Venture is snug as a bug in a rug

When Shoreham-based Dave Solomons and his wife had health problems, which prevented them bending to pick their daughter, Sunny, up, the enterprising dad designed a makeshift ‘stork’s blanket’ to lift her.

After years of prototypes and a little help from neighbour and designer, Mike Edwards, Snugglebundl was born.

Three years after getting the product to market, the duo received their first big break, with Boots stocking it in 150 of its stores.

“We were really chuffed,” said Mr Solomons, who explained how a Boots buyer spotted the product at a trade show last year.

“It can take a long time to break into the high street and we had been trying to get hold of buyers from other companies but you just can’t get hold of the buyers you need.

Snugglebundl is a baby-wrap blanket, complete with handles, which allows parents to safely lift their babies without straining or bending.

It also allows the baby to be moved softly, without disturbing its sleep.

But it was a long-time in the design process, as Mr Solomons struggled over the course of 19 years to iron-out its flaws.

He said: “When my daughter was born, my wife had complications and ended up with quite a lot of difficulty walking and there was a lot of bending and picking up the baby involved.

“I had back problems too, so we were both a bit decrepit. It was awkward, so we used to lay her on a blanket and pick up the corners like a stork’s bundle and bring her into our arms without bending over.”

For the full story, see the Herald and Gazette, out Thursday, January 30.