My Buzz

Being chosen by Theo Paphitis as one of his #SBS winners is a fantastic feeling! The warm welcome and support we've received from past winners has been amazing. We feel privileged to be part of the #SBS family!

My Bio

Cath and Dean Atkins have Dean's clients to thank for providing the inspiration behind Ickle Bockles.

Dean has owned hairdressing salons for the past 25 years. During that time Dean’s clients repeatedly requested smaller bottles of salon professional shampoos and conditioners to take on holiday. Apart from the occasional promotion, the salon shampoos and conditioners were only available in standard size bottles

Subsequently, when the airlines reduced the amount of liquids that could be carried on board planes to 100ml in light of events of 9/11, Dean decided to source some good quality screw top 100ml bottles to sell within his salon which proved incredibly popular with his clients.

Having worked in Marketing for many years, Cath quickly saw the potential to brand and sell their bottles to a wider audience and set up www.icklebockles.co.uk . The range was expanded to include different size bottles and pots, travel accessories and, more recently, their own range of 100% natural travel size toiletries.

My Business Tips

Be consistent! Know who you are, what your goals and values are and what you want to achieve.

Ensure you give the very best customer service at all times. We like to know who our customers are and what they like about us. We understand how customers who like our products and service can become great Brand ambassadors - spreading the word to others about what we’ve got to offer.

Ask for regular feedback and when you get it - act upon it!

Make sure your Brand is visible - we regularly send product samples and press releases to magazines and newspapers and, as a result, we have been very lucky to secure some fantastic editorial coverage. Never underestimate the power of online media. Have a great Facebook page and (of course) utilise Twitter! We find social media is a fantastic way to build relationships and create awareness of our Brand.

It helps to have a great name or logo that is recognisible and relates to your product. We happen to love our Brand name but we are aware it certainly does divide opinion!

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