Seven years ago two mothers were sharing their concerns about how their children could be protected from the sun while they were at school.
Their children’s school had a no-touch policy, which meant that the teachers or staff couldn't help children to apply sunscreen during the day.
That conversation, in 2011, led Kelli Aspland and Laura Griffin to more discussions about the issue and what would make a good applicator for children.
They decided it had to be mess free, refillable, easy to use and a controlled flow, then they set about actually doing something rather than just talking about it.
They went to their local body care shop and grabbed different types of applicator pads, roller balls products and small containers. They took them home, ripped them apart and tried to combine the different items to create their own design.
Then came years designing, making patent applications and seeking out help with the CAD drawings and prototypes from Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Product Design Department.
Kelli and Laura are both family friends with Gocompare founder and angel investor Hayley Parsons so in 2014 they reached out and met with her to ask advice on running a business and how they could grow the company.
Hayley loved the idea, and their passion, and said she wanted to invest in Solar Buddies and mentor the girls.
She has done this ever since.
“When I met Kelli and Laura, not only did I love the product, but I also loved the girls and their ambition and drive to spread the sun safe message,” said Hayley.
“Devising, designing and getting a product to market is no mean feat and these girls did it with no experience in business at all. They have transformed an idea around a kitchen table into a successful business and I am very proud of them and love working with them.
“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Solar Buddies as I know they have lots more ideas to extend the range.”
The product was launched as a fully functioning item in July 2015, but it was only in February 2018 they were finally awarded the patent and now have their intellectual property and design protection.
Kelli and Laura have worked full time on Solar Buddies since the summer of 2015.
Kelli had been about to start her nursing training and Laura was a civil servant before launching Solar Buddies.
Since then they have picked up a number of awards and just last month were named as part of the Maserati 100 in the Sunday Times.
The Maserati 100 recognise one hundred game-changing entrepreneurs who are disrupting the business world.
Also in April they appeared on Channel 4’s Buy It Now programme where they had 90 seconds to pitch the product to an audience of shoppers, if they shoppers would buy then three major retailers decided if they would order the Solar Buddies.
Kelli and Laura received an order of 2,000 Solar Buddies from JML, Prezzybox and Clas Olson off the back of that appearance.
Laura offers this advice to other would-be inventors: “It isn’t an easy process, but this shouldn’t put people off.
“The staff at the patent office were so helpful and were very supportive of us throughout. We did a lot of the application on our own with guidance, but eventually decided that we would get professional help to ensure that we were properly protecting ourselves and our product.
“Even though it was costly we saw it as an investment in our business and our future as inventors, as we have plans to add more products to the Solar Buddies brand.”
Research from the Patent Office shows that only 7% of women in the UK who own a UK patent.
Kelli believes it is a shame that so few women feel able to turn their ideas into a profitable business.
“Bringing an idea to life is tough, it takes hard work and determination, but women have more than enough of that to go around,” she said.
“We wanted to publicise the fact that we have been awarded this patent to help encourage anyone else considering the process as it’s been worth the wait.
“We are excited about the future for Solar Buddies and this patent gives us the confidence to push on with our ambitions for the company.”
Laura added: “The past few years have been a whirlwind, with 2017 seeing us increase sales by 500% and now 2018 is already shaping up to smash those records again. It is more than we could ever have wished for.
“We are very excited about what the future has in store for us. We know we want to extend our range and now having the support of some serious retailers we have the time to focus on what comes next.
“We have plenty of ideas and plans all ready to go so it’s just a matter of time before out next product is launched. Watch this space!”
