Mo's Bows: Money Isn't Everything

Moziah Bridges stole the show in last week's episode of Shark Tank. The 11 year old entrepreneur from Memphis, Tennessee started his bow-tie business at the young age of nine after deciding to pursue his "passion for fashion". He along with his grandmother spend many hours a day sewing a variety of bow-ties to then sell for a high-end $40 or $60 apiece. Mo charmed the Sharks from the moment he started his presentation, and ultimately got an offer from Kevin O'Leary. But although Mo turned this offer down, what he walked out of the Tank with was a lot more valuable.

Mo applied to be on Shark Tank for two reasons: To acquire money to be able to move the manufacturing to an actual facility, and to partner with his idol, Daymond John. After being told by three Sharks that he could make it on his own without an investor, Mo was left with two offers, each reflecting on one of his underlying purposes for entering the Tank. Kevin offered to provide the money Mo needed in exchange for a $3 royalty on each bow-tie he sold, while Daymond offered to mentor Mo for no equity in the company at all. With the help of his mom, Mo decided to give up the equity offer and instead walk away with a direct line to the fashion mogul, Daymond John.

@ Packback Books: When You’re in the Tank, it’s Not that Easy, Right?

By: Pete Troshak
Twitter: @Shak74
Website: www.Shak74.com

Twenty years ago if I told you that instead of going to the local book store to get the latest bestseller you would be downloading books on a device the size of a pad of paper that can hold the equivalent of a small library, you would have never believed me. The way we digest print media has changed, and along with that comes opportunity for innovative minds to market and sell books in new ways to niche markets.

Young entrepreneurs Casey and Mike have created their company, Packback Books, to address one of these niche markets. The duo was looking for $200,000 for 10% of their company. Their website offers pay-per-use access to college text books on a rent-per-day basis at $5 per day. The average rental would cost the student $34 a semester as opposed to the price of buying the textbooks, which even used can cost over a hundred dollars each. Packback Books only has a deal with one major publishing company so far, and pays them 75% of their income for each rental which is apparently the industry standard for licensing publications for rental. The publisher’s gain from Packback Books renting their books because they earn revenue with no effort on their part, and it is better than the alternative, which finds many students buying used books with don’t benefit the publishers at all.

Define Bottle and iReTron: A Tale of Two Pitches

By: Pete Troshak
Twitter: @Shak74
Website: www.Shak74.com

Last week's Shark Tank featured entrepreneurs ranging in age from six to sixteen who have invented items to make the world a better place. Two of the pitches featured inventors of roughly the same age who displayed business savvy combined with an impressive level of social and environmental consciousness beyond their years. Only one walked out of the Tank with a deal, and we are here to analyze why.