Innovative Ideas Ltd., has outgrown its humble trading business roots in the last two years to emerge as a unique supplier of specialised merchandise. Living up to its company motto - “products for a better tomorrow”, it aims to provide customers with a wide range of imaginative and exclusive products. Among its wide spectrum, the company supplies inspired kitchenware and personal care goods.

Based in Hong Kong, Innovative Ideas is now a major supplier of “As Seen on TV” products, with branch offices in Guangzhou and Ningbo of China. The company provides both OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) products. “Many of our customers bring their product-design concepts to us, asking us to ‘breathe life’ into their visions. We are also proud to have our own ODM products which make people’s lives easier,” says Mr. Sunil Hemnani, the director of Innovative Ideas.

When asked how the company became involved in the “As Seen on TV” business, Mr. Hemnani tells MegAsia that he and his staff started mainly with kitchenware. “It was very much a case of being in the right place at the right time. We were involved in supplying a wide range of kitchenware products to a client in New York, when they asked us to develop a product for them which was eventually advertised and sold on television. From the start there was an immediate buzz around the product, the order quantity, the fast pace of manufacturing, the care and diligence that went into the packaging and quality control – I knew this was an industry I wanted to be a part of. I knew I had to learn more, and so I basically started by traveling, and visiting trade shows primarily in the US. We took the time to study the most suitable product lines for this promotional channel, especially how the product marketing and TV advertising were carried out. Our primary success came with kitchenware, then personal care, DIY, electronics and so on,” Mr. Hemnani continues.

Innovative Ideas now supplies a wide array of sophisticated products, which come with a highly desirable attribute. “To put it simply, our products make people’s life easier. They help people save time, money and energy,” the director states. The 5-bladed SHREDDER scissors is cited as a case in point. Around the globe, individuals are at risk of identity theft, particularly when credit card receipts, and utility bills are not properly discarded. With the SHREDDER scissors, just in one swift motion, you can shred away confidential information before tossing it into the waste. “Our houseware gadgets are multi-functional, and the personal products put people at ease.” Mr. Hemnani adds.

The multi-function steamer set perfectly exemplifies how multi-functional Innovative Ideas’ products are. It can be used to tidy up the toilet; wash the sink in the kitchen and clean the car as well as the windows. As a bonus, it can also be transformed into an iron for your clothes!

There are all-in-one products. The Mega Trim and the Beautify Trimmers best illustrate these. Serving as a powerful sleek trimmer, goatee trimmer, eyebrow shaper, the gadget comes with a trim guard, a velour pouch, and of course an extra blade! Another example is the Kitchen Wizard, which is a 6-in-1 cooking tool! “Our 6-in-1 ‘kitchen magician’ allows you to grip and flip juicy burgers, serve and toss salads, strain pasta and whisk eggs. It is an amazing device that has simplified the lives of millions,” Mr. Hemnani says.

Catering to the growing demand for ergonomic products, Innovative Ideas places great emphasis on the overall aesthetic value of their products. Ergonomics is a science that takes human physical and cognitive forms into consideration with product design in a bid to enhance its function and user-friendliness, thus reducing possible injuries during use. “Just like the knives’ handles, they are ergonomic if they are designed to suit the hand shape of users. And for personal care items, beautify trimmers and tweezers are designed small and delicate, to cater for women who tend to have smaller hands,” Mr. Hemnani explains.

Mr. Hemnani attributes the success of his company to the correct selection of markets. He points out that sometimes, even with an excellent product, it may not succeed because of a poor market choice or inappropriate selection of partners. Then, he goes on to stress the importance of high quality products which meet industry standards. For their electrical appliances, Innovative Ideas take serious steps to ensure the products fully meet the requirements of internationally-recognised certificates. By the same token, other products such as kitchenware, toys and house ware are all compliant with international standards.

To cope with intense competition in today’s highly globalised market, Innovative Ideas constantly comes up with new product designs. “We have our merchandisers and product designers visit a vast number of trade shows worldwide to observe and take the pulse of the industry trends. Only by coming up with new product ideas and innovative designs on our own can we differentiate our products in the market,” reiterates Mr. Hemnani.

Aside from product development, Innovative Ideas has been injecting huge amounts in upgrading packaging to make their products stand out from their competitors. Their sharp, eye-catching packaging impresses both current and potential customers.

The director continues to tell the success story of the Beautify Ladies Facial Trimmer and the Mega Trim. “Our success comes from having great quality at an affordable price. The products were marketed through the right channels when the time was ripe. The Beautify Trimmer did so well that QVC UK, a multi-national corporation specialising in televised home shopping, sold more than 20,000 units in just one day as a Today’s Special Value,” Mr. Hemnani recalls.

Innovative Ideas does not manufacture products on its own. Instead, it cooperates with trustworthy quality manufacturers who are experienced in production in Mainland China. “What we own is intellectual property. Once we have the designs we search for manufacturers who are highly capable of manufacturing the products professionally. We have offices in Guangzhou and Ningbo. Our staff there visit dozens of factories to select those with excellent facilities, good working conditions and welfare for workers, and most important of all, sufficient expertise and experience in production,” claims Mr. Hemnani.

To ensure the end products are of superior quality, Innovative Ideas monitors the different production stages stringently. Its quality control teams check the quality of the products as well as final packaging. “Most of our projects are conducted in-house by factories we have carefully selected. If there is any out-sourcing, an investigation is carried out to check whether the outsourced parts meet our standards.”

Currently, Innovative Ideas exports to over 40 countries around the world. Among them, their main shipments go to the US, followed by Europe, South America and South East Asia.

As a major supplier of “As seen on TV” products, Innovative Ideas makes excellent use of television as a key marketing channel. “We are now growing into producing our own TV commercials in the US to advertise products around the globe via key DRTV (Direct Response Television) partners.

Looking ahead, Innovative Ideas ponders on plans to start up retail sales in Hong Kong in collaboration with leading retailers. Possessing the marketing expertise in TV ad production, the company hopes to gain exposure for its products in the city.

“While holding onto this vision for tomorrow, exporting still remains as our core business focus. We will continue in the spirit of innovation, bringing to market extraordinary products for a better tomorrow!” concludes Mr. Hemnani.