Smart shoehorn took Anette to Paris and the Dragon's Nest

Anette Andersson, creator of the quirky shoe horn WALLi, has had an inspiring journey. Since the idea stage in 2020, she has created a prototype and finished product, pitched in Draknästet and Paris, found retailers and created a webshop.

The practical shoehorn WALLi - which is impossible to lose - is now available in design and interior design stores, hotel rooms, fitting rooms and gyms.
- "The idea was born fifteen years ago when I was annoyed that I couldn't find a shoehorn when I was trying on clothes in the fitting room. One day when I saw how the hose reel at home rolled back the water hose itself, I had the solution - a shoehorn with a wall mount and extendable wire," says Anette, who runs the company Crave Design with a partner.

Anette Andersson grabbed her idea in 2020 and started sketching a prototype. She joined BizMaker's incubator program in 2021. In August 2022, the first products were ready and the webshop opened.

- Since I quit my job, I spent a lot of time at BizMaker's office in Sundsvall. There I participated in Monday breakfasts, workshops and also found my partner who is now the production manager, Johan Sarskog.

WALLi is now available in ten different colors with a wall plate in four optional colors. In production, Crave Design has strived for sustainability in all dimensions. The shoe horn is made from recycled waste material from birch and metal, the cardboard comes from local recycled paper, and those who assemble and pack work at a socially sustainable company.
The time in the incubator program took Anette to Paris and Europe's largest interior design fair, Maison&Objet.

- The days in Paris were fantastic! I met hotels and interior designers and had an interpreter with me when I showed the product. That whole trip is a memory for life. BizMaker supported me both with my Paris trip and in the development of the graphic profile and packaging design. They have been there and encouraged me throughout the journey.

Thanks to WALLi, Anette Andersson has become a well-known face in Sundsvall. She has given lectures, appeared in the media and been active in her own social channels.

- I am so proud of myself! It is a tough job to get a product on the market and it has involved traveling around Sweden with visits to hotels, profile product sellers and interior design stores. I have said yes to everything - ten times out of ten.

In the fall of 2023, Anette participated in SVT's series Draknästet, after an application in several stages.

- Unfortunately, there was no investment from the dragons even though everyone was very positive. But I'm not depressed about it. It was an exciting experience to be involved and I'm glad I dared to take on this challenge. What did not make it into the broadcast was that one of the five dragons, Shervin Razani, became interested in buying WALLi for his hotel rooms and there is currently a dialogue going on. After the program, several retailers also actively contacted me to sell the shoe horn.

Anette is currently building on the company's web shop and is investing relentlessly in the future. Among other things, with the help of branding.

- Right now we have many Christmas gift orders from companies that give the shoe horn as a gift to employees and customers. WALLi is perfect as a profile product as it is possible to print the logo and message both on the shoehorn itself and on the cup.

When Anette sums up her journey, she gets serious for a moment and says that she has changed as a person. She quit her job to pursue her dream and, with the support of her partner, she has made it through the recession, grief in the family and supply problems due to war.

- I have become even stronger and feel that I can handle anything. Many others also think I have been tough and praise me for my courage. When someone says, "You are my role model!" you get really happy.

Here you can see Anette's pitch in the Dragon's Nest: