Exclusive:
Identical twin sisters who juggle their manicure gadget business with the school run are selling out after appearing on the BBC show – even though the investors rejected them
As identical twins and entrepreneurs Carrie Salmon and Tori Deely prepare for the Christmas rush, they are giving thanks to some semi-mythical figures. No, not Santa and his elves but the BBC’s feared multi-millionaire investors, the Dragons.
The sisters, 42, from West London, may not have raised the investment of £60k for 35 per cent of the business that they had hoped for when they appeared on Dragons’ Den in April, but they have been stunned by the impact of simply being one of the show’s contestants. When Carrie, Tori and their families gathered around their screen to watch their episode in which they showcased their patented portable nail-painting station, Nailpad, sales started almost immediately.
“Within five seconds we got a ‘bing’ on our website and throughout the segment our sales were coming through,” says Carrie. “We sold out that night and then went straight to pre-orders. Then we were on the phone to the manufacturer again to fulfil the pre-orders. Our average sales fluctuate a lot but even if you took our best month within the last year prior to Dragons’ Den, the sales increase is still over 1,000 per cent post Dragons’ Den,” she adds.
Nail influencers including nail artist Kirsty Meakin, Wears My Money’s Kate Hiscox and Carly Media Make Up (who used Nailpad on Helen Skelton) are also fans of their product and the twins are about to feature on the shopping channel ShopOnTV (on ITV and Freeview Channel 89) from mid November.
Carrie and Tori are delighted, especially as the business – which they run around the kitchen table during school hours (they have five primary-school age children between them) – came about thanks to a ‘eureka’ moment. Ten years ago Tori was sitting on the sofa, painting her nails when she overshot her fingers with the varnish and ruined a pair of jeans.
“I have a history of spilling nail varnish – on the floor, and once on my parents’ antique table. I thought, ‘oh my gosh, there has to be a better way of doing this,’ she recalls. “I thought, wouldn’t it be good if you had a round flat surface, with a fold-out fin that could go between your legs so it rests safe and secure on your knees. I jumped up and sketched it out on paper.”
Carrie picks up the story. “We were living in Hong Hong but over the phone Tori said, ‘I have to run this by you.’ She told me about her idea and I felt a sense of excitement. I thought, ‘wow’. My husband’s background was in product so he set out to find a good designer.”
Tori’s husband Joe mocked up a wooden prototype of what became the Nailpad and the sisters conducted market research, asking friends and family how they painted their nails at home and what issues they faced. After testing a few different versions, they finally landed on their final version of Nailpad, a simple foldable plastic disc that you can rest on your knees, a table (or the floor if you’re doing your toes) to catch any splashes of polish, protecting your clothes and surfaces during your home mani. It also has an indent (or well?) to hold a bottle of nail varnish.
By 2019 they were ready for market, but within months the country was in lockdown. “But everyone was at home, and our product was there to help people do their nails at home,” says Carrie, who works in marketing, while Tori’s experience lies in HR. “A lot of people kept saying to us that we should go on Dragon’s Den. And we thought, what have we got to lose? We’ve been going for a few years and we wanted to go to the next level. We wanted the partnerships and mentoring from the Dragons.”
Tori adds, “We ummed and ahhed and it was in the background for a while. But everyone kept telling us to do it, even people we didn’t know. We had a stall at a Christmas market and a lady came up and said, “you should do Dragons’ Den.” They applied, were accepted, and called in to film in June 2023.
“I panic-bought an outfit on the morning of filming,” Carrie laughs. “In the Den we gave everyone a Nailpad and a polish. Sara Davies and Deborah Meaden used it and helped demonstrate the product to the other Dragons. They all gave us ideas to talk about and think about – licensing, partnerships, collaborations, there was something from all of them,” says Carrie.
But they received extra support from an unexpected quarter. “Touker Suleyman was brilliant. He told us to come and meet his team. We met up with him and he gave us feedback and some business pointers to help us get to the next level.”
When the sisters found out their airdate – and realised they’d be in Austria together on a family skiing holiday – they had only a few weeks to prepare. “We didn’t know what would happen but we hoped we’d get more sales so we called our manufacturers in Malaysia,” says Carrie. “We managed to stream the show on our laptop,” Tori adds. “From that five minutes of TV time we’ve gained new customers, international sales and a new demographic – men and women buying Nailpad as gifts.”
But the real joy for Tori and Carrie is working together. “It feels really natural and fun,” says Carrie. “We’ve got each other’s backs and we’re very much in tune. A look says a lot between us. There’s nothing like celebrating the highs together – you can’t beat it.”
So what’s their advice for other entrepreneurs going on Dragons’ Den? “Don’t forget to breathe” says Carrie. And don’t feel bitter if you don’t get the Dragon’s cash. “We felt so fortunate to be part of the experience that coming away with any form of investment, whether that was money or a partnership, felt like we had achieved.”
“And enjoy it,” adds Tori. “It was the most amazing experience so embrace it as it’s once in a lifetime – no regrets.”
For more information visit nailpad.co.uk or visit @nailpad at Instagram and TikTok
