Article on InventionStories.com

Posted by Caroline Olah on Jan 4th 2014

Hello, My name is Caroline Olah, and I am the creator/inventor of the Little Viper Pepper Spray Bracelet- the world’s FIRST and ONLY FASHION pepper spray bracelet. I hope you can take just a minute to view the product at www.LittleViper.com

I think this is such a valuable idea for everyone and could help save lives!

How it all started:

I have two daughters, ages 15 and 12. Dropping them off at the local mall isn’t the same as when I was their age. There’s always the risk of danger so I would give them a small can of pepper spray. However, the cans on the market are ones you have to hold in your hand. Inevitably, they would have to put them in their purse or sweatshirt pocket- thus, if someone attacked them out of nowhere, they wouldn’t be able to even use them! Pepper spray on the market (before the Little Viper) was only a viable option if you had it in your hand and were ready with it. Thus, I decided to design a pepper spray bracelet. I wanted something that also looked fashionable so people would enjoy wearing it while it servped a dual purpose of function and fashion. Furthermore, I knew that most pepper spray products on the market are cumbersome- resulting in many people not wanting to carry them.

The Little Viper is something that can be worn anywhere at any time, without anyone even knowing you’re carrying pepper spray. Think about it: would you ever bring a small can of pepper spray on a blind date or while shopping at the mall and keep it in your hand the entire time “just in case”? Probably not. But now, you can wear this adjustable fashion bracelet and nobody will know you’re carrying pepper spray- truly “ready at a moment’s notice”. The Little Viper is a self-defense item that is aimed at allowing the victim just a little bit of time to escape, alert others to help, and give the victim a ‘chance’ to get out of the situation unharmed. It’s intended to be that ‘extra help’ you need when danger arrives.

You can view it in action on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K58XVsAoIlM

I am a Chicagoland/NW Indiana resident and was featured in the local NW Indiana, The Times; http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/four-seasons-woman-invents-little-viper-pepper-spray-bracelet/article_55d922ea-38db-50b6-8afa-88567e062fe7.html . We sold 115 units in just two days from just local people reading the article. So many people have told me to go on Shark Tank, but I’m hesitant. Just not sure I want to give up equity or royalties just by being on the show without even striking

My daughters inspired me to create the Little Viper. It’s patent pending right now and has definitely been worth it. I’ve received so much positive feedback along with orders. We are just getting started with marketing it so I think the best is yet to come.

I took about 18 months designing and working with CAD designers on the bracelet. In all, I probably had about 5 different designs and 3 different prototypes before selecting the current one. We launched the Little Viper in July and currently sell to dealers/retailers and direct to consumers as well. We are in a few Ace Hardware stores but that’s just the ‘beginning’ (I hope).

We have also developed a safety app, Little Viper Alert, in case you’re in an emergency! It has a loud alarm, flashing light, and a geolocation feature. It’s a FREE download in the iTunes store and is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/little-viper-alert/id704776410?ls=1&mt=8

For more information, please visit www.littleviper.com

Caroline Olah, Creator/President
Little Viper