'Shark Tank' judges were moved by this father-son duo's pitch — but only one of them made an offer
Father-son duos have struck a chord as co-founders on "Shark Tank" before, even moving a judge to tears. But entrepreneurs Bill Webster III and Bill Webster Jr. stood out as the sweetest among such pairs after pitching their firm, Garage Celebrations, which sells innovative, holiday-themed garage door covers. While all the sharks were impressed by the product, only Mark Cuban stepped forward and struck a $200,000 deal, hoping to have a lot of fun with the duo.
The Websters entered the show seeking $200,000 for 20% of their business. They kicked off their pitch by explaining that their product solves the hassle of decorating on holidays with reusable garage door covers. Through a video, they show how customers can easily place holiday-themed covers on doors and avoid going through the trouble of putting up decorations.
They shared samples with the sharks, and Robert Herjavec got Santa Claus, while Kevin O'Leary got Frankenstein. Barbara Corcoran then asked about the attachment process, and the co-founders showed how their patented collar on the covers allows users to easily put the covers on without the need for any extra tools.
O'Leary expressed concern over the seasonal nature of the business, and the Websters responded by admitting they didn't have a clear system to solve that yet. However, they shared that the company posted $175,000 in sales through the largest Halloween retailer in the country in the previous year. They further added that a single garage cover sells for $129, with a production cost of $35 and a wholesale price of $43.
Herjavec then asked about their sales strategy, and Bill Sr explained that the sales were primarily driven by social media campaigns. However, the duo failed to impress Corcoran with the designs as she dropped out of a deal early on, calling the designs outdated. Lori Greiner followed her lead, citing that the business was not a right fit for her. Herjavec also doubted the sales strategy before going out as well. Next was O'Leary, who didn't see the business making enough profits for him.
With this, the Websters relied on only one Shark. Before making a move, Cuban asked a few questions about the production. The duo explained that they send the materials to Vietnam, where the manufacturer uses special machines to cut and make the covers. The Shark asked how much the machine costs, and when he learned that it was worth only $60,000, he believed the company could buy it and make the product in their garage. With this, Cuban offered $200,000 for 30% equity, and the Websters quickly accepted the deal.
According to "Shark Tank Recap," Garage Celebrations went on to experience the "Shark Tank Effect" as they saw a surge in orders after their episode aired.
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