As parents of babies and toddlers, bedtimes can cause some anxiety: wondering if baby is warm/cool enough and if you have provided the ideal sleep conditions for them. At SNOOZE, they supply a range of products to help make sure your little ones are comfortable and getting the sleep they need. The Smartsnugg is a baby monitoring sleep bag system that helps parents and caregivers better understand and manage their child’s sleeping comfort and safety. It monitors temperature, position and motion, allowing parents to maintain a safe and optimal sleeping environment for their children. They also stock Ooly, an adorable sleep companion which, with its colour-based time indications, helps your child understand when it’s time to get up in the morning. Cara Popping, founder of SNOOZE, talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her business and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I am incredibly passionate about sleep, having had two babies and experienced the stages of poor sleep that come with having young children. I saw a gap in the market for the products I have curated, wanting ease of use, functionality and the least disruption to a baby or child’s sleep!
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Ooly was the first product I secured, which I followed right from the Indie-GoGo campaign (Crowdfunding) stage, through to when it was ready for sale! I had been looking for a sleep trainer clock for my toddler that didn’t have a blue light, and that was easy to use, as so many of them are not all that user friendly. Ooly was a clear winner for me, and I waited patiently for it to be ready for sale. After finally receiving it and realising just how easy and successful it was as a tool, I contacted the suppliers and procured the distribution rights for New Zealand and Australia. From there, I have added SmartSnugg to our collection of “smart” products, which I am incredibly excited about, and have another couple of app-controlled products in the pipeline!
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
I have been self-employed for several years, which has worked well with two young children, but actually taking the jump and making the dream a reality was pretty scary! I’ve always been a bit of a risk taker, but going from a stable contracting role to adding SNOOZE to my workload has been both exciting and nerve-wracking. The biggest breakthrough for me has been learning to switch off during non-working hours – this is something I’m not particularly good at, but it is so necessary when the workload grows.
