IdentiKids Children's ID cards

We find out what made them decide to start their own business, how they got it off the ground, the obstacles they’ve overcome and the barriers they still face. We’ll look at their hopes and aspirations for the future, and then, in six months time, we’ll go back and find out how they’re getting on.

Name: Nadine Lewis
Age: 33
Business: IdentiKids
Type of business: Children’s ID and Medical Emergency Cards
Start date: Company Formed August 2002. Launch Date 1 November 2002

When did you first decide you wanting start your own business?

Prior to and between children, I worked in Human Resources as an Advisor and then Manager. I returned to work following the birth of my first daughter 5 years ago, however, following the birth of my twins 2 ½ years ago, I decided it was not financially viable to return to work due to the cost of child care. I therefore set up a business as a Virtual Assistant and HR Consultant (Virtual Admin Solutions).

IdentiKids Limited was formed two years later.

Tell us about your business

The IdentiKids Children’s ID and Medical Emergency card attaches discretely to a child’s car seat to provide the emergency services with vital information on a child in the event of an accident.

The IdentiKids card carries the following information:

• Emergency contact telephone numbers (up to 4 numbers)
• Medical facts: relevant illnesses, disabilities, allergies and blood group
• Brief Description and recent photo of the child

It also provides signed authorisation for emergency procedures.

• The credit card style card is a discrete size and is held in a plastic wallet that sticks to the child’s car seat.
• It comes with a prominent red sticker that can be stuck to a car window. This will alert Emergency services to the existence of the card.
• To protect the child the card does not carry a home address.
• The PVC card, which is printed using our special ID card printer is heat, shock and scratch resistant.

The idea for the cards came after a friend of mine had a non-serious accident. This must have played on my mind because at 2.00 am that night I came up with the basic concept for the cards and even registered the name there and then over the internet!

Was your decision to start a business inspired by any other companies or individuals?

My inspiration comes from the natural feeling of wanting to protect my children. It is a very frightening thought not to be able to “speak” for your children in any situation, particularly in a potentially life-threatening situation such as a serious car accident. This card addresses those natural anxieties of “not being there” that many parents experience from time to time.

What makes you think there’s a market for your business?

Right now there isn’t a market for cards of this nature, it is a major challenge that my Company faces – to create an awareness of the cards and to show there is a “real” need for the information the cards hold to be available for rescue personnel.
Statistics show in 2001 there were over 300,000 casualties on Britain's Roads and almost 5,000 children were killed or seriously injured.
(Source: National Statistics Office)

Nobody likes to think that this would happen to them, but it does and I am trying to take people out of their comfort zone and to just plan ahead a little – “just in case”.

I have to cater to the two sides of the business, creating a market for the cards with parents who will be purchasing them and creating awareness with those that will be using the information provided on the cards. Both sides are equally important.

I am therefore undertaking a massive “awareness campaign” by sending out information on the cards to every police, fire and ambulance station, key members of the NHS (and particularly those with responsibility for clinical governance) and also to MPs with relevant portfolios.