For twelve years, Brenda Lee Feldman made Inch Bug a profitable, viable business. She began by selling personalized stickers and labels for kid’s snacks and other possessions so they could be easily identified when going to school or day care. Her original Orbit labels were a hit with parents everywhere, she hopes the Sharks like the new, 3D Orbit labels and her newest invention – the My Drinky juice box holder – when she enters the Shark tank in episode 723.
The new Orbit labels and the My Drinky juice box holder are Feldman’s latest inventions. She hopes “launching” them in the Tank will yield big dividends – and sales. The concepts are simple: the 3D labels are simply an evolution of the first generation of Inch Bug labels. The My Drinky juice box holder is simply a device that adjusts to different sizes of juice boxes, milk cartons, and juice pouches.
My Drinky prevents kids from squeezing their juice boxes, which often results in sticky messes (and wasted juice). My Drinky is made in the USA and is BPA and Pthlalate-free. At $9.95, it’s priced for mass appeal and ought to find its way into many parents’ hands.
Feldman likely wants the publicity of Shark Tank to help with product awareness and a Shark’s help ramping up production and with retail placement.
My Take on Inch Bug
My kids are well beyond the need for these products, but back in the day, we could have used them. Spilled juice boxes were a near constant and I can’t count how many times I found sticky messes in the back of the mini van. If My Drinky solves the spilled juice box issue, many parents will drop the ten bucks for one; I sure would have!
The label thing is a bit of a stretch for me. There’s nothing there that a good Sharpie couldn’t accomplish, so I am not totally sold on those, but 12 years of successful sales prove there’s a market. I think the history of success with the labels and the innovation of My Drinky will continue the Inch Bug success story. For that reason, I’m in.
Do Sharks Inch toward a partnership?
Inch Bug is a business that makes me wonder why they are in the Tank at all. With a 12 year track record, you’d think the business wouldn’t need a Shark. The Sharks may have the same question, but I believe the My Drinky is at the core of the pitch.
Getting a new product to market is always a daunting task, with or without a track record of success. That’s likely what brings Feldman to the Tank, so her valuation needs to reflect the risks of launching a new product. That said, I think she leaves without a deal. Her website is hosted on Yahoo – not a mark of a Shark Tank business. Most Shark tank businesses host with a more robust platform, like WP Engine or Shopify, after doing a deal. I’m willing to bet the Sharks and Feldman can’t reach an equitable valuation and she leaves empty-handed.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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