How Emily Bendell took the tacky out of sex toys

Emily Bendell's unusual summer job gave her the inspiration to start her own multi-million pound business.

Emily Bendell, now 32, got more from a university summer job than most students. Her part-time work in a lingerie and sex-toy store gave her the inspiration for what would one day become a multimillion-pound business.

"I really didn't like the lingerie being sold. Most of it was tacky and didn't look very comfortable." The places that did sell "sensual, designer lingerie" were "expensive boutiques". Despite spotting this gap in the market, Bendell decided to finish her degree. Having graduated from Oxford, she headed to London to work as a journalist.

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James McKeigue

James graduated from Keele University with a BA (Hons) in English literature and history, and has a certificate in journalism from the NCTJ. James has worked as a freelance journalist in various Latin American countries.He also had a spell at ITV, as welll as wring for Television Business International and covering the European equity markets for the Forbes.com London bureau. James has travelled extensively in emerging markets, reporting for international energy magazines such as Oil and Gas Investor, and institutional publications such as the Commonwealth Business Environment Report. He is currently the managing editor of LatAm INVESTOR, the UK's only Latin American finance magazine.