From Cotton Buds to iPhone Apps
As extremely busy makeup artists and business women, Hil Cook and Ange Duncan have worked on numerous film sets, run their own salon, have two products on the go and on top of that are both full time mums. “Like many other woman we knew that we needed to become way more efficient of our time and more planet friendly in this process, but we didn’t know how” Says Hil.
For Hil and Ange the light bulb moments for both their products happened out of desperation to meet their immediate needs. “Both the iPhone App and the Solution Buds help make our team more efficient at our jobs and put us at the top of our game!”
“Up until now, continuity documentation in film and TV, has been an arduous task that involves printing of photos and hours of notes to write up at the end of an already exhausting day,” says Hil. This time consuming but essential task led to the idea of an iPhone App for continuity documentation for film and TV. “The idea of developing the Continuity App came to us when Hil was working on “Cardinal”, a trailer for a video game. This was the solution we’d been looking for, fast, efficient and saving our beautiful planet” Says Ange.
However they soon realised the cost of developing the App was way out of their league. “We were sitting in the waiting room of the wonderful Creative HQ, when we noticed a newspaper article up on the wall of two handsome young men who had been developing their own iPhone Apps. We soon realised these handsome young men were sitting right across from us!” says Ange. “Long story short they took our project on board and helped us secure funding from Tech NZ. They were Matt and Brady Thomas from Deal Junkie, and they have been wonderful!”
The Continuity App isn’t the only project these two have been busy working on. They also have another product that Hil designed - Hil Cook Solution Buds. The solution buds are a fast and easy way to touch up or remove make up. “They are vitamin E, ground root ginger and aloe vera cleanser, vacuumed sealed in the stem of a cotton bud. They and are truly genius! (If we do say so ourselves),” says Hil.
But things haven’t always been smooth sailing “We had been struggling for about six months and with the encouragement from David Meo (CEO Lower Hutt Chamber of Commerce) we entered, and won, the Her Business Awards for best new business. From there, doors opened and Grow Wellington called us. We are artists first and foremost, so business felt like a foreign country. Grow Wellington gave us contacts and advice and set a fire in our bellies again,” says Ange
Grow Wellington put Hil and Ange in front of Creative HQ – Wellington’s business incubator. “They spoke in a language that we could understand and encouraged us to keep dreaming big. Because of this, - Hil Cook Solution Buds and our iPhone application, have turned from just ‘ideas’ to reality, says Hil.
The 2011 Bright Ideas Challenge saw Hil and Ange walk away with the ‘Brightest Idea –iPhone Application Category’ for their Continuity App. “This was a terrifying yet phenomenal experience,” says Ange “it moved us completely out of our comfort zone, but as a result of the Challenge we have had potential investors contact us, and have been connected with KEA. We’ve also had an offer from an international company to be business partners”
“We would encourage anyone who has an idea in regards to business to go directly to Grow Wellington, The Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Creative HQ. These businesses are set up to help you achieve more that you possibly thought, says Hil.