How a childhood idea became an award winning gardening gadget with global sales

The seed for Nick Skaliotis’ idea for a product that makes gardening activities easier was planted when he was a young boy. Years later, he worked on that idea and Kikka Digga, a garden fork and spade digging attachment that helps to prevent back pain, was born.

Nick shares the story behind his invention, selling his product on Amazon’s online store and how the Amazon Small Business Accelerator has boosted his entrepreneurial skills.

The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in over 200 bitesize videos.

If you’re already an Enterprise Nation member, log in to your learning dashboard. If you’re not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.

How did you come up with your business idea?

“I had the idea for adding a levered foot pedal onto garden forks and spades when I was tasked with weeding my dad's allotment for pocket money as a boy. I found digging laborious and a pain.

“Step forward into the future I took my idea around the inventor circuits where I learned about product development. From there I contacted a local blacksmith who fabricated a prototype. It was heavy, extremely expensive and hard to manufacture.

“I then attended a manufacturing trade show in Farnborough where I met my current manufacturer who I've worked with to develop what is now a consumer ‘hort-tech’ product.

“I sold sample runs online to market test. I discovered there was a market, but it wasn't a smooth ride. Upgrades and tweaks to the functions were required after customer reviews made me think outside the box.

“Today, Kikka Digga is sold on Amazon and growing by the day. Strong intellectual property (IP) has protected Kikka Digga and will allow for international growth. Not bad for someone who started out in a leaky garden shed!

"I went from being a shed inventor to a global seller of professionally endorsed hort-tech professionally endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society and Design Council. If I can do it then so can anyone with enough drive and determination. All manufacturing is kept in the UK which creates jobs for the local economy. It’s also a solution for people with physical ailments such as arthritis to get back into gardening.”

What start-up challenges have you faced?

“Cash flow, like for most innovators, has been a challenge, I worked three jobs to finance the prototyping and pay for the IP protection. Recently, counterfeiters targeted my product online, but with strong granted IP due to early foresight, I kept them at bay and got them removed from sites such as Amazon.”

How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your business?

“The irony of the pandemic was that it allowed my business access to the UK government’s Bounce Back Loan facility. Never before has a loan been so helpful to grow without the immediate repayment pressures.

“Gardening was an on-trend hobby increasing ten-fold over the pandemic. Sales of my product went through the roof but obtaining secondary components from UK suppliers turned out to be impossible. We looked abroad, which was when a four-month shipping delay hit us. No parts meant no products. Since then, we have stocked high in parts and are ready to scale.”

What's your strategy for selling on Amazon’s online store and what advice would you give to other business owners?

“Our strategy for making a success of selling on Amazon is to make our content as clear and concise as possible as well as engaging and not tedious to read. Video content is very important if you have a product that is both functioning and unusual.

“Expanding outside of Amazon is also key by creating as much brand and product awareness as possible. We are now looking into our social media strategy to use influencers, vloggers etc who can showcase our product which will direct customers to Amazon.

“Amazon is a virtual high street that plays an important role in allowing shoppers to your products. Reviews and feedback are sometimes the driving factor in a customer's purchasing decision.”

How has the Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme benefited your business?

“The how to advertise your products on Amazon module has been a great help. I was able to fine tune the PPC campaigns which in turn led to an increase in brand awareness. Customers on Amazon aren’t actively searching for our product as most people don't know it even exists. Using Amazon sponsored products allowed my listing to be escalated up the search results and seen amongst other commonly known gardening tools. It is a great platform to be on.”

Which other entrepreneurs inspire you and why?

“I’m inspired by entrepreneurs such as Duncan Bannatyne. He didn’t have a trust fund to invest with and is a true Del Boy type character in the truest sense of entrepreneurial spirit. I had to work various jobs, including playing Santa Claus at Gatwick and Heathrow Airports, to purchase equipment and prototypes. I invested all my earnings back into the business. I made sacrifices and commitments, missing out on holidays and other goodies to keep the end goal in sight.”

What are your top tips for business success?

“Try to bootstrap in the early days. Most tasks will go over budget if you're developing a hardware product.

“Doing everything yourself will only get you so far so outsourcing is the way forward.

“Freelancer websites, inventor clubs and Enterprise Nation offer a wealth of resources.”

The free Amazon Small Business Accelerator e-learning programme is advice from more than 30 business experts in over 200 bitesize videos.

If you’re already an Enterprise Nation member, log in to your learning dashboard. If you’re not an Enterprise Nation member, you can join the Amazon Small Business Accelerator for free here.