Realising her vision took one entrepreneur to the brink of her personal and financial resources.
| Entrepreneur |
Linda Lowndes, Managing Director |
| Company |
Microskin International |
| Business type |
Simulated skin applications for skin conditions |
| Founded |
2004 |
| Employees |
Five |
| Head office |
Brisbane, Australia |
| Contact details |
+61 7 3260 6125 |
Key Learning Points |
|
Faith
Sometimes it just takes raw faith in your vision and its benefit to get you through tough times.
Credibility
To build a credible image for a new business or product, you need to associate with experts and other people who already have credibility.
|
The Microskin International Story
Linda Lowndes was a professional make-up artist and passionate about working with colours and textures. Her expertise lead to work for films such as Peter Pan and Lord of the Rings. But Linda felt she could use her skills to improve the lives of people suffering from the social stigma of skin conditions such as birth marks, burns and scars.
Linda's research began in 1997 after she was deeply moved by a story about children whose confidence was severely affected by disfiguring skin conditions. As a make-up artist, she knew the limitations of cosmetics and was determined to develop something more effective. She became obsessed with her mission, which ultimately lead her to develop a spray-on product - Microskin.
Linda's path to success has been long and hard. Her lack of a medical or science degree meant she had to overcome a credibility gap to have her product accepted. But in the past three years, the business has grown to a turnover of $250,000 and has a staff of five.
Linda sees patients at a clinic in Brisbane where she scans their skin and then formulates a spray-on simulated skin, which can last up to several days depending on where it is applied. Patients are taught how to prepare their skin and apply the spray so that it will bond to the epidermal layer.
The Challenge
To gain research funds and win support and recognition from the medical profession without having formal qualifications in either medicine or science.
The Solution
In order to survive the draining quest to develop Microskin, Linda had to sustain her belief that the right product could transform peoples' lives. Her commitment to developing Microskin bordered on obsession. "I held on, I prayed, and I believed in myself even when nobody else did."
Linda began to work with a semi-retired industrial chemist, Les Pascoe, and a colour specialist, David Mulligin. They helped Linda realise her dream. During her work with David, Linda wrote a software program that could produce a colour-correcting formula for discoloured skin. In 2004, Linda formed her company Microskin International.
Linda developed a marketing package - including a DVD she filmed herself - to promote the product. In early 2004, it was sent to more than 250 dermatologists and media outlets. The response was not encouraging.
The experience of being dismissed by many medical practitioners infuriated Linda, but did not dampen her determination. Eventually she persuaded Professor Roy Kimble of the burns unit at the Brisbane Royal Children's Hospital to conduct a trial into the psychological benefits of using Microskin for children, their families and peers.
The trial was done in conjunction with the University of Queensland's Department of Psychiatry and was completed in July 2006. But it cost Linda $70,000 to help fund the research. The results were invaluable. Some 85% of children reported that their scars looked "much better" or "better" with Microskin. The findings were presented at the Annual International Burns Video Conference involving audiences in the USA, Canada, China, Asia-Pacific and Australasia and at the Australia and New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA) in Sydney in September, 2006.
In 2005, Microskin International was granted a Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) grant of $64,000 from AusIndustry. It provided a business advisor who helped Linda to bring in people with expertise in accountancy and marketing and to develop a business and marketing plan. The COMET funding was also used to improve management skills through training courses and to secure the company's intellectual property.
Microskin International's business plan includes opening clinics Australia-wide and overseas. So far, Linda has established a temporary clinic at Concord Hospital's burns unit in Sydney and is setting up a clinic in Richmond, Melbourne. Her international representation has been granted to investment bank, Gramercy Venture Advisors. She is negotiating licensing agreements with the Samsung Seoul Hospital in South Korea and the Bestian Medical Centre which operates five burns hospitals in Seoul.
The Result
Linda's commitment to inventing a formula was all-consuming, and she admits, her health suffered. At her lowest point, she says that she became pale, thin and silent. But her determination is paying off.
She works from a clinic in Brisbane, runs temporary clinics in Melbourne and Sydney, and is in the process of negotiating overseas sales in South Korea, Japan and China. The company is projecting a turnover of $3 million for 2007-08.
Her work has also been recognised with a Telstra business award. She was the state and national winner of the 2006 AMP Innovation Award and the national winner of the Australian Government Business Innovation Award.