Before taking the job as creative director for the in-house advertising agency at Lenovo, Justin Baum was the lead writer of recruitment advertising for the United States Marine Corps. It was while working there that he was stirred by the men and women serving in uniform. He wanted to find a way to give back. Inspired by his own daughter’s difficulty sleeping through the night, he had an idea.

Justin decided to bring home a teddy bear in a marine sweatshirt. He then told hos daughter a story, introducing him as a bear who had protected the nation for more than two hundred years. “Now, he’s ready to protect you while you sleep,” he told his daughter.

Justin went on to develop the idea of Sgt. Sleeptight, a full-fledged military-grade sleep system that protects children from bad dreams, fear of the dark and nighttime anxieties that come from having a deployed parent.

On a whim, Justin sent a message to the top toy buyer for the Marine Corps Exchange, the directory of stores that sell to military members and their families.

Other bears followed, each with a story and soon retail stores were stocking Justin’s creations. Clearly, his lack of manufacturing knowledge was no bear-ier to entry in this market.

Start Up Costs:      $7,500

Annual Revenue:    $100,000

Website:           www.ZZZBears.com