Our Solar Buddies Story

Hello... Meet Kelli & Laura!

“We are so proud of our Solar Buddies and how far they have come. When we had the idea 10 years ago, we never imagined it would end up being a real-life product that is sold around the world and to now be able to share all of the knowledge we have picked up along the way is so fulfilling to us."

 

"Our new journey is a really exciting side-step for us, even though the itch for innovation will never leave us and we will continue to develop new products in the background. There really is no rest for the wicked! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers past, present and new that support our business and everything we stand for. You will never realise how much it means to us, so thank you.”

Kelli & Laura

Kelli Aspland & Laura Waters / Owners & Founders of Solar Buddies

How It All Began...

Founded in 2011 by Kelli and Laura, Solar Buddies Ltd was born from their shared concern for children’s sun safety. Confronted with the challenge of ensuring their children could apply sunscreen independently within strict school policies, they created the Solar Buddies Sunscreen Applicator. This innovative product quickly resonated with parents and caregivers, addressing the widespread need for safer sun protection solutions.

 

Understanding the struggles of ensuring thorough sun protection for their children, Kelli and Laura designed a user-friendly applicator to make sunscreen application effortless and enjoyable. Now with a vibrant colour selection and a refillable system, an easy, less messy method of application, their product aims to transform sun protection routines into engaging experiences, fostering lifelong habits of sun safety.

Planet-Friendly Choices & Consultancy

But their passion doesn’t end there! Kelli and Laura are also dedicated to supporting fellow female startup entrepreneurs. They are actively developing a product consultancy arm within their business, aiming to provide valuable insights and practical assistance to other product-based businesses. 

 

Driven by their desire to share useful and tailored information, they draw upon nearly a decade of experience in product design and entrepreneurship. From navigating the initial stages of business inception to understanding patents, selling on platforms like Amazon, and mastering advertising strategies, Kelli and Laura offer a wealth of advice. Stay tuned for updates as they continue to expand their offerings.

Plans For The Future & Dragon's Den

The plan moving forward is to grow the Solar Buddies brand and to introduce more sustainable and handy travel and beauty products that help solve pain points in these sectors. This year will see the launch of quite a few new products into their shop, so keep an eye out.

 

Kelli and Laura are dedicated to becoming a more sustainable business and now have transitioned to 94% recycled plastic for their sunscreen applicators and are minimizing their packaging waste. As a brand, they advocate for sun safety education and planet-conscious choices, offering a reusable alternative to traditional sunscreen packaging to reduce ecological footprint and inspire conscious consumerism.

 

Their award-winning product has been featured on TV screens around the world, with the more recent appearance on Dragons’ Den which was successful with an investment from Peter Jones and Deborah Meadon.   We welcome both Peter and Deborah into our Solar Buddies team and are truly thankful for the wonderful support they bring to our business.

Our Mission & Vision

Coffee's mission is to offer love and hope to those in need through funds from a great cup of coffee. We want to inspire and educate our coffee lovers in ways that enhance their experience with us and encourage them to be an outlet of hope for others. 

We want to create a coffee culture that is built around quality, sociability, and affordability so that everyone can enjoy our product and share in our outreach. Our goal is to continue to grow our business in ways that will allow us to give more, this will include things like scholarships for local graduating seniors, food programs, and much more! We have BIG plans for coffee and appreciate you joining us on this journey!