Well we are back – the five sharks (all self made entrepreneurs) listening, learning and delighted to see what we have coming in to Shark Tank for Series 2. All of these pitches were completely new to us. We have no briefing, we literally only have our ability to ask questions and find the answers before determining if we think that the pitch is ‘investable’. Each of us has a different approach to investing and what we are looking for in the entrepreneur and the business idea – but it is great to have new Shark Dr Glen Richards join us with his wealth of consumer experience in Greencross Vets and Pet Barn.
On The Go Custom Sportswear – Mick is professional, he knows his numbers, he has a team around him, he has a pipeline – and he has a big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) Mick presented to us the makings of a great enterprise. Having an Executive/Management Team/Board around him shows his commitment to what he is doing. It helps to form strategy, gain insights and learn from others who have experience. Mick was coming to the Sharks looking for Board members…but will his entrepreneurial energy be enough for us to sign up?
Catch Up: Throat Scope – Throatscope offered the market a revolutionary tool for oral cavity examination – both for kids, but for parents and doctors too. After securing an investment form Steve in Series 1 of Shark Tank Australia, Jennifer assembled a team of professionals to help commercialise her product and introduce Throat Scope to the world. With her investment from Steve, Jen has found national distribution and export opportunities. Great to see what she has achieved in the last year.
Clever Score-boards – It is so funny that whenever you are at a cricket or rugby game, you spend a brief second every now and then running your eyes to the scoreboard to see where the points lie – and how close it is. We forget how integral the board is to the game itself. And then enter stage left…The Clever Scoreboard! With significant sales in Australia for this manual scoreboard system David Lambasa our founder has a very compelling offer. He has visions of going global and wants to take a shark with him on the ride. Watching Glen and Janine battle it out to avoid the ‘Loser’ award shows how much we love our sport and how great this product is.
Sharknado – It is not often that I have no idea what is going on – especially when it is someone presenting to me..but I have to say, when Lynton ran into the tank with his explosive presentation, I had no words! As Sharks we meet energetic, charismatic, passionate entrepreneurs every day but Lynton takes that energy to a whole new level. He is in the entertainment business – a showman at heart and we loved the theatre – but did we love what was on offer?
Join us next Sunday on TEN after MasterChef at 9.00 – and if you think you have a business idea or know someone that does – then maybe it is time to grab my book Ready To Soar.