordable solution are Blindsinabox – easy to install, low cost, temporary window blinds. They are also ideal if you need privacy during refurbishment or for students.

To install the temporary blinds, simply peel off the adhesive strip and hang the blind at your window or frame (not to any water-based paint surface or emulsion). You can gather the pleats of the blind and secure with the clips provided, to let light in when required. The blinds are stylish and inconspicuous and can be re-used whenever instant privacy is necessary. When you have finished with them they can even be recycled.

One box of six blinds £39.10 (plus p&p). The blinds – 91.5cm wide x 183 cm drop – are available in white for general use or black for complete darkness. Order at www.blindsinabox.co.uk or by calling 020 8445 8699

For all those who appear on the hit BBC’s television show Dragon’s Den,, most will leave empty handed with the words of multi-millionaire Duncan bannatyne ringing in their ears: “I’ll tell you where I am… I’m Out”

But Blindsinabox – a company that sells temporary window coverings – managed to walk away having secured investment from not only Bannatyne but also from fellow dragon James Cann.

Launched in 2007, the idea for the product came to Blindsinabox director Simeone Salik in 2005. Having moved into a new house she ordered new curtains from her now fellow director, interior designer Janice Dalton. But Salik and her husband were looking for some privacy while they waited for the curtains to be made.

Scouring the high street, Salik found there was nothing appropriate to fulfil her temporary needs, and went about fashioning her own makeshift blinds. Seeing the potential of the idea, interior designer Dalton and Salik joined forces and investigated ways that they could be produced.

After  an  initial  attempt, which proved unsuccessful, the pair was introduced to toiletries importer Dominic Lawrence as a potential supplier for the business. However on meeting Lawrence, Salik and Dalton like him so much, they asked if he would like to become a partner of the business, he accepted.

The product itself uses a peel-off adhesive strip that can then be attached to a window or frame (but not to any water-based paint surface or emulsion) Additionally, if you keep the strip you can reuse the blinds again and again.

The company began trading over the internet on 3 December 2007, however it as not until June 2008 that the company were approached by the BBC to appear on the show.

“We had spoken with the BBC and they wanted us to apply as they thought it was a good product,” said Salik. “However, initially we weren’t sure, as we were quite happy with they way things were going. Although we were later persuaded…”

Appearing on the show in September 2008, Blindinabox received an investment of £40,000 from Bannatyne and Cann.

Speaking about her dragons’ Den experience, Salik said: “Nobody can be confident going in as they are tough people to talk to. Our pitch was 1hour  and 15 minutes long, but it was edited down to just eight minutes. We’d done our research and were prepared. We were also very enthusiastic about our product, and we had already received terrific feedback.

“I spoke to someone the other day who had them in his kitchen, and he said what was nice about them was they looked aesthetically pleasing as well as being practical.

“We were in the Green Room with six other people who were pitching. I later learned that no one else got an investment. We were very excited and pleased that we didn’t come off looking stupid. We looked quite confident and the other thing of course, was that the dragons liked it – especially Duncan and James. It felt good to have gone in and come out with what we wanted in the beginning.”

‘I had the idea for the temporary blinds while Gordon and I were decorating our new house in 2003. We were waiting for our new curtains to arrive and needed something to cover the windows.

I hunted high and low, and when I couldn’t find anything suitable, I designed a paper blind that could be stuck to a window frame. I knew straight away i’d hit on a good idea, but I realised what a big undertaking setting up a business was, so I got two partners on board, who have been fantastic.

We each invested some of our own money (around £3,500) and set up a website. The business did well almost immediately, but when we appeared on BBC2′s Dragon’s Den and got the backing of Duncan Bannatyne and James Cann, it really took off. We’re now stocked in Argos and have an annual turnover of £100,000.

I’m quite a dodged person and I really believe that you can do anything you want. I’ve never let my age be an issue. At first, I regretted that I hadn’t done this sooner. But mine was an old-fashioned marriage – once the first of my three daughters was born, I gave up my work and my main role was bringing them up and looking after the house, as well as helping out with the admin for my husbands optometry business once they got a bit older.

I now think this is the perfect time for me to have my own business. I don’t play bridge or golf, so business is my hobby. It’s definitely kept me young. I’ve learned so many new skills, including how to use the computer and text on my mobile phone, which has been useful for communicating with my eight children.

I’ve been invited to give a talk at the school one of my granddaughters attends and my picture is on the wall of my grandson’s classroom.

They’re very proud of me.

Blindsinabox Ltd sell easy to install, low cost, temporary window blinds. Offering the perfect solution for when you’ve just moved into your new home, need privacy during a refurbishment project and for students and those in temporary accommodation, these simple to install blinds are instant, cheap and (even) recyclable.

To install these blinds simply peel off the adhesive strip and hang the blind  to your window or frame (not to any water based paint or emulsion). You can gather the pleats of the blind and secure with the clips provided to let light in when required. The blinds are stylish and inconspicuous and can be re-used whenever instant privacy is necessary.

One box of six blinds costs £39.10 (plus p&p). The blinds – 93,5cms wide x 183 cms drop – are available in white for general use or black for areas where complete darkness is required. Simple, effective and genuinely useful, Blinds in a box can be ordered online at www.blindsinabox.co.uk

By Saga Magazine

Launching a new business just before a recession could be fool hardly, brave or just create bad timing. But older people who set out to create a business have and advantage whatever the financial climate. Maturity gives them the experience and the self-confidence to allow instinct and intuition to play a part in their most crucial decisions.

The following business people, whose career changes n their fifties and sixties coincided with the end of the boom and the beginning of near bust, knew that they needed to make radical changes in their lives. They wanted the freedom to work hard at something they enjoyed and were good at. And they provided that if you believe passionately in what you are doing , not even the worst economic conditions in 80 years can hold you back.

Simeone Salik, co-founder of Blindsinabox launched early 2008.

Before her marriage in 1963, Simeone Salik work in the PR and marketing office of Liberty’s department store in London’s Regent Street. She continued to do so until the birth of her first daughter 9now 44 with three children).

“It was the norm in the early Sixties for a woman to stay at home and look after the children,” she says. “ We had two more daughters – now 41 and 39 with five children between them – over the next seven and half years brought them up myself. However, when the first went off to university, I decided to work with my husband, Gordon, an optometrist who worked together until he was about to retire in late 2003 at the age of 65.

“We had decided to downsize our home and were lucky enough to buy a plot of land in North London. We built ourselves a ‘retirement’ chalet-bungalow incorporating all the equipment we felt might be necessary in our old age – raised toilets, shower seats easy handles in the kitchen etc.”

Curtains were the very last thing that she and her husband thought about as they furnished their new home. As an interim measure she tried to obtain temporary blinds, easily installable ones, but they proved impossible to find. Remembering some she had seen abroad, it suddenly occurred to her that she had stumbled on a gap in the market.

The beauty of the idea lay in its simplicity. Available in just one size (3ft wide and 6ft long) and two colours, white for the general use and black for the total blackout, the pleated blinds cost £39.10 for a box of six and were easily trimmable with a utility knife. No other tools were needed – they peeled and stuck and had two clips per blind for opening and closing.

“At first we started to sell over the internet in a modest but encouraging way, and I discovered that my PR skills returned to me like riding a bike,” Simeone recalls. “We were mentioned in the national and regional papers where a scot for BBC saw us and asked us to apply to appear on Dragons Den, the BBC2 show for budding entrepreneurs.

Initially we said no but were persuaded to do so and appeared on the show September 1, 2008. Two of the ‘Dragons’ Duncan Bannatyne and James Cann, invested into us and our business, one year from going into the Den, is flourishing. On the programme our first years projected turnover was £50,000. In fact we turned over £120,000 in that year and now will be distributed in Spain, Germany, South Africa, Southern Ireland, Australia, and the UK. We are also stocked in the Argos stores.”

Asked to identify her principal motivation for going into business in her late sixties, just as the recession began to bite. Simeone, 67, replies candidly: “I wanted to have some means of combating the deficit in our pensions and savings that the Government and economic conditions have caused us, and i do hope i have found a means of doing so.

“I would also say to people of retirement age that working keeps your brain active, gives your children and grandchildren a reason to be proud of you, and makes you a real part of the 21^st century.”

Blindsinabox, 020 8445 8699, www.blindsinabox.co.uk

Arriving at Simeone  Salik’s  beautiful home in Mill Hill, which she and her husband designed, I count and impressive 22 windows, and that is just from the back. Once inside and experiencing the light flooding in it is easy to imagine how the idea for her Dragon’s Den – backed business, Blindsinabox, developed. And taking me into her study while we wait for for her two partners, Janice Dalton and Dominic Lawrence, I am pleased to see that she practices what she preaches, with four of the concertina-style paper blinds (which are attached by a simple adhesive strip) hanging up to keep the glare of the low winter winter sun off the computer screen.

Speaking about the birth of the company, the grandmother-of-eight reveals: “Janice is an interior designer and she was helping me do this house. The curtains didn’t come immediately because there was a flaw in the first lot and I remembered about 15 years ago seeing this idea for temporary window coverings in America. So I researched it, but I couldn’t find any in England, so i got some sent over from America, which cost quite a lot of money.

“Lot’s of people said, ‘Oh they are fantastic where did you get them’, so I spoke to Janice and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be a good idea if we started a business and made these curtains over here’, and that was three years ago.”

Simeon, 67, and Janice were later joined by businessman Dominic and in December 2007 they launched their website www.blindsinabox.co.uk. Then last September, the trio made their TV debut on to the hit BBC 2 show Dragons’ Den. They managed to secure £40,000 for a 50% stake in their business, with an option to regain ten per cent if they reached certain targets, after working two of the Den’s most ferocious dragons, James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne, with their professional pitch.

Recalling the moment when she sat down to watch her television appearance Simeone, who grew up in St Albans, tells me: “There were more nerves of that day than when we actually went in front of the dragons. We were petrified, as it was the first time we had seen ourselves on television.

“I went over to my granddaughter’s house, there were about 20 of us, all the grandchildren were there, they were all cheering. It was so funny.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing, the group locked horns with Peter Jones earlier on when he cut them down saying his “kids could have made these”.

However, Janice, whose shop Imagine Interior Designs is in Mill Hill, rebuffs his complaint, saying: “He just didn’t get the simplicity of it. Yes we have all made fans, but we didn’t think about putting the sticky on, it’s the simplest idea but was not available in Europe, so we introduced it.”

Since their appearance, things have gone from strength to strength, with the website getting more hits than ever before, orders flooding in and exciting projects afoot, including plans to release different patterned Blindsinabox. They are now available in black and white. There is also hope that the blinds could be used in the Olympic village in east London in 2012.

Simeone, who previously worked in public relations before going on to work as practice manager at her husbands opticians, tells me: “It’s going very well over the internet, and in this recessionary period I think it’s actually helping people deal with the credit crunch as they don’t have to fork out for expensive curtains.”

Thankfully, the trio has also found that the dragons aren’t half as fiery away from the television cameras.

Speaking about James Caan, Simeone enthuses: “James has been a great help, he is very charming and very nice and they have a good team and they don’t mind if we phone and ask questions.

“We have access to the whole Hamilton Bradshaw team (James’ private equity firm) which has been invaluable,” Janice adds. “Asides from the money, that has been the big benefit.”

Hinting at some big developments in the new year, Dominic excitedly tells me: “Certainly it also helps open doors, if you are ringing up Asda or Tesco and say that you have the support of James and Duncan, they will take you seriously. It has made a big difference. We are talking with people and it’s highly likely you will see the product in one of the big chains in the next few months.”

In fact, the last six months have been so busy for the Blindsinabox team, Simeone’s three daughters now have to schedule in time with her.

“It’s quite nice that now my children, instead of thinking they can phone up and I will be at the end of the line waiting for them, they know to ask if it is convenient or they ask ‘have you got a moment’,” the entrepreneurial grandmother chuckles.

An entrepreneurial  blinds company has hit the big time after getting a helping hand from the hit TV show Dragons Den.

The firm, Blindsinabox Ltd is based in North London and has a distribution base on the New River Trading Estate in Chestnut Fairways.

After appearing on the BBC2 Dragons Den programme in September 2008, top business brains James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne decided to invest in the fledgling business and the company went from strength to strength.

The story began when Simeone Salik, one of the three partners, and her husband built a new home for their retirement and Janice Dalton, an interior designer helped her with the house.

But when Simeone tried to find some temporary blinds or curtains, none could be found in the UK.

In 2007, Simeone and her partners – Janice Dalton and businessman  Dominic Lawrence started selling blinds online at www.blindsinabox.co.uk

Their idea of a cheap window blinds solution requiring no tools for fixing and giving instant privacy and security was an instant success.

Since their rise to fame and fortune, Simeone has appeared on BBC’s Working Lunch and Janice is due to appear on the Ideal World programme on Sky 664 and Freeview on December 16. The firm was also recentley featured on Dragons Den on Tour.

Simeone said the company was now in talks to expand into Europe and even Australia and South Africa.

It is now selling wholesale and retail as well as over the internet.

By Jean Marsden at the Hoddesdon and Broxbourne Mercury

By The Times

Entrepreneurship is not just for youngsters. An increasing number of older people are using their retirement to launch businesses. Three years ago, aged 65, Simeone Salik, a former PR executive, had the idea for Blindsinabox, a company selling temporary blinds. After appearing on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den and receiving investment from the programme’s James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne, the company has doubled its predicted first-year turnover and is negotiating with several international distributors.

“It took us two years to get going, during which time the [economic] news just kept getting worse,” Mrs Salik said. “I did think we are mad to be doing this now. But we had the right product (cheap blinds) and made sure we didn’t take too many risks. People of our age are used to being careful with money

By North London Today

BUSINESSES are bracing themselves for the fallout from the ongoing national postal strikes.

Simeone Salik, who set up Blindsinabox with two business partners after securing investment on BBC show Dragons’ Den, said the firm was already feeling the effect.

Although the company’s instant window blinds are dispatched by Parcel Force, the firm relies on Royal Mail for sending out mailings.

Mrs Salik said: “The ordinary post is just hopeless now. If we have to send out things like samples we’ll use the post but it’s a waste of time.

“People are using email more, but there are very few other options.

We are doing really well at the moment and we’re supplying our product out to Germany, Spain and South Africa now, but times are tough for other business and this won’t help.

It’s definitely costing us money but the worst thing about it is that there isn’t any redress, you just can’t get anything back.”

As a housewife and mother Simeone Salik, 67, from London, put her ambitions on ice. Then, two years ago, she landed her first job.

‘Working mothers were a rarity in my day. I’d always been intrigued by the business world, and going to meetings and brainstorming really appealed to me, but I had to leave that to my husband, Gordon, who was an optometrist. My job was to keep the house tidy and bring up our three children, though I sometimes helped Gordon with admin.

‘Then, two years ago, I had a business idea. We’d just moved into our retirement bungalow, and whilst furnishing it I realised how little choice there was when you need temporary instant window dressings. After lots of research which involved learning how to use the internet I designed a paper blind that sticks to the top of the window and can be cut to size, working from a memory of one I’d seen years ago.

After getting advice from people we knew, I launched Blinds in a Box. But there wasn’t much revenue behind my internet business, so I decided to go on the TV programme Dragons’ Den. Two of the dragons invested £40,000 in my company, so I could afford staff and promotion.

‘It has been a steep learning curve, but I’m proud to say my blinds are now stocked in Argos and the business is in profit. I usually work for three hours a day, sometimes longer.

‘They say that you either use it or loose it, and running a business has certainly been good for my brain. I’m learning new things all the time, and have so much to remember. I project manage, deal with customer services and do radio interviews. Being an older business woman makes me more cautious and budget-conscious, which can only be a good thing right now. it also means I make an effort to look the part, and dressing up stops me being a fuddy-duddy. For once, my eight grandchildren think I’m cool!’

For more details, visit www.blindsinabox.co.uk

Between Trips in the van you close the blinds to keep the upholstery from fading. Leaving them down weakens the spings and stops their retracting. These temporary paper blinds are they’re quick and easy to fit and come in white or black, which completely blocks out the sun. Each blind is 91.5cm wide x 183cm long – just cut to fit. You get six in a box.

By Jenny Hirschkorn – The Sunday Telegraph

Her second was to say, “No way”, fearing that an appearance on the show might turn her business into just another casualty of the Dragons’ caustic grilling.

In the case of Mrs Salik, Mr Lawrence and their third partner, Janice Dalton, 52, that product is temporary window blinds, and their company, Blinds in a Box, had been trading for around a year when they went before the Dragons last September.

The idea came about when Mrs Salik, a grandmother of eight, needed temporary window coverings for her house in London’s Mill Hill. She had ordered bespoke curtains from Mrs Dalton, who runs an interior design business nearby, but didn’t want to leave her windows bare while awaiting for delivery. She could not find anything suitable in the UK and eventually had to order temporary blinds from an American supplier. This, she concluded, was a clear gap in the market.

She and Mrs Dalton decided that, with their combined skills in PR and design, they would make a good team, but they lacked any experience in manufacturing and importing, which is where Mr Lawrence comes in. “We make an unusual but effective triumvurate,” he said.

Despite a confident, well-rehearsed pitch in front of the Dragons, three of the five investors declared themselves “out” early on. But then James Caan declared an interest, offering the full £40,000 for 50pc of the business. Duncan Bannatyne then suggested splitting the investment with Mr Caan and hey, presto, Blinds in a Box had two new directors.

“We reckoned that half of a company backed by these two experienced businessmen was worth more than 100pc of a brand without their backing,” said Mr Lawrence. And part of the deal is that, if the business reaches its targets over the next three years, the Dragons will give 10pc of the equity back to the founders – something they are confident they can achieve.

Until recently, sales were mainly direct to the public through the company’s website, but then the credibility lent to the product through their association with the Dragons was put to the test when Argos were approached to stock the blackout blinds. A big order was won in exchange for an introductory period of exclusivity. With that period due to end soon, the team have the big DIY chains and department stores in their sights. They are also looking at developing a fire-retardant version of the blinds for sale to the health and educational services.

“What the endorsement of the Dragons has done is to open doors that would otherwise have remained closed to us,” said Mrs Salik.

The Guardian

Simeone Salik, 66 started her own company two years ago when her husband retired. “Some people like to work; others can’t wait to stop. I belong to the first category. And I wasn’t about to let a small thing like my age stop me when I spotted a great business opportunity not long after my 65th birthday,” she said.

“After leaving school at 18, I had a job and helped to support my then boyfriend – now my husband of 46 years – through university by working as assistant to the PR for Liberty’s of Regent Street and then with one of the first standalone PR agencies, Leslie Frewin. I then worked in the PR department of Masius & Wynne Williams, a large advertising agency, until my children began to arrive. All this was in the 1960s, when women stayed at home to look after their children and it was more unusual to leave them while you worked.

“My husband, an optometrist with several practices by now, was very involved in the administration and running of his business, so I was able to help him after work and at the weekends and learned how a business should be run properly – minimum expenses and maximum profitability, with good customer relations and after-sales service.

“But when the first of our three daughters went to university, I realised that very soon we would be ‘empty-nesters’ and encouraged my husband to sell his business and work from our home in his professional capacity. I became the receptionist and dispenser.

“As his retirement age loomed, I once again wanted a project and, more by luck than judgment, found a plot of land and we built our retirement bungalow. This took us three years to accomplish. After leaving ordering the curtains until the very end, I realised that there was a real gap in the market for temporary, inexpensive blinds, and asked a designer called Janice Dalton if she wanted to go into business with me to fill the gap. My husband, who had never wanted me to work before, was very supportive but my family was sceptical – after all, I was just their mother and at 65 probably not in the 21st century at all. What did I know?

“It took us more than 18 months to set up our business and after an introduction to Dominic Lawrence, who was sourcing the temporary blinds from the far east, we asked him to join us as an equal partner.

“We built a website and even did our own video, with Dom shooting, Janice demonstrating and lots of laughter. We launched the website in November 2008, and to our surprise, started little by little to get orders from around the UK and even from the Irish Republic and Spain.

“One of the things I had learned from working with my husband was that if you keep your costs down you don’t have to borrow from the bank and, in fact, our set up costs were funded three ways from our individual savings or earnings. We spent no more than £3,500 each and the stock was ordered with a 60-day payment deferment.

“All this time the ‘credit crunch’ was becoming more and more real and suddenly banks, which had formerly been the rock of our society, were failing. We could not have launched a business at a worse time.

“However, our blackout blinds, which are cheap, instant and temporary, are just the job for a recessionary period. My PR seemed to be working well and we had some really nice mentions in both newspapers and magazines.

“One Manchester paper called us ‘idea of the week’ and the Dragons’ Den production team in Manchester, who must have seen the story, contacted us to suggest we fill in an application form. At first we thought it a crazy idea, but after much discussion decided to send the form in.

“We were asked to go to pitch and have a screen test at the BBC studios in London and eventually after quite a few weeks, were asked to go to ­Pinewood to appear in the Den. Dom, to his credit, insisted that we rehearsed, rehearsed and researched so that we would be ready to field any questions.

“On the day, I didn’t feel too nervous. At my age, all I was worried about was making a fool of myself and giving my family ammunition to laugh at me forever more. We pitched for over an hour and were really happy when James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne decided to give us investment.

“They have guided us on a weekly basis and have helped us, by involvement with their other investments, with our distribution and the admin.

“By association with them, Blindsinabox is now a ‘real’ company and my eight grandchildren think I am a really ‘cool’ grandmother, especially when teachers in their schools tell them that they have bought the blind, and is it their grandmother they have seen on the TV?

“It has changed my life and I would recommend anyone who thinks they are too old to change or to start a new career to go for it. You will never regret it and will learn lots of new things, like using your BlackBerry to text your family: “C U 2NITE. SPK L8TR”.

Steve Hawkes -The Sun

Grandma Simeon Salik is saying curtains to the credit crunch – by selling temporary blinds on the internet.

Simeone, 67, launched Blindsinabox.co.uk two years ago after not being able to buy temporary blackout blinds for her new home in Mill Hill, North London.

She finally bought some from America and then decided to go into business with interior designer and pal Janice Dalton and businessman Dominic Lawrence to plug the gap in the market over here.

Simeone took her fledgling business on to Dragons Den in September last year.

She bagged £40,000 from tycoons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne in exchange for 50% of the firm, with the chance to regain ten percent if they hit certain targets.

With the Dragons’ help, the business has secured a nationwide listing with Argos. Simeone told The Sun: “The housing market may be struggling but if we can do well, we will do really well when the recession is over.

“If the government would just support small firms we could get Britain back to being great. The more people that say ‘Lets go out and do something’ the better. I think the Sun’s campaign is brilliant”

By Lavina Suthentrian – London Evening Standard

Three entrepreneurs who appeared on Dragons’ Den have scooped a deal worth tens of thousands of pounds with Argos after the show’s experts backed their business.

Simeone Salik, Janice Dalton and Dominic Lawrence reluctantly appeared on the BBC2 programme to attract investment in their design for temporary blinds.

Their pitch proved so successful that two of the show’s business tycoons, James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne, bought half the company, Blindsinabox, by investing £40,000.

Caan said: “The market focuses on value for money and Blindsinabox is a simple, straightforward solution that is cost effective.”

Mrs Salik, 67, a former PR executive from Mill Hill, came up with the idea when she and Mrs Dalton, her designer at the time, were decorating and needed to cover the windows while they waited for her curtains to arrive.

They created the temporary blackout blinds and spent a year developing the design, which involves peeling off adhesive strips to hang the blinds.

Mrs Dalton, 52, also from Mill Hill, said: “Our unique selling point was the fact that it’s a simple product. All you have to do is peel off the strips from each side and stick it on to your window sills, securing it with pegs that we provide.”

The duo needed a manufacturer so a mutual friend introduced them to Mr Lawrence, 38, an importer from Finchley, and he joined the company.

The BBC approached them to appear on Dragons’ Den, which sees entrepreneurs pitching for financial backing. Mr Lawrence admitted they were not that interested in going on the show but thought it would be good advertisement for the product. He said: “It was extremely nerve-racking because the panel was very clever to pick on weak points but we held on and ended up leaving with two investors.

“We appeared for the money but also to see what expertise potential investors can give us. So when we got investments from James and Duncan – they advised us to approach household retailers and when we did things really started to accelerate for us.”

Their appearance in the Den triggered a strong rise in orders and the trio have sealed a deal with Argos, which will stock tens of thousands of blinds in more than 800 of their stores.

The team said they were the first independent curtains and blinds business Argos has taken on. The blinds cost £45 for a box of six, including postage.

By The Daily Mail

Three entrepreneurs who appeared on Dragons’ Den have scooped a deal worth tens of thousands of pounds with Argos after the show’s experts backed their business.

Simeone Salik, Janice Dalton and Dominic Lawrence reluctantly appeared on the BBC2 programme to attract investment in their design for temporary blinds.

Their pitch proved so successful that two of the show’s business tycoons, James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne, bought half the company, Blindsinabox, by investing £40,000.

Caan said: ‘The market focuses on value for money and Blindsinabox is a simple, straightforward solution that is cost effective.’

Mrs Salik, 67, a former PR executive from Mill Hill, came up with the idea when she and Mrs Dalton, her designer at the time, were decorating and needed to cover the windows while they waited for her curtains to arrive.

They created the temporary blackout blinds and spent a year developing the design, which involves peeling off adhesive strips to hang the blinds, according to London’s Evening Standard.

Mrs Dalton, 52, also from Mill Hill, said: ‘Our unique selling point was the fact that it’s a simple product. All you have to do is peel off the strips from each side and stick it on to your window sills, securing it with pegs that we provide.’

The duo needed a manufacturer so a mutual friend introduced them to Mr Lawrence, 38, an importer from Finchley, and he joined the company.

The BBC approached them to appear on Dragons’ Den, which sees entrepreneurs pitching for financial backing. Mr Lawrence admitted they were not that interested in going on the show but thought it would be good advertisement for the product.

He said: ‘It was extremely nerve-racking because the panel was very clever to pick on weak points but we held on and ended up leaving with two investors.

‘We appeared for the money but also to see what expertise potential investors can give us. So when we got investments from James and Duncan – they advised us to approach household retailers and when we did things really started to accelerate for us.’

Their appearance in the Den triggered a strong rise in orders and the trio have sealed a deal with Argos, which will stock tens of thousands of blinds in more than 800 of their stores.

The team said they were the first independent curtains and blinds business Argos has taken on. The blinds cost £45 for a box of six, including postage.

By North London Today

Three entrepreneurs who won investment for their business after appearing on Dragons Den have defied the recession to land a major deal with high-street giant Argos.

Simeone Salik, 67,  Janice Dalton, 52 and Dominic Lawrence, 38, secured £40,000 from two of the multi-millionaires after pitching their “instant” window blind business on the show last September.

During the tense negotiations the trio finally settled on giving away 50 per cent of their business in return for investment from tycoons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne.

The deal came after Simeone, a former PR executive from Mill Hill, Janice an interior designer from Mill Hill and importer Dominic from Finchley, teamed up to set up their business Blindsinabox selling temporary paper window blinds.

Since appearing on the show the company has been inundated with orders for the product, but the trio’s latest deal will see the blinds being stocked at more then 700 Argos stores across Britain.

Simeone told The Press: “If it does well it’s going to make a tremendous difference, especially given the current economic climate.

“They have more than 700 stores so it’s a big thing. The Dragons’ Den aspect has definitely had a huge impact.

“They have a tremendous following, and in a sense if they invest in something it’s accredited because people look to them.

“The product is great – it’s inexpensive and perfect if you are refurbishing or moving into a place and toy need something for the interim.

“At the moment people don’t want to be spending a lot of money, so it’s a product for our time”

For more information visit www.blindsinabox.co.uk

The Press – The local paper covering Hendon, Finchley, Edgware and Mill Hill

Three entrepreneurs who won investment for their business after appearing on the TV show Dragons Den have defied the recession to land a major deal with high street giant Argos.

Simeone Salik, 67, Janice Dalton, 52 and Dominic Lawrence, 38, secured £40,000 from two of the multi-millionaires after pitching their instant window blind business on the show last September.

During tense negotiations the trio finally settled on giving away 50% of their business in return for investment from tycoons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne.

The deal came after Simeone, a former PR executive from Mill Hill, Janice an interior designer from Mill Hill, Janice an interior designer from Mill Hill and importer Dominic from Finchley, teamed up to set up their business Blindsinabox selling temporary blinds.

Since appearing on the show the company has been inundated with orders for the product, but the trio’s latest deal will see the blackout blinds being stocked at more than 700 Argos stores across Britain.

Simeone told the press: “If it does well its going to make a tremendous difference, especially given the economic climate. They have more than 700 hundred stores so it’s a big thing. The Dragon’s Den aspect has definitely had a huge impact. They have a tremendous following, and in a sense if they invest in something its accredited because people look to them. The product is great – its inexpensive and perfect if you are refurbishing or moving into a place and need something for the interim. At the moment people don’t want to be spending a lot of money, so its a product for our time.”

Temporary window covering company BlindsinaBox Ltd has announced that from 9 March its product will be sold by catalogue retailer Argos.

BlindsinaBox Ltd appeared on the hit BBC two show Dragons’ Den in September 2008, and secured investment from multi-millionaires Duncan Bannatyne and James Cann.

Bannatyne said: “This is one of my favourite investments, and I saw the potential immediately. I wasn’t just investing in the product but the people behind it.: Simeone, Janice and Dominic have been a pleasure to deal with and I predict they are heading for even more success”.

The new deal with Argos will see the paper blinds – which are easy to use with no need for screws or nails – stocked in all 700+ Argos stores in the UK.

Anna Protherough, textiles and blinds buyer at Argos, said: “We are delighted to be able to bring an innovative new product to the market  , especially as it will make our customers’ lives easier.

This is the second time we have stocked an investment from Dragons’ Den and we are hopeful BlindsinaBox will be as successful as iTeddy, which we also carried exclusively in 2007.”

By Daily Express

IF you’ve just moved home or are having your blinds replaced and need temporary window covers Blinds In A Box are cheap simple to and easy-to-install solution. Starting from £45, the recyclable paper blinds, which come six to a box in either black or white, just need to be trimmed to size and stuck to your window frame, glass or wall using a self-adhesive panel. Backed by two of TV’s Dragons’ Den tycoons even the least DIY savvy person should manage it and there’s a handy installation video on their website. Stockist www.blindsinabox.co.uk

The Daily Telegraph

Very occasionally, a new product comes along that makes you wonder why, and how, no one ever thought of it before. Blindsinabox has done just that. Its cheap, temporary blinds require no tools to install – simply peel off the adhesive strip and hang. Perfect as a temporary cover for windows if you are moving or redecorating, these reusable paper blinds come in handy away from from home, too – they are great for student pads and a top idea when you are camping or caravanning (the blackout version is a must for those with young children).

If you’re thinking Blindsinabox looks a bit familiar, you may well have seen them on TV in the latest series of Dragons Den, where they managed to impress both Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan. And if its good enough for them to invest in, it must be worth a look!

A box of six (available in black or white) normally costs £45 but is currently on offer at £39.95. And what’s more, there’s a further 10 per cent discount for Bargain Britain readers. To claim insert promotional code BBrit0908 when buying online at www.blindsinabox.co.uk. Or for more information email info@blindinabox.co.uk.

By Candice Krieger of The Jewish Chronicle

Grandmother-of-eight Simeone Salik was £40,000 better off this week after a successful stint on BBC2′s reality-TV show Dragons’ Den.

During the episode – aired on Monday – Mrs Salik, 67, faced the dragons together with her two business partners. In case you missed it, the trio pitched for investment in their online firm, blindsinabox.co.uk, which sells instant temporary blinds. They secured £40,000 for a 50 per cent stake in the business, with the option to regain 10 per cent if they reach certain targets.

Mrs Salik tells People: “My grandchildren think I’m cool for doing it, that’s the main thing.” And how were the dragons? “I wasn’t scared of them. It was a lovely and exciting experience.”

Mrs Salik founded the company last year. Businessman Dominic Lawrence and interior designer Janice Dalton then came on board. “I was in the process of building a house when I went to buy some inexpensive blinds as a temporary solution to provide some privacy, and also to keep the light out of the bedroom, but I couldn’t find what I wanted.” So she decided to have some made and realised that there was a gap in the market.

www.parikiaki.net – The Newspaper of the Cypriot community in Britain

My very good friend, Janice, appeared in this week’s Dragon’s Den with her business venture ‘Blindsinabox’ and put her pitch to the ‘Dragons’. She text me an hour before it was due to be shown on television on Monday night just to remind me that she was on – how could I forget! Having interviewed Mr. Theo Paphitis and being a fan of the show I never miss it anyway.

So what was it like to be in front of the Dragons? Well Janice tells me that she pitched her business for an hour, but only 10 minutes is shown. That Peter Jones was not exactly in a very good mood that day; in fact she said to him at the end ‘You’ve been bad’ – he smiled at that point. That Theo was smiling all the time and was most pleasant, glad to hear it; we don’t want the Ambassador of our community to show us up! That she was interviewed after the pitch but that was edited out and that yes, it was nerve racking but exciting as well.

So what was offered in the end? She and her partners got £40k with a 40% stake in the business from James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne.

So what has happened since the two Dragons have become part of her company? Well in the last six weeks, she and her partners have had asses to financial advisers; in fact a whole team of back up including business advisers that advise on constructive selling, the aims of a company, the way the goods are packaged and marketed but most importantly they helped to open doors to major department stores – I am not allowed at the moment to say which department stores because the dotted line has not been signed.

Janice has James Caan’s mobile phone number and has met up with him 4 or 5 times in the last 6 weeks – she cannot praise him and Duncan enough. So it is very heartening to know that this is not ‘all made up’. That there is a real business partnership and that there is back up for these small businesses in a big way. I asked her if she had any regrets in handing over so much of her company and her reply was as I thought it would be from this level headed and intelligent woman: ‘It is better to have a small percentage of a very large company then a big percentage in a company that turns over little’.

My last question to her was did she hope to make lots of money out of this? ‘Yes, but it is not just the money that I’m happy with, it is the knowledge that you have succeeded’.

I’ve got to tell you that Janice and myself liked each other the moment we met and we have been good friends ever since and not many people are as proud of her as I am – I told her she could do it and she blooming well has. I used that friendship when my daughter moved into her new flat a couple of months ago and could not afford to buy either curtains or blinds for her home, so I got Janice to fit in the ‘Blinds In A Box’ and they look fabulous – they can last probably up to a year. You just cut them to size and stick them onto your windows; it is as easy as that, even for me who is useless at such things. So if you want to know more, visit Janice’s website www.blindsinabox.co.uk

I don’t get commission, so don’t worry, I just think it’s a brilliant product and well done to James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne for seeing its potential.

Three entrepreneurs from Barnet have won thousands of pounds of investment after braving the hit TV show Dragons’ Den.

Simeone Salik, 67, Janice Dalton, 52 and Dominic Lawrence 38, scooped £40,000 from two of the multi-millionaire dragons for their “instant” window blind business.

During tense negotiations the trio finally agreed to part with 50 per cent of their business in return for investment from tycoons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne.

Simeone, a former PR executive from Mill Hill, Janice, an interior designer from Mill Hill, and importer Dominic from Finchley, teamed up to set up their business Blindsinabox selling, temporary blinds.

The product caught the eye of the investors despite three of the dragons quickly declaring themselves out. As part of the deal the dragons’ stake in the business will fall to 40 per cent on the condition that the three entrepreneurs hit their sales targets.

After the shoe aired on Monday the company’s website was inundated with more than 8,500 hits in just 24 hours.

The product came about after Simeone saw similar blinds in America  but couldn’t find anything like them in the UK.

She said: “We did our best and I think we across as fairly cool. We spent a lot of time preparing and rehearsing, and we have put so much work into what is a terrific product. James Caan is obviously a very successful man and it was quite a compliment that he thought we were good enough. Its only TV but there is a sense of achievement and it was certainly a wonderful feeling getting investment.”

Janice, who runs Imagine Interior Designs in Dawes Lane, Mill Hill, added: “I felt a bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights at some points but I was more worried about seeing it on TV than actually doing it.

“When some of the dragons said they weren’t interested I started thinking that’s it, we’ve had it and we’re going to be going home with out tails between our legs. But it really has opened doors that wouldn’t have been available to us before. Its had a huge impact on business since Monday – the phone just hasn’t stopped ringing.”

For more information on the product visit www.blindsinabox.co.uk

North London Today

By Nick Griffin

St Albans and Harpenden review

An unflappable grandmother won over two fierce investors and took home £40,000 on the TV programme Dragon’s Den last night.

Simeone Salik, 67, who grew up in Oakwood Drive, St Albans, appeared on the seventh series of the programme with her idea of ‘Blindsinabox’.

James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne were both blown away by the simple idea of temporary blinds for new homes.

The pair handed over £20,000 each for a share of 25 per cent of the business, but both will give back five per cent if the business is successful – and Simeone has no doubt it will be.

She said: “I was more nervous about seeing it on TV than actually going on the programme.

“But I was nervous in front of them, you’d be daft not to be but we knew we had a good product.

“It’s not a piece of luck. They are tough. You think you have covered every question they could ask but they come up with something else.

“It was marvellous to get the money. That’s what you go in for so you feel you’ve succeeded.

“Mainly though we wanted to get help and expertise, you can’t have enough of that in a new business.”

The mother of two and grandmother of eight, who used to run her husband’s optometry business, started playing with the idea of a new venture nearly three years ago when she moved house, after spotting something similar a decade before.

Not ready to retire, Simeone decided to go for it and set up the business at the beginning of the year with partners Dominic Lawrence, 38, and Janice Dalton, 51 in Mill Hill, north London.

Both James and Duncan have offered the three ‘great guidance’ and been ‘really helpful’, on hand to answer any questions.

Simeone added: “It shows that anyone can run a business at any age – as long as you have a good product.

“Even as a grandparent you can still be a force.”

Simeone says she will continue running the business as long as she is enjoying it.

In House Beautiful Magazine

If you hate having bare windows while your decorating, moving or waiting for your curtains to be cleaned, Blindsinabox offers an innovative solution. The blinds are made from paper and have an adhesive strip on the back, which simply adheres to your window. They cost just £45 for six blinds and come in a standard size of H183cm x W91.5cm, so you can either cut one to fit or to overlap two blinds for bigger windows. There’s also a blackout version if you need to totally block light from a room. Go to blindsinabox.com for more information.

By Alison Cork for The Observer – Property

Question: I own a business that tailor-makes and alters curtains and dresses windows. This often leaves my clients without a window covering. I would love to be able to offer them an easy temporary solution as most people simply do not have time to put up a ‘back-up’ pair of curtains or set about installing blinds. Perhaps you have some ideas up your sleeve ?

Answer: Blindsinabox.co.uk make recyclable window hangings that are suitable for most properties. In addition to being cheap, they are also easily hung: just peel off the adhesive strip and press it to the wall above the window. One of of six blinds, which can be bought in white for general use or black for blackout.

Having your home decorated and worrying about paint splattered-splattered curtains? Or are you actually waiting for your curtains to arrive?

Maybe you need a quick-fix window treatment for your rental property? Blindsinabox was dreamed up by Simeone Salik when she was looking for a temporary solution for a new house – and found there was nothing on the market. Easy to fit – you cut them to size, and stick on with the inbuilt tape – the blinds are quickly delivered, and you can choose from classic white or black-out black.

By Melanie Dakin of Limited Edition Magazine

Just moved into your new home and worried about people people seeing in? Don’t fret if you’ve not not run up the curtains yet, Simeone Salik has come up with a brilliant idea for maintaining your privacy. Her company, Blindsinabox in Mill Hill, provides cheap temporary blinds that are easy to install and require no tools. Just peel off the adhesive strip and they’re ready to hang, covering bare windows in the blink of an eye.

Very occasionally, a new product comes along that makes you wonder why no one ever thought of it before. Blindsinabox has done just that. Its cheap temporary blinds require absolutely no tools to install – you simply peel of the adhesive strip and hang. Perfect as a temporary cover for bare windows, these reusable, paper blinds have hundreds of other uses. They are ideal for studend pads. a great idea for camping and caravanning  and the black-out version is a must for those travelling with young children. A box of six costs £45.

http://www.blindsinabox.co.uk/

By the Manchester Evening News

Very occasionally, a new product which comes along that makes you wonder why, and how no-one ever thought of it before.

Blindsinabox has done just that. Its cheap, temporary blinds require require absolutely no tools to install – simply peel off the adhesive strip and hang. Perfect as temporary cover for bare windows, these reusable paper blinds have hundreds of other uses to.

They are ideal for student pads, a great idea for camping and caravanning and the black-out version is a must for those travelling with young children. A box of six costs £45. For more details log onto www.blindsinabox.co.uk

By Alison Clark in the Evening Standard – Homes and Property

Whether you have a new home, rental or student accommodation, Blindsinabox are sure to come in handy. Ideal for temporary accommodation, these blinds are instant cheap and recyclable.

Simply peel of the adhesive strip and hang them over your windows for security and privacy.

One box of six blinds costs £45 (plus p&p), available in a choice of white or black. Simple and effective. Call 020 89592016, or visit www.blindsinabox.co.uk. Instant blinds from Blindsinabox

By Lucy Searle – Channel 4 blog

Every now and then I come across a new product that’s so simple and so clever, that I think to myself, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’ Answer: because I’m not clever enough. It happened this week when someone someone sent me some Blindsinabox, temporary paper window coverings for people who have just moved house, are renovating but still need privacy, or, I suppose, need a super-cheap alternative to the real thing.

Imagine yourself as a child making a fan out of a piece of paper by folding it this way, then that. Blindsinabox are essentially that, with a bit of sticky back plastic (as they say on Blue Peter) to stick them to the top window and a couple of peg-like clips to fold them during the day. They come in white or black(out) in a standard with of 91.5cm, and can be overlapped for a bigger window or cut for a smaller one.

Better still, there are no tools needed, they’re durable, reusable and recyclable. Mine have gone up in the bathroom – for some reason my other half is convinced the neighbours have binoculars trained on his evening bath, so they were a must – and I’ll probably pass them on to my kids to draw on when I’ve finished with them. A box of six plans costs just £45 (plus p&p) including clips. For those of you looking for the real thing, we’ll have a new blinds buyers’ guide up later. I’m off now to invent a bumper for my car that reforms itself every time I hit the trolley stand at Ikea, which for some reason seems to have become a regular event.