Eben looks like he was about to throw up. Even though he had these assets, he was still $2.1 million in debt. West had $50,000 in the bank, about $300,000 in backstock inventory, and some intellectual property. He had about $50,000 left from his initial investments. Eben looked worried, but he answered honestly. Kevin wanted to know how much he had lost total over the six years that he had been in business. And he lost $2.5 million in six years trying to build his brand. He described going from one marketing event to the next, not being able to meet demand and running up a bunch of inventory and then not being able to sell it. Eben agreed, but he thought WISP was still worth the effort of fighting back against the status quo of the broom.Įben was looking for someone to invest in to help him manage his supply chain. Kevin advised that the issue was that he was directly competing with much cheaper traditional cleaning tools. Each cleaning implement cost A little under $30, while the cost of goods was about $17.00 per unit. Lori wanted to know how much it cost to make and what the charge was for the customer. Eben let him know that he had raised over $2.2 million in about six years. Mark Cuban asked Eben how much money he had raised both by himself and other investors. The way he was compensating contractors working for him was incorrect and unsustainable. He made all the decisions and took full responsibility. Eben admitted that he did not handle the situation well. This meant that they made a profit, right? That would typically be a logical conclusion, but WISP lost over half a million dollars. Eben let him know that WISP had done $1.43 million in sales. Kevin wanted to know what the rest of his sales for the year looked like. He revealed that he had sold 20,000 units at no profit, but it was within four hours. Even though this method did not generate a profit, it was worth it to get many eyes on the company. He had gone on a few shows where there was revenue sharing, and he had to build up his inventory to meet them. He explained an inherent marketing cost to how they had gotten any sales. Eben had not made a profit but instead had lost money.Įben would be able to market the product to a large audience, who would receive a 50% discount on their purchase of the WISP. Wonderful, his answer to the following question was surprising but much less impressive. WISP has sold over 100,000 units over the lifetime of the business. Kevin, of course, wanted to know if Eben had sold anything. Mark Cuban muttered in surprise that Eben valued the business so high. He finally told them that he was seeking $500,000 in exchange for 10% of the company because his product was the evolution of cleaning. Eben has the design so that there are combs on the side of the item to clean off the bristles of the list straight into the west pan. He stated that he had a patent on the last bit of technology. It could be easily operated one-handed, and it had bristles on the side of the dustpan to aid in cleaning the tool. He listed out the benefits of the WISP as eliminating the hassle of physical strain from the broom. So what was the solution? His product, of course. He seemed even more tired of struggling to get that last bit of dirt into the dustpan. Eben was tired of having to bend down to pick up the dirt. He described how annoying and straining sweeping was both on your back and in your arms. Instead of sweeping, that action would now be called WISPing. He said that he reengineered the broom and the dustpan to make them more efficient and easier to use. He called his product a category disruptor. Eben points out that sweeping has not changed significantly in centuries. Eben began to introduce the WISP as a new way of cleaning. He went into the details of his business. He introduced himself, and unlike most visitors to the tank, he didn’t start by listing what he wanted from the Sharks. Would the Sharks be as impressed? WISP on Shark TankĮben Dobson III, the founder of Wisp Industries, walked out onto the legendary Shark Tank stage. The product, an alternative to the broom, attracted the attention of 22 investors and got millions of dollars in sales. According to his website, he earned the nickname WISP by being able to hit a golf ball to its target from over 300 yards while being slight in stature. Wisp was in business for almost six years before seeking investment from the Sharks. Wisp Now in 2023 – The After Shark Tank Update.
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