Meet Sally.
She’s a mum and designer from the Southern Highlands of NSW, and on Thursday night, she appeared on Shark Tank, pitching her business ‘Lil Fairy Door.
Sally explained to the panel that ‘Lil Fairy Door is a miniature door you put on your wall, and once it’s attached, the fairies might use it to come in and out at night and leave little notes and presents for well-behaved children.
Her 'Lil Fairy Doors (which are so popular, Naomi Simson actually already owned one), are not only a great way to inspire imaginative play in kids, but are a potential way to help children through challenging times, like potty training, sleeping troubles, moving schools or moving to a new home. Sally's also shared her 'Lil Fairy Doors with children who are sick, a detail that clearly struck a chord with the panel on Shark Tank.
Sally says the fairies might leave notes of encouragement for good behaviour, special gifts, rewards and treasures. They're always watching. Sometimes they even leave footprints behind.
In her pitch, Sally explained she needed help launching her business in the US. She's had substantial interest, but needed help from the Sharks to "make this the household brand it's so close to being."
It didn't take much convincing for Steve Baxter to offer her precisely what she was asking for - $325,000 for a 20% stake in her business.
But Naomi urged Sally to stop and consider who the best people might be to help her with this venture.
It turned out all five members of the panel were willing to spend big money. But Sally, being the savvy business-person she clearly is, asked the Sharks whether they might like to work together to give her the strongest possible offer.
And they delivered.
Glenn and Naomi offered $650K for a 20% stake in Sally's business.
Together, Steve, Andrew and Janine offered $486K for a 30% stake.
While it was a difficult decision for Sally, who acknowledged "all of you have that business mind to help me with the strategic decisions," ultimately, she chose to take Naomi and Glenn up on their offer.
And is seems she's already bringing in the business, with her site crashing almost immediately after the episode she featured on aired.
Congratulations @NaomiSimson, @DrGlenRichards and ‘Lil Fairy Door for a magical deal! #SharkTankAU pic.twitter.com/MoZNTNGc8L
Somehow, we think this won't be the last we see of Sally, or her 'Lil Fairy Doors.
Top Comments
Don't order one of the lil fairy doors,if you try to follow up on a missing order, there is no phone number and they will end up blocking your messages on Facebook. There is no means of contacting them aside from email and they do not answer emails.
But you can buy these and customise them everywhere already.
Yes, exactly what I thought.
I've seen them around for years. It's not a new product, but they've sunk all this investment into her business? Maybe I don't understand the premise of the show. I thought it was for novel ideas?
Do you mean this particular product or that you can get something similar?
It's just that this puzzles me. To me it is in idea rather than a product. Anyone can make one and actually I am precisely the type of parent that would 'steal' this idea and make it myself rather than buy something so mass produced looking for something so magical.
I guess i like the sentiment behind it but scratching my head at it being such a thriving business. Call me a cynic but to me it's kind of everything that I don't like about a capitalist and consumerist society. It's obviously not about the sentiment anymore but about making money.
She wants to expand her business internationally.
if you bothered to read the article, you would know that this was about breaking into the US market.