The Story of Essential Aids: How It All Began

Alex Wrenn
13 Feb 2025

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In 2004, Essential Aids was created with a simple but powerful idea: helping people with mobility challenges get the equipment they need - without the struggle of leaving home. What started as a personal mission quickly grew into something bigger, proving that accessibility, choice, and convenience could make all the difference.

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Making Life Easier for Those Who Need It Most

Essential Aids was born in 2004, but the idea took root a couple of years earlier.

I had friends whose elderly parents were struggling to find the right equipment to stay independent. Mobility shops weren’t always easy to get to, and even if you could, the selection was often pretty limited. It became clear to me - there were people out there who needed help finding the right aids without the hassle of leaving home.

At the time, online shopping was nothing like it is today. For those with mobility issues, the ability to order essential aids from home wasn’t just convenient - it was life-changing.

Bringing Mobility Aids Online

Back then, disability equipment was mostly sold through local mobility retailers, which had two big challenges:

• Getting there - If you struggled with mobility, even reaching the store could be a problem.
• Limited stock - Small shops could only carry so much, meaning fewer choices.

I realised that selling mobility aids online would solve both these problems - offering a bigger selection, at better prices, delivered straight to people’s doors.

One of the very first products we ever sold is still in our store today, and I love that it’s such a bright, cheerful one!
Cup with Temperature-Regulated Lid

Convincing Suppliers to Try Something New

To get started, I reached out to big suppliers - companies that usually only sold in bulk to the NHS - and persuaded them to send smaller orders directly to customers.

At the time, no one was really talking about drop-shipping, but that’s exactly what it was. Some suppliers took a lot of convincing, but a few took a chance on me. Thankfully, it worked! The business started slowly, but within a couple of years, we were ordering in larger volumes and still work with some of those same companies today.

Building the Essential Aids Website

I built the Essential Aids website from my bedroom, adding products one by one, in the evenings and on weekends.

For a long time, I was juggling this alongside a full-time job, and honestly, the company made almost no money at first. But slowly, we picked up steam, and eventually, I faced that moment all new business owners do: take the leap, or keep it as a side project?

In 2004, I took the leap, and I’ve never looked back.

Still Here, Still Growing

Fast forward to 2025, and Essential Aids is still helping people stay independent, just like I imagined all those years ago.

It hasn’t always been easy, but I still believe in what we do - and I still insist that Essential Aids is the best mobility aids company on the internet!