In this spotlight, we chatted with Isabelle Richardson, founder of SealStop. Isabelle and her husband came up with the idea while working on their farm, where they found themselves wasting water every time they filled and moved containers for daily tasks and their horses. Creating and producing SealStop in the UK was a key priority for them, helping to reduce their environmental impact while offering an affordable, high quality water saving solution.
Tell us about your business!
We're the inventors and founders of SealStop, an award winning water saving device that attaches to your hosepipe and automatically shuts off the flow when the water reaches your desired level. This helps you reduce water waste and fill containers without needing to constantly monitor them so you can get on with other tasks.
The idea came from personal experience. We often found ourselves overfilling buckets and containers if we got distracted, which caused messy spills and wasted water. It was bad for our surroundings and from a sustainability point of view. After searching online and realising nothing like this existed, we decided to invent it ourselves.
Personally, I left my job as an NHS radiographer just over a year ago to bring SealStop to life. The launch went really well and we're continuing to grow as a business.
What is your main challenge and how do you overcome it?
Our biggest challenge is consumer education. SealStop is a brand new product from a brand new company and there's nothing quite like it on the market. That means our main focus is helping people understand why they need it, how it saves them money on water bills and how it helps protect our planet’s limited freshwater resources.
It's surprising how little most of us think about our daily water use. Since leaving radiography, I've found a new way to help people by raising awareness and creating a product that makes a real difference to how we use water.
What advice would you give to businesses like yours?
Networking is key. The more people you talk to about your product and your story the better. People connect with people and we've been blown away by the kindness and support we've received just by sharing our journey. Opening up about your challenges often leads to new ideas, fresh perspectives and opportunities you might never have expected.
How do you make your customers feel special and understood?
We focus on excellent customer service and love it when customers reach out to share ideas or discuss future products. At the moment we only sell one product so many customers buy it and move on. Building ongoing relationships helps us understand what people want and need. That insight helps us improve our products and support our customers in reducing water waste in a more sustainable way.
What print products do you order from us, and how have they brought you success?
We regularly order business cards. Networking events and investment pitches are a big part of what we do and having high quality cards helps us make a strong first impression. They reflect our commitment to quality and that's exactly how we want our brand to be perceived.
What are your top print tips for other creators and businesses?
Be relatable and stay on top of trends. Make sure everything you print stands out from the noise and clearly shows what makes you unique. Think about what makes people stop and want to know more. The world moves fast so your designs need to be impactful, eye catching and memorable.
Why do you use print marketing alongside digital marketing?
There's something special about holding something tangible, something digital marketing can't replicate. Print is a physical reminder of your brand. While social media links can be forgotten, a business card is something people keep, share and see again later. Whether it's in their wallet, on their desk or tucked in a drawer, your brand stays with them.
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