TWO mothers have revealed how they turned their friendship into a seven-figure business.
Laura Waters and Kelli Aspland Sunscreen Applicator – Nominated Solar Friends – turned out to be a million-pound invention.
two
The mothers even managed to triple the company’s net worth between 2021 and 2022, from £97,702 to £304,930, Companies House documents show.
But it all started when the daughter and son were at daycare together in 2014.
“My daughter and Kelli’s son fell in love while they were at daycare,” Laura joked.
“Now we spend five days a week together.”
They created the kid-friendly refillable sunscreen applicator after discovering their kids were struggling to apply it at school.
Due to “no touch policies” teachers are not allowed to help with this.
The shape of Solar Buddies bottles is sturdy, so it’s easier for little hands to hold.
Each one is designed with a “sponge and roller ball partnership” so kids can easily slather sunscreen on themselves without wasting too much product or making a mess.
“Since our launch in 2015, we have sold over 200,000 units and had a turnover of £1.3 million,” Kelli shared on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.
The pair, from Cwmbran in Wales, appeared on the business show to secure an investment of £80,000 to grow Solar Buddies further.
“I’m really proud that we did some things right,” Laura said.
“I mean, we had no business experience.
“We definitely didn’t have patent experience.
“We had to do everything ourselves from the beginning.”
What are solar friends?
Laura Waters and Kelli Aspland created Solar Buddies in 2015 after discovering that their children had trouble applying sunscreen straight from the bottle…
“Solar Buddies is the first kid-friendly refillable sunscreen applicator created specifically for children’s use,” says a company blurb.
“Kelli and Laura were determined to create an applicator that was family-friendly, economically and environmentally responsible.
“With this goal in mind, they chose to develop a refillable applicator, allowing consumers to use their favorite sunscreen and easily refill it as needed.”
The shape of the applicator is robust, making it easier for little hands to hold.
Each is designed with a “sponge and ball partnership” that minimizes mess and product waste.
The duo attributed much of Solar Buddies’ success to TikTok.
“It’s because of the pandemic,” explained Laura.
“I think a lot of people joined TikTok due to the pandemic – I know I did.
“We have really good relationships with some influencers in America and also in this country.”
Each Solar Buddy costs £7.98 and the product is so popular it is currently sold out at Boots.
Laura and Kelli left Dragon’s Den with investment from Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden.
They gave each dragon a 10% stake in exchange for an investment of £40,000, making their initial ask total £80,000.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
