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	<title>Shark Tank Blog</title>
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	<link>http://sharktankblog.com</link>
	<description>Shark Tank Previews, Reviews &#38; Updates</description>
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		<title>Shark Tank Season 4 Season Finale</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-season-4-season-finale/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=shark-tank-season-4-season-finale</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-season-4-season-finale/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 14:44:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14314</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The Shark Tank Season 4 season finale brings us a double dose of new episodes on Friday, May 17. At 8 PM, episode 423 airs. It was originally scheduled for Friday, April 19, but national news coverage of the Boston bombings preempted the broadcast. ABC decided to add this episode to the season finale line-up [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-season-4-season-finale/">Shark Tank Season 4 Season Finale</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-14315" alt="Dr. Doofenshmirtz shark tank season 4 season finale" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Dr.-Doofenshmirtz-shark-tank-season-4-season-finale-590x218.jpg" width="580" height="214" /></p>
<p>The Shark Tank Season 4 season finale brings us a double dose of new episodes on Friday, May 17.</p>
<p>At 8 PM, episode 423 airs. It was originally scheduled for Friday, April 19, but national news coverage of the Boston bombings preempted the broadcast. ABC decided to add this episode to the season finale line-up in the earlier slot &#8211; partly to be fair to the businesses appearing and partly to reinforce the &#8220;dual episode&#8221; format they&#8217;re going with for the remainder of May. Episode 424, the last new Shark Tank episode of season 4, airs at 9 PM.</p>
<p>There won&#8217;t be any new Shark Tank episodes until season 5, which was picked up by ABC recently, begins in September. Entrepreneurs all over the country are attending casting calls, sending in their applications and attending <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/auditions-and-casting-information/" target="_blank">auditions</a>, hoping to be the next Shark Tank success story.</p>
<h2>Season Finale part 1: Episode 423</h2>
<p>The season finale night begins with episode 423 at 8 PM. Lori occupies the &#8220;ladies&#8217; seat&#8221; in this episode as old friend Aaron Krause and his <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/scrub-daddy/" target="_blank">Scrub Daddy</a> sponge are the featured update segment. He got a deal with Lori back in episode 407 and Scrub Daddy is a big hit!</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/stella-valle/" target="_blank">Stella Valle</a> is a jewelry business started by entrepreneurs, former West Point cadets, army officers, and sisters Ashley Jung and Paige Dellavalle. The young ladies are true American heroes and they hope their jewelry will appeal to modern women&#8217;s sensibilities with its geometric and somewhat androgynous designs. Will the sisters get a deal or be sent &#8220;back to the barracks?&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/jones-scones/" target="_blank">Jones Scones</a> founder J. Jones hopes the Sharks like his version of the scone. He created what he calls &#8220;cream scones&#8221; which are tastier and have a better texture than standard scones. Will the Sharks nibble on Jones Scones or send J. Jones home with crumbs?</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/lugless/" target="_blank">LugLess</a> entrepreneur Brian Altamore hopes the Sharks like his alternative to checking bags at the airport as he pitches his door-to-door luggage pick up service. Will Brian get an investment or will the Sharks send him packing?</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/geek-chic/" target="_blank">Geek Chic</a> owner and furniture maker Robert Gifford pitches his unique, custom-made, gaming furniture to the Sharks. In my <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/custom-furniture-for-gamers/" target="_blank">prediction</a> for when this segment was supposed to air, I said Geek Chic would not get a deal. Since then, ABC released a photo showing Gifford and Robert Herjavec shaking hands on the set. This leads me to believe Robert invests.</p>
<h2>Season Finale part 2: Episode 424</h2>
<p>The real season finale episode gets under way at 9 PM with Barbara in the &#8221;ladies&#8217; seat&#8221; this time. Episode 424 features an <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/ice-chips-update-interview/" target="_blank">Ice Chips update</a> segment. Beverly Vines-Haines and Charlotte Clary started <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/ice-chips/" target="_blank">Ice Chips</a> in their garage, earning them the moniker &#8220;two grannies in a garage&#8221; and an investment from Mark and Lori in episode 408.</p>
<p>Entrepreneur Val Brennen pitches her exclusive, online dating platform called <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/three-day-rule/" target="_blank">Three Day Rule</a> to the Sharks in the season finale. Will the Sharks like the invitation only dating site for successful singles or will they be wall flowers?</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/tom-and-chee/" target="_blank">Tom and Chee</a> owners and grilled cheese connoisseurs Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward introduce the Sharks to their successful Cincinnati area restaurant chain. Will the Sharks dine on grilled cheese or send Trew and Corey home without anything in their take-out container?</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/ryans-barkery/" target="_blank">Ryan&#8217;s Barkery</a> entrepreneur, 11 year-old Ryan Kelly, hopes the Sharks invest in his home-made, organic dog treats in the season 4 finale. Ryan hopes there are <a href="http://youtu.be/DUW1kU0ognY" target="_blank">Dogsharks</a> in the Shark Tank so he leaves with an investment instead of with his tail between his legs.</p>
<p>Wharton Business school graduates Ryan Frankel and Kunal Sarda hope their app which provides international travelers access to live translators called <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/verbalizeit/" target="_blank">VerbalizeIt</a> gets the Sharks in a feeding frenzy. Will they leave with an investment or will the Sharks be unable to understand what they&#8217;re saying?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/Phineas-Ferb-Shark-Tank-1064352.aspx">Dr. Doofenshmirtz</a>, the mad scientist from Phineas and Ferb has a &#8220;comic relief&#8221; segment in the season finale as the animated inventor pitches the Sharks on his latest &#8220;inator&#8221; invention.</p>
<p>As Shark Tank season 4 comes to a close, Shark Tank blog will continue to do updates and <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/interviews/" target="_blank">interviews</a> until season 5 begins in September. Have a great summer, and watch out for SHARKS!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-season-4-season-finale/">Shark Tank Season 4 Season Finale</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Ice Chips Update Interview with Charlotte Clary</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/ice-chips-update-interview/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ice-chips-update-interview</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/ice-chips-update-interview/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2013 19:08:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Interview]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14303</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Episode 424, the Shark Tank season 4 finale, feature an Ice Chips update segment. Ice Chips entrepreneurs Beverly Vines-Haines and Charlotte Clary got a deal on the air in episode 408 with Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran at $125k for 33%. I caught up with Charlotte recently to get her perspective on the Ice Chips update segment. [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/ice-chips-update-interview/">Ice Chips Update Interview with Charlotte Clary</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-14305" alt="ice chips update shark tank" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/shark-tank-ice-chips-update-grannies-463x348.jpg" width="463" height="348" /></p>
<p>Episode 424, the Shark Tank season 4 finale, feature an Ice Chips update segment. Ice Chips entrepreneurs Beverly Vines-Haines and Charlotte Clary got a deal on the air in episode 408 with Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran at $125k for 33%. I caught up with Charlotte recently to get her perspective on the Ice Chips update segment.</p>
<p>Beverly was unavailable; she&#8217;s busy writing one of two books about the &#8220;grannies in a garage.&#8221;  The first one, called <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Two Grannies in a Garage: How Hard-headed Perseverance Trumped Scrap Booking,</span> should be done this summer. It deals with Bev and Charlotte&#8217;s twenty year business journey up to the point they got on the plane to be on Shark Tank. The second, as yet untitled, book will take up the story from that point on.</p>
<p>Charlotte gave me the skinny on Ice Chips sales, some background information, the company moving forward, and, of course, the Shark Tank experience.</p>
<h2>Ice Chips Update Features BIG Sales!</h2>
<p>Charlotte was very pleased with the results from Shark Tank. &#8220;OMIGOSH,&#8221; she exclaims, &#8220;on November 9, when we originally aired, we had over 8600 people on our website simultaneously for about 20 minutes! There were over 1500 orders; we got half of them shipped out Saturday and we haven&#8217;t been more than 24 hours with order fulfillment since. Orders stayed strong and we had a lot of re-orders going into Christmas. People tried Ice Chips and wanted them for stocking stuffers and gifts. Our wholesale customer orders more than doubled from 800 to 1800. All told, we can attribute about $300K in orders directly to our Shark Tank appearance.&#8221;</p>
<p>Those kind of numbers make the show producers stand up and take notice, hence the update in the season finale! Charlotte and Bev were popular with viewers, too. Two women with 37 grandchildren between them with a compelling business story makes for good TV, but Bev and Charlotte didn&#8217;t apply to be on Shark Tank.</p>
<p>&#8220;My daughter in law sent in the application,&#8221; Charlotte explains, &#8220;and she didn&#8217;t tell us about it for a couple of months. We thought it was sweet, but we were tickled pink when they called us back a month later. Bev and I were in a meeting and I took the call, which I almost never do when we&#8217;re in a meeting. I listened to the woman and mouthed &#8216;Shark Tank&#8217; to Bev. I told her we&#8217;d call her back and we ended up talking for 45 minutes. She thought we were interesting and she sent us a packet and asked us to send in a video. Luckily, we have a videographer who works for us, so he set us up.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Ice Chips Update After Shark Tank</h2>
<p>Charlotte is curious to see what they include in the update segment. &#8220;One thing I got for myself after the show was a big, red leather, power chair &#8211; just like the Sharks have. They shot me in it and I hope it makes the final cut!&#8221;</p>
<p>The update will most likely focus on the grannies&#8217; success, but they did it without Mark and Barbara. &#8220;The deal did not go through in due diligence, but it was an amicable negotiation. Even without partnering with Mark and Barbara, Shark Tank is the gift that keeps on giving. There&#8217;s no such thing as bad press, but we got an eight minute &#8216;thumbs up&#8217; from Shark Tank. We obviously got good exposure, we had a good edit, and the Sharks like us and the product. It was a win/win/win.&#8221;</p>
<p>The grannies needed the money to fund automation. They run two companies: Ice Chips and <a href="http://www.healingleafllc.com/" target="_blank">Healing Leaf, LLC</a> which sells specialty skin care products. &#8220;We split the companies before we went on Shark Tank so we wouldn&#8217;t muddy the waters. Healing Leaf is a one car garage business, Ice Chips was a two car garage business &#8211; and growing. We got a new facility and a new date coding machine for packaging, which will allow us to go after bigger orders.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We aren&#8217;t in any big retailers now, but we&#8217;re looking at some. We need automated production to fulfill large orders. We literally make the chips by hand now, so we&#8217;re designing a machine we can feed sheets of candy into and have them chopped into chips &#8211; it&#8217;s almost like a wood chipper. The prototype was ready in April and it&#8217;s being made now. We hope to have it up and running by the end of the summer.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Some of our employees are nervous about the automation, but the new equipment will create more jobs, not replace jobs. The new machine will squeeze 30 labor hours into an hour and a half. This allows us to fill large orders and will create more work. We both get a kick out of providing jobs.&#8221;</p>
<p>Both Bev and Charlotte are delighted with their expanding sales and Shark Tank success, but it wasn&#8217;t an overnight thing. Bev&#8217;s been writing romance novels for years and Charlotte was a stay at home mom. 20 years ago, they realized they were married to aging construction workers and wanted to do their part to help support their respective large families. They tried many other ventures over the years, but, as Charlotte explains, &#8220;Ice Chips really saved the day. Bev&#8217;s husband is our shop foreman and my husband is the office manager. Bev&#8217;s glad to have income so she can focus on her writing. Even though we haven&#8217;t had much rest since November, we&#8217;re happy doing what we&#8217;re doing.&#8221;</p>
<p>The ladies are taking a little breather before their update segment airs. They took a trip to Las Vegas last week and lived it up in style at the Bellagio. They&#8217;ll need the rest, it sounds like Ice Chips is going places, especially once they have increased production capacity. &#8220;We have another product in the works we&#8217;ll be unveiling later this year, too.&#8221;</p>
<h2>Charlotte&#8217;s Parting Thoughts</h2>
<p>When I asked Charlotte if she had any words of wisdom or inspiration for other entrepreneurs, I wanted to know what inspired her. &#8220;I get asked that question in one form or another all the time. What&#8217;s most important to me is leaving a legacy for my family. Not just the business either. I want my kids and grandkids to see what you can accomplish when you don&#8217;t give up.&#8221;</p>
<p>I had one other question for Charlotte, which she answered on <a href="http://www.thehotdogtruck.com/2013/05/charlotte-clary-from-shark-tank-answers.html" target="_blank">The Hot Dog Truck</a>.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/ice-chips-update-interview/">Ice Chips Update Interview with Charlotte Clary</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Verbalize It Translation App</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/verbalize-it-translation-app/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=verbalize-it-translation-app</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 11 May 2013 10:19:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Entrepreneurs and Wharton Business School graduates Ryan Frankel and Kunal Sarda introduce the Sharks to their translation app called Verbalize It in episode 424, the Shark Tank season 4 finale. Verbalize It is not just another algorithmic voice translation app, it actually provides international travelers access to live translators. Both partners have horror stories about not being [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/verbalize-it-translation-app/">Verbalize It Translation App</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-14279" alt="verbalize it human translator app shark tank episode 424" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/verbalizeit-human-translator-app-shark-tank-episode-4241-348x348.jpg" width="348" height="348" /></p>
<p>Entrepreneurs and Wharton Business School graduates Ryan Frankel and Kunal Sarda introduce the Sharks to their translation app called Verbalize It in episode 424, the Shark Tank season 4 finale. Verbalize It is not just another algorithmic voice translation app, it actually provides international travelers access to live translators.</p>
<p>Both partners have horror stories about not being able to communicate with locals while traveling abroad, so they set out to create  their app which connects users to a real, live human being to translate conversations. Subtleties like local dialect, slang, and accent can mess with a machine powered translation app, hence the human component to Verbalize It. Gone are the days when communication becomes difficult due to language barriers &#8211; it&#8217;s been an issue since &#8220;God there confounded the language of all the Earth&#8221; in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2011&amp;version=NIV" target="_blank">Genesis 11</a>! Now someone can travel virtually anywhere on the face of the earth (with cellular service) and be able to &#8220;speak&#8221; the local language.</p>
<p>Verbalize It rewards users for referring new users, so sharing with friends actually yields tangible value. You can also use data or wi-fi where available so you don&#8217;t get whacked with roaming charges. The app currently supports English, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Korean, Arabic and Hindi; there are plans to add more languages in the future, too.</p>
<h2>Verbalize It can Change the World</h2>
<p>I usually don&#8217;t go too over the top about <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/products/" target="_blank">Shark Tank Products</a>, most are very good, but Verbalize It is a game changing bit of technology of Biblical proportions! Frankel and Sarda have broken down the barrier of language and created a common language &#8220;platform&#8221; for communication. While the immediate practical use for a translation app is obvious, the broad reaching sociopolitical implications for Verbalize It are boundless. Being understood starts with language and travels to the intellect. Imagine a world where everyone could understand each other &#8211; it would be a far better world than the one we live in now to be sure. This app &#8220;promotes cultural exploration and global trade while also creating employment opportunities for the vast network of multilingual individuals across the world.&#8221;</p>
<p>But I digress. Verbalize It will sell like crazy. I am getting it because I encounter non-English speakers on a daily basis. It is a must have for anyone who travels abroad: no more phrase books or English translation dictionaries, it&#8217;s all on the iPhone now. I can think of at least 100 people who&#8217;d snap this app up.</p>
<h2>Will the Sharks Understand?</h2>
<p>Verbalize It is already a serious tech start-up. They&#8217;ve received $1.62 million in venture capital funding and the app has won numerous tech awards. The Sharks will immediately see the power of this app and begin circling for a piece of the action.</p>
<p>The fact that this segment appears in the season 4 finale is telling too. ABC wants a BIG DEAL going into the summer re-run season and Verbalize It is<em> it</em>. I&#8217;d expect Robert, Kevin, and Mark to be bidders for Verbalize It; Daymond has a strong tech team, so he might bite too. Barbara doesn&#8217;t like tech companies or apps, so I think she&#8217;ll make an early exit.</p>
<p>I think a deal will get done on the air, but it probably doesn&#8217;t finalize in the due diligence phase. If a deal with a Shark did get done, the &#8220;Shark Venture&#8221; funding would have already been disclosed and there is no evidence of such disclosure. I think the Sharks will do a &#8220;TV deal,&#8221; and I am 100% &#8220;IN&#8221; with Verbalize It!</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/verbalize-it-translation-app/">Verbalize It Translation App</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Gourmet Grilled Cheese Shops</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/gourmet-grilled-cheese-shops/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=gourmet-grilled-cheese-shops</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/gourmet-grilled-cheese-shops/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 May 2013 19:03:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14262</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Grilled cheese and tomato soup have been an American lunch-time staple for as long as I can remember; they go together like &#8211; well, grilled cheese and tomato soup! Entrepreneurs and cooks Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward took the familiar favorite and turned it into a business called, appropriately, Tom and Chee. They&#8217;ll pitch their fledgling [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/gourmet-grilled-cheese-shops/">Gourmet Grilled Cheese Shops</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-14264" alt="tom and chee grilled cheese shark tank episode 424" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tom-and-chee-grilled-cheese-shark-tank-episode-424-524x348.jpg" width="419" height="278" />Grilled cheese and tomato soup have been an American lunch-time staple for as long as I can remember; they go together like &#8211; well, grilled cheese and tomato soup! Entrepreneurs and cooks Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward took the familiar favorite and turned it into a business called, appropriately, <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/tom-and-chee/" target="_blank">Tom and Chee</a>. They&#8217;ll pitch their fledgling chain of grilled cheese shops in Shark Tank episode 424, the season 4 finale.</p>
<p>Tom and Chee claims to have the &#8220;world&#8217;s most creative selections of grilled cheese, as well as homemade soups and fresh salads.&#8221; For someone looking for a quick, wholesome, and comforting meal, grilled cheese fits the bill. It appears Tom and Chee have captured the hearts (and stomachs) of greater Cincinnati grilled cheese aficionados with their fare: they&#8217;ve grown from one location to five in just four years. My guess is they want to increase and accelerate their growth with a Shark investment.</p>
<h2>I LOVE Grilled Cheese!</h2>
<p>I do most of the cooking in our household, so grilled cheese is one of my favorites because it&#8217;s one of the few things my lovely wife cooks; If I&#8217;m eating grilled cheese at home, that means I didn&#8217;t have to cook! Boston is no stranger to the grilled cheese phenomena; there are two popular grilled cheese food trucks, one of which (<a href="http://hotdogstories.com/roxys-grilled-cheese-and-poutine-at-sowa-open-market/" target="_blank">Roxy&#8217;s Gourmet Grilled Cheese</a>) was on The Great Food Truck Race. There&#8217;s also Cheese Boy franchise stand in one of our local malls. <a href="http://hotdogstories.com/" target="_blank">Hot Dogs</a> are usually my lunch of choice, but I can change things up in a pinch.</p>
<h2>Do Sharks Like Grilled Cheese?</h2>
<p>The Sharks will undoubtedly get fed by Trew and Corey, so the first test will be whether they like the food or not. If they do, Tom and Chee will need good store by store sales numbers and growth forecasts. The restaurant business is fraught with failures &#8211; even places that serve quality food fail when thing don&#8217;t go the right way &#8211; so the Sharks will demand good numbers if they&#8217;re going to make an offer.</p>
<p>Earlier in season four, Mr. Wonderful invested in <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/how-do-you-roll/" target="_blank">How Do You Roll</a>, so there is a precedent for a Shark investment in a fast food concept. Whether Mr. Wonderful wants to add to that portfolio remains to be seen. Barbara is another Shark who&#8217;s done well with restaurant related businesses. She partnered with Cousins Maine Lobster in episode 406 and she&#8217;s involved with Pork Barrel BBQ, which also has a restaurant in its business mix.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s going to come down to the numbers on this one. If they&#8217;re attractive, and the Sharks believe in Trew and Corey, they could see an offer or two and possibly a deal. As for me, I&#8217;m &#8220;IN&#8221; with a Grippo’s BBQ+Bacon grilled cheese and a bowl of tomato soup!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/gourmet-grilled-cheese-shops/">Gourmet Grilled Cheese Shops</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Online Dating Site</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/online-dating/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=online-dating</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/online-dating/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 May 2013 19:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14252</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>One out of five people in a current, committed relationship today met through an online dating service. Entrepreneur Val Brennan hopes the Sharks will see the money to be made in the online dating world as she pitches her business called Three Day Rule in episode 424, the Shark Tank season 4 finale. The business [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/online-dating/">Online Dating Site</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-14254" alt="three day rule online dating business shark tank episode 424" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/three-day-rule-online-dating-business-shark-tank-episode-425-590x258.jpg" width="464" height="202" />One out of five people in a current, committed relationship today met through an online dating service. Entrepreneur Val Brennan hopes the Sharks will see the money to be made in the online dating world as she pitches her business called <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/three-day-rule/" target="_blank">Three Day Rule</a> in episode 424, the Shark Tank season 4 finale. The business name is a take on the book, <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/0wlk" target="_blank">The Rules</a>. There is a chapter in that book dedicated to determining how long you should wait before calling someone you just exchanged digits with; the consensus is three days.</p>
<p>Brennan thinks <em>quality</em> singles are above silly rules and game-playing, so in 2009, she set out to create an online dating site for &#8220;A-List&#8221; singles in the Los Angeles area. Prospective clients must be invited or apply for the online dating site, then they face a rigorous screening process. As she explains on her website, &#8220;Three Day Rule is a hand-picked pool of quality singles, and not a shopping cart of thousands of complete strangers.&#8221; She&#8217;s hoping to create an online dating community that&#8217;s exclusive and attracts quality singles. Three Day rule also sponsors and hosts exclusive singles events in greater LA and personal matchmaking services, for members only of course.</p>
<h2>Online Dating is HOT!</h2>
<p>There are around 54 million single adults in the USA and an estimated 40 million have at least tried online dating. Match.com and eHarmony claim to have a combined membership of 35 million! Last year, over $1 billion was spent for online dating services with the average single shelling out about $240 annually.</p>
<p>While Match.com and eHarmony have a sizeable chunk of the market, there is still a ton of growth for upstart online dating services, especially those that offer a more personal approach &#8211; like Three Day Rule. As a happily married man who met his wife the old-fashioned way (in a bar), I won&#8217;t be availing myself of any online dating services, but I have single friends (both male and female) who constantly lament how hard it is to meet good people. All of them have tried online dating at one time or another and they&#8217;d be willing to give a new service a shot if they felt there was value in the service.</p>
<h2>Do Sharks Take the Bait on a Date?</h2>
<p>Numbers don&#8217;t lie, even if some people do on their online dating profiles! Dating is big business and if Three Day Rule has good sales and a sound plan, the Sharks will be interested. The thing that makes Brennan&#8217;s service unique is its exclusivity, which should piqué some interest &#8211; not just from Sharks but from viewers too.</p>
<p>Since Three Day Rule is currently an LA-based service, part of their strategy is probably a national expansion. Scaling the online business is relatively simple: just add more server capacity and a couple of redundant server locations. Scaling the events piece of the business might prove more of a challenge since local employees need to be in place. I think as long as the ask isn&#8217;t too high and there are a reasonable number of members and revenue, Three Day Rule will get an offer or two.</p>
<p>As for online dating, I&#8217;m &#8220;out,&#8221; but I think Three Day Rule has a good business model.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/online-dating/">Online Dating Site</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Home Made Dog Treats</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/home-made-dog-treats/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=home-made-dog-treats</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/home-made-dog-treats/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 May 2013 18:58:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14271</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>11 year-old Ryan Kelly pitches his home made dog treats in Shark Tank episode 424. He started his business, called  Ryan&#8217;s Barkery, when the rescue dog he brought home turned up his nose at the store-bought treats Ryan tried to feed him. He set out to learn all he could about making yummy dog treats [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/home-made-dog-treats/">Home Made Dog Treats</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="size-large wp-image-14272 alignleft" alt="ryans barkery home made dog treats episode 424 Shark Tank Season 4" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ryans-barkery-home-made-dog-treats-episode-424-Shark-Tank-Season-4-261x348.jpg" width="261" height="348" />11 year-old Ryan Kelly pitches his home made dog treats in Shark Tank episode 424. He started his business, called  Ryan&#8217;s Barkery, when the rescue dog he brought home turned up his nose at the store-bought treats Ryan tried to feed him. He set out to learn all he could about making yummy dog treats by visiting veterinarians and testing out recipes in his mother&#8217;s kitchen. Once Ryan found a recipe his pooch liked, he began going door to door in his community selling his home made dog treats and Ryan&#8217;s Barkery was born.</p>
<p>The home made dog treats are made from fresh, human grade ingredients. Flavors include Peanut Butter, Banana Oat, Pumpkin Apple, and Low-fat Cheddar. There are no additives or preservatives, just wholesome goodness!</p>
<h2>Home Made Dog Treats Business</h2>
<p>62 percent of American households have a pet, with dogs accounting for 40 percent of the total. Americans spend nearly $60 Billion on their pets annually, so there&#8217;s a HUGE market. Gourmet dog food and treats are a rapidly growing segment of the market and Ryan&#8217;s home made dog treats sit squarely in that niche. Even when the economy turns down, people still spend money to care for their pets, so the market won&#8217;t dry up soon.</p>
<p>I occasionally buy fancy treats for my own dog &#8211; when she&#8217;s been a good girl. We also make our own dog food for her (maybe I should cut a deal with Ryan) because a lot of the store-bought food isn&#8217;t wholesome or is too expensive; she likes the home made food too. With the right distribution and branding, young Ryan might have a very good little business on his hands.</p>
<h2>Do Sharks like Dog Treats?</h2>
<p>Young Ryan is one of many <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/young-entrepreneurs/" target="_blank">young entrepreneurs</a> appearing on Shark Tank in season 4, but he&#8217;s the last. He obviously knows how to make home made dog treats and his quiet, almost shy, demeanor made him the &#8220;poster child&#8221; for season 4&#8242;s young entrepreneurs.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s face it, he&#8217;ll have an easy time with the Sharks. They aren&#8217;t going to beat up on an 11-year-old kid. He&#8217;s a cute kid too &#8211; viewers will probably fall in love with him. I like the fact that he had the ambition to go out and sell door to door. Most 11-year-old kids these days wouldn&#8217;t peel themselves away from their computer long enough to sell ANYTHING door to door, let alone start a business!</p>
<p>I think young Ryan is going to do a deal with Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran. In a <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/deal_interrupted_cPMIlS95ZcxoPT9UUxVLPP" target="_blank">New York Post article</a> back in January 2013, Barbara said she and Mark invested in a kid&#8217;s product that turned out to be in &#8221;the ‘I’m in love with my hobby’ category.” Barbara backed out of the deal in due diligence, but Cuban elected to move forward.  I think Ryan&#8217;s Barkery is the deal she was alluding to.</p>
<p>Regardless of the spoiler, I like Ryan&#8217;s idea and his attitude; we need more kids like him in this world, so I am 100% and enthusiastically &#8220;IN!&#8221;</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/home-made-dog-treats/">Home Made Dog Treats</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Shark Tank Friday May 10</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-friday-may-10/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=shark-tank-friday-may-10</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-friday-may-10/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 May 2013 17:47:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14285</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Friday May 10 has two Shark Tank episodes in store and it doesn&#8217;t look like Happy Endings will preempt the 8 PM re-run this week. Fans will have 2 hours of  &#8221;Sharkiness&#8221; for the next three weeks including a &#8220;double season finale&#8221; next week as the episode that got bumped for the Boston bombing coverage [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-friday-may-10/">Shark Tank Friday May 10</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-12028" alt="Friday May 10" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/sharks-party-551x348.jpg" width="551" height="348" /></p>
<p>Friday May 10 has two Shark Tank episodes in store and it doesn&#8217;t look like Happy Endings will preempt the 8 PM re-run this week. Fans will have 2 hours of  &#8221;Sharkiness&#8221; for the next three weeks including a &#8220;double season finale&#8221; next week as the episode that got bumped for the Boston bombing coverage gets shown before the all-new season 4 finale.</p>
<h2>Friday May 10 Episode 411</h2>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/season-4/episode-411/" target="_blank">Episode 411</a> is up at 8 PM. Marine Corps officer and entrepreneur Robert Dyer got a deal last fall when he swam with the Sharks for RuckPack, his &#8220;HOO-RAH&#8221; energy drink designed for re-energizing troops in combat.</p>
<p>Former fashion publicist Jaqueline Courtney didn&#8217;t impress the Sharks with Nearly Newlywed, an online bridal boutique for buying and selling &#8220;once worn&#8221; wedding gowns and bridesmaids dresses.</p>
<p>Nathan Buffet and Shane Cianciolo (better known as Captain Nate and Shane) sank in the tank when the Sharks failed to invest in Cork&#8217;s Away, their wine-themed sailboat tour business.</p>
<p>Attorney and entrepreneur Scott Tindle couldn&#8217;t tie up a deal with the Sharks for Tie Try &#8211; the Netflix of ties.</p>
<p>Aldo Orta is the featured update. Orta made a deal with Barbara Corcoran and Kevin Harrington in season two and his jewelry designs are in great demand.</p>
<h2>Friday May 10 Episode 425</h2>
<p>An all new Shark Tank, <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/season-4/episode-425/" target="_blank">Episode 425</a>, is up at 9 PM. Mary Beth Lugo pitches <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/kazam-bikes/" target="_blank">KaZam</a>, a <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/bike-with-no-training-wheels/" target="_blank">bike with no training wheels</a> or pedals designed to teach young kids how to ride. Will the Sharks invest or will KaZam have to walk out?</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/babys-bad-ass-burgers/" target="_blank">Baby&#8217;s Bad Ass Burgers</a> owners Erica Cohen and Lori Barbera look for an investment in their <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/burger-babes-food-truck/" target="_blank">burger babes food truck</a>. The question is, do Sharks like burgers?</p>
<p>Entrepreneur Lance Yabut seeks funding for <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/pink-shutter-photobooths/" target="_blank">Pink Shutter Photobooths</a>, his successful <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/photobooth-rental-service/" target="_blank">Photobooth Rental Service</a>. Will the Sharks invest after getting a snapshot of his business plan?</p>
<p><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/track-days-the-movie/" target="_blank">Track Days</a> is a <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/motorcycle-racing-movie/" target="_blank">motorcycle racing movie</a> that would be producers James LaVitola and Brian Pitt hope to film with an infusion of Shark funding. Will they make a blockbuster deal?</p>
<p>Cheryl Rigdon, the inventor of <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/the-spatty/" target="_blank">The Spatty</a>, gets an update after she shook off the Sharks&#8217; snub of her make-up spatula and went on to get them made and successfully sold a whole bunch of them!</p>
<p>Shark Tank will be back next Friday and the Shark Tank Blog will continue to bring you all the best Shark Tank news. Get a sneak peek at Fridays show:</p>
<p><iframe src="http://tv.broadwayworld.com/videoembed.php?colid=501153" height="480" width="640" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank-friday-may-10/">Shark Tank Friday May 10</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How to Get On Shark Tank</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/how-to-get-on-shark-tank/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=how-to-get-on-shark-tank</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/how-to-get-on-shark-tank/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 May 2013 15:46:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Shark Tank Effect]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14248</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Lots of entrepreneurs and &#8220;wantrepreneurs&#8221; ask how to get on Shark Tank and finding good advice is important if you want to make it happen. Here at the Shark Tank Blog, I conduct many interviews with the entrepreneurs who appear on the show. If you want to know how to get on Shark Tank, reading [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/how-to-get-on-shark-tank/">How to Get On Shark Tank</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sharktankblog.com/6ntf"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13518" title="shopify logo How to Get On Shark Tank " alt="shopify logo How to Get On Shark Tank " src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/shopify-logo.jpg" width="429" height="117" /></a></p>
<p>Lots of entrepreneurs and &#8220;wantrepreneurs&#8221; ask how to get on Shark Tank and finding good advice is important if you want to make it happen. Here at the Shark Tank Blog, I conduct many<a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/interviews/" target="_blank"> interviews</a> with the entrepreneurs who appear on the show. If you want to know how to get on Shark Tank, reading through those <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/shark-tank/interviews/" target="_blank">interviews</a> is a great place to start.</p>
<h2>How to Get on Shark Tank and Make it Pay Off</h2>
<p>Getting on the show is one thing, making the best of the appearance &#8211; no matter how it is edited &#8211; is another kettle of fish altogether! A five to eight minute appearance on Shark Tank has the potential to change the course of a business forever, provided the entrepreneurs take full advantage of <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/what-is-the-shark-tank-effect/" target="_blank">The Shark Tank Effect</a>.</p>
<p>Part of the Shark Tank Effect is server crushing internet traffic to a business&#8217;s website. Having a good eCommerce shopping cart that won&#8217;t crash can be the difference between  just a few sales to hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales. Some of the most successful Shark Tank entrepreneurs that figured out how to get on Shark Tank use <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/6ntf" target="_blank">Shopify</a> for their eCommerce solution. Not one single entrepreneur I&#8217;ve interviewed who uses Shopify experienced an interruption in their eCommerce shopping cart; that&#8217;s probably why Shopify is the eCommerce provider of choice for Mark Cuban and Daymond John.</p>
<h2>Shopify Shares Secrets to eCommerce Shark Tank Success</h2>
<p>The folks at <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/6ntf" target="_blank">Shopify</a> enjoy working with successful Shark Tank entrepreneurs and e-Businesses of all kinds. Simply put, if you have an online shopping cart, they&#8217;re the folks to talk to. As the Shopify people become more and more familiar with the challenges of providing eCommerce solutions for entrepreneurs who know how to get on Shark Tank, and they&#8217;ve learned some things themselves. There is a great article on the <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/6ntf" target="_blank">Shopify</a> blog that tells people how to get on Shark Tank.  They offer lessons on valuation, figure how much you should ask for, give you terms you should know, and have several successful case studies of Shark Tank entrepreneurs. If you&#8217;re thinking about trying out for the show, it&#8217;s a must read.</p>
<p>Check out how to get on Shark Tank on the Shopify Blog <a href="http://www.shopify.com/blog/7789467-how-to-get-a-deal-on-abcs-shark-tank#axzz2SccM3uNn" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/how-to-get-on-shark-tank/">How to Get On Shark Tank</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Bike With no Training Wheels</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/bike-with-no-training-wheels/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=bike-with-no-training-wheels</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/bike-with-no-training-wheels/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 May 2013 11:40:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14177</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Entrepreneur Mary Beth Lugo pitches a bike with no training wheels in Shark Tank episode 425. Lugo and her partner,  Elizabeth Wagner (who doesn&#8217;t appear on the show), are co-owners of KaZAM, a company that sells &#8220;balance bikes&#8221; to help train young children how to ride a bike. The bike with no training wheels doesn&#8217;t have [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/bike-with-no-training-wheels/">Bike With no Training Wheels</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter  wp-image-14179" alt="KaZAM Bikes balance bike with no training wheels on Shark Tank" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/KaZAM-Bikes-balance-bike-with-no-training-wheels-on-Shark-Tank-522x348.jpg" width="365" height="244" />Entrepreneur Mary Beth Lugo pitches a bike with no training wheels in Shark Tank episode 425. Lugo and her partner,  Elizabeth Wagner (who doesn&#8217;t appear on the show), are co-owners of <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/kazam-bikes/" target="_blank">KaZAM</a>, a company that sells &#8220;balance bikes&#8221; to help train young children how to ride a bike. The bike with no training wheels doesn&#8217;t have pedals either, instead it&#8217;s equipped with a footrest so kids can practice their balance while gliding along.</p>
<p>The KaZAM is kind of a cross between a scooter and a bike. Children propel the bike with no training wheels by pushing along with their feet. Once they&#8217;re at good cruising speed, they put their feet on the footrest and glide. KaZAM bikes are meant for use on flat surfaces and are designed to boost confidence and get kids comfortable with riding on two wheels with no added support. KaZAM won numerous awards from parent and toy industry organizations and hopes to ride to success on the growing popularity of the balance bike with no training wheels.</p>
<h2>I Wish I had a Bike With No Training Wheels!</h2>
<p>I taught five children how to ride bikes; some got the hag of it right away while others expressed anxiety and didn&#8217;t learn without a lot of falls and skinned knees. We did it the old-fashioned way: let them use training wheels until &#8220;the big day&#8221; when they&#8217;re removed. The immediate notion that there is no added support throws kids off: they&#8217;re afraid of falling and they&#8217;s so focused on balance, they forget to pedal or just keep their feet on the ground. It can be a daunting task.</p>
<p>The balance bike with no training wheels eliminates the fear of losing balance, since  (hopefully) the kid learned to glide on two wheels. Once that fear is removed, it should make it easier to start pedaling away. The KaZAM is a very simple solution to a problem every parent faces. The band-aid people might not like these balance bikes, but parents everywhere will scoop them up, once they&#8217;re educated on the concept.</p>
<h2>Do the Sharks take the Training Wheels off and Invest?</h2>
<p>KaZAM balance bikes are one of those &#8220;why didn&#8217;t I think of that&#8221; type of inventions. The concept is so simple and logical, it seems like they should have been selling these things for years. Assuming the business is otherwise sound, KaZAM should receive multiple offers. The Sharks have all gone through teaching kids how to ride a bike, so it&#8217;s a product that will hit home with them.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not sure if a deal will get done &#8211; the exposure on Shark Tank is sure to spark the <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/what-is-the-shark-tank-effect/" target="_blank">Shark Tank Effect</a>. I&#8217;d expect KaZAM to sell a lot of bikes in the show&#8217;s aftermath &#8211; particularly with summer coming soon. A lot of parents will drop some cash for something that will make their child&#8217;s transition to two wheels less traumatic and painful. Lugo gets what she wants whether she does a deal or not: exposure for a very smart product in front of 14 million eyeballs. End result: A LOT OF SALES, whether a Shark invest or not.</p>
<p>I, for one, am solidly &#8220;IN!&#8221; Just leave the training wheels at home!</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/bike-with-no-training-wheels/">Bike With no Training Wheels</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Burger Babes Food Truck</title>
		<link>http://sharktankblog.com/burger-babes-food-truck/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=burger-babes-food-truck</link>
		<comments>http://sharktankblog.com/burger-babes-food-truck/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 May 2013 10:56:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Rob Merlino</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Preview Episodes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sharktankblog.com/?p=14164</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Baby&#8217;s Bad Ass Burgers entrepreneurs Erica Cohen and Lori Barbera pitch their burger babes food truck in Shark Tank episode 425. Erica and Lori are combining two key ingredients to assure their business is successful (with the male demographic anyway): good burgers and beautiful burger babes to serve them! They decided to brand the concept [...]</p><p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/burger-babes-food-truck/">Burger Babes Food Truck</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-14170" alt="burger babes food truck on shark tank Babys bad ass burgers" src="http://sharktankblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/burger-babes-food-truck-on-shark-tank-Babys-bad-ass-burgers-397x348.jpg" width="397" height="348" /></p>
<p>Baby&#8217;s Bad Ass Burgers entrepreneurs Erica Cohen and Lori Barbera pitch their burger babes food truck in Shark Tank episode 425. Erica and Lori are combining two key ingredients to assure their business is successful (with the male demographic anyway): good burgers and beautiful burger babes to serve them! They decided to brand the concept of a burger babes food truck while refining the menu with chef Jason Ryczek.</p>
<p>The two entrepreneurs and business partners are burger lovers themselves and they sought to capitalize on the gourmet burger trend in LA by offering high-end burgers without the high-end restaurant price. Adding burger babes to the mix was just smart marketing. It was also a defacto move in the early days when they (wo)manned the food truck: both women are pretty easy on the eyes themselves! The burger babes food truck serves all kinds &#8211; from celebrities to business people to students &#8211; and the consensus is <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/babys-bad-ass-burgers/">Baby&#8217;s Bad Ass Burgers</a> are as hot as the babes serving them!</p>
<h2>Burger Babes Food Truck Business</h2>
<p>Even though I am well-known for my fondness for hot dogs, I LOVE good burgers. As my excruciatingly beautiful wife will affirm, I also like looking at attractive women (hey, I get to do it every day at home). There are a lot of other guys (and probably some women too) who like the combination of juicy burgers and beautiful burger babes; it&#8217;s such an all-American concept, no wonder Baby&#8217;s Bad Ass Burgers is a popular LA food truck.</p>
<p>While running a food truck is a good business, Cohen and Barbera know expansion is the key to growing it. They have a truck on the ground in Jacksonville, FL and they actively solicit franchisees on their website. Their vision is to become a national brand through franchising.</p>
<h2>Shark Burgers</h2>
<p>Another LA area food truck found success in Shark Tank season 4. <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/business/cousins-maine-lobster/" target="_blank">Cousins Maine Lobster</a> did a deal with Barbara Corcoran in episode 406 and got an update in episode 413. Popular food trucks in big markets like LA make solid money, but there has to be more to the business plan than just the truck. The lobster guys used their Maine connections to start importing lobsters as an add-on business; Baby&#8217;s Bad Ass Burgers want to use franchising to expand their empire.</p>
<p>Barbara would seem to be the most obvious targeted Shark, but I&#8217;m not sure she&#8217;s interested in having an ownership interest in two trucks in the same market. She may be intrigued by the franchising concept and could make an offer based on her positive experience with Cousins. The other Sharks may see opportunity with the burger babes food truck and make offers based on Barbara&#8217;s past success. Even though a pair of beautiful women will be pitching to them, the &#8220;boy Sharks&#8221; will want to see solid numbers, not eye candy.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m not sure if  Baby&#8217;s Bad Ass Burgers gets a deal, but I am &#8220;IN&#8221; with a Bombshell Burger and some sweet potato fries!</p>
<p>The post <a href="http://sharktankblog.com/burger-babes-food-truck/">Burger Babes Food Truck</a> appeared first on <a href="http://sharktankblog.com">Shark Tank Blog</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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