Bill Webster III and Bill Webster Jr. hope the Sharks sign a deal for Garage Celebrations, their festive garage sign business, in Shark Tank episode 1409. Bill Jr. started the business in April, 2021. He got the idea while thinking about how he enjoyed decorating for the holidays when his kids were small. He wanted to continue doing that, but in a quick and easy way. That’s when he thought of making his garage a celebration.
He wanted more than just a sign glued to the door, so he asked Bill III, his son, to give him a hand. Bill III came up with the idea for the patent pending attachment collars. They fasten around the garage door kind of like a fitted sheet and tighten up with a zipper. The best part is you can still operate your garage door with them on. The only tool needed to install it is a step ladder.
The Garage Celebrations signs are large fabric signs with seasonally themed messages. They have Halloween, Christmas, Patriotic, Birthday signs and more. They’re machine washable too. The signs fit on standard sized 1 or 2 car garage doors. A one car garage sign costs $99 and a two car is $159. They also make custom sized signs and personalized signs for an extra cost. They likely want a Shark’s help with marketing and more warehouse space.
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Garage Celebration – Festive Garage Door Signs
Garage Celebrations Shark Tank Recap
The two Bills enter the Shark Tank seeking $200,000 for 20% equity in their company. Bill junior talks about how much of a pain it is to put up Christmas decorations as Bill III fumbles with tangled wires of lights. Bill III says the outdoor holiday decorations market is a multi billion dollar industry. He introduces Garage Celebrations. Their door covers fit most one or two door garage doors. Their covers need no tools or tape and the covers stretch to fit the garage door. They have covers for all major holidays and events. The covers are reusable, machine washable and they fold for easy storage.
The Sharks all have sample packages. Robert wants to know if there are other door covers – there are, but they require clips and they tear easily. Barbara asks them to explain how they attach. Bill and Bill hold up a cover and tell the Sharks they’re 6% spandex. Bill III demonstrates how the covers zip around each corner of the garage door.
Mr. Wonderful wants to know how they know how much to order for each holiday and Bill junior says he doesn’t know because they’re just starting out. They have $175,000 in sales to the largest Halloween retailer in the country to date. The single car garage door cover sells for $129 and costs $35 landed. They wholesale for $43 and Mark says that isn’t enough.
Lori asks how they came up with this and Bill junior says he’s been a serial entrepreneur and retired several years ago. After working on his house and playing some golf, he needed something else to do. He asked Bill III to help him. Bill III says it’s not easy to work with his dad, but they had complementary skills. Kevin wants to know why it’s worth $1 million since it’s not proprietary. Bill junior says it is proprietary due to the utility patent on the attachment collar. Robert wants to know how they’ll generate more sales and Bill III says social media is the way to go. Bill III did all the designs.
Barbara thinks the designs look dated; she’s out. Lori loves the Halloween cover but she doesn’t think it’s the right kind of investment for her; she’s out. They say they’re going to use the money to manufacture closer to home and cut down lead time. Eventually, they want to do custom covers which will command more money. Mr. Wonderful wants to know if customers can upload images for covers and Bill junior says that’s where they’re going. Robert doesn’t agree with the customization, but doesn’t know how they’ll get customers. Mr. Wonderful says they need to learn Tik Tok but he doesn’t see how he’ll make a lot of money with this; he’s out. Robert says they need a third Bill who knows eCommerce and marketing. Since they don’t have one, he’s out.
Mark asks about their Vietnamese manufacturer and the Bills say they want to buy their own dye sublimation printer for $60,000. Mark likes it because he envisions making them with the Mavs logo. Mark offers $200,000 for 30% and the Bills agree.
Garage Celebrations Shark Tank Update
The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show.
As of the first rerun of this episode in July, 2023 – 6 months after the original air date – there is no evidence the deal with Mark closed. They haven’t figured social media out yet as their Facebook page only has 22 followers and their Instagram has just 1062 followers. Their Tik Tok page is doing a little better with just over 3000 followers and a fair amount of videos.
The Shark Tank Blog will follow-up on Garage Celebrations & Bill Webster III and Bill Webster Jr. as more details become available.
