For this assignment I was tasked with watching Season 13, Episode 13 of the television series Shark Tank. A show in which entrepreneurs are faced to face with the intimidating world of gaining business investments. The reality television show allows for future inventors to pitch their ideas to investors also referred to as “sharks.” The nature of the show is to have the contestants sell their ideas to the sharks, in which the sharks evaluate the fate of their success. The sharks will then make a decision on the spot, producing offers and renegotiation that will potentially fall in alignment with the inventors goals for their product or unique service.

The Pitch that most resonated with me is a product called Calm Strips. A product meant to reduce anxiety or stress. Furthermore, it help’s people diagnosed with ADHD,ASD.BFRB, and children ages six and up.  Calm strips are a textured sticker that provides a convenient way to regulate anxiety ridden behavior. Whether It’s nervousness, tiredness, or fidgeting, Calm Strips are a simple yet efficient way to recess and distract your mind. Having many options and designs to choose from, Calm Strips are able to target a variety of people and institutions. With over 40 million adults (7% being children) suffering from an anxiety disorder, this increases their potential as a inspiring business. A major factor that may fall in favor with consumers is the portable design of the Calm Strips. With environmentally friendly futures and and qualities such as residue -free and water resistant, consumers are left with a vast decision on where to place their new Calm Strips.  Places ;like laptops. phone cases, and water bottles are just some normal items encouraged by the company.

The founders of  Calm Strip presented their products to the sharks by looking for a $250,000 investment for 10% of their company. They then proceeded to sell their pitch with favorable qualifications, with return rate of less than 1%, cost of production being and estimate of $3, selling price $12.48 for a pack of 5, are some attributes preferred in the world of business. The founders of Calm Strips also included that they raised $2.5 million within a year of sales and $400,000 within the last 3 months of sales. These numbers impressed the sharks and allowed them to produce the team with offers. Kevin’s offer began with no equity, wants $2.50 per unit until the $250,000 is returned in which unit price will drop to $1 perpetuity. This influenced another sharks offer, Michael. He offered the $250,000  with $2.50 per unit until money is returned in which priced is dropped down to $1.50 until three times the return of the initial capital. All though both offers by the sharks seem similar, important factors must be taken into consideration when completing the final verdict. Kevins offer included “perpetuity” , with no set timeframe on when the Calm Strip team would cease paying $1.50 to Kevin, the company risk a loss of financial gain. However, Michael’s offer includes an end time with $1.50  per unit until 3 times the unit is paid. This gives the team an insight of the financial future of Calm Strips.

Calm Strips addresses a gap by offering people a solution for anxiety reduction. The product encourages consumers to carry stress relief tool wherever they go. This narrows the quest to find a calm moment within a chaotic lifestyle . The product highlights a quick and portable solution making it not just a want but a need for people seeking ways to decrease stress. The product not only offers a shift in addressing anxiety, but may influence the way it is dealt with in the future. With no cure for the illness, a team of specialist might look to gadgets like this for an immediate relief they can refer to patients. Calm Strips should consider Social media engagement and educational campaigns to expand its appeal to consumers. Developing a social media community around stress management may encourage users to come forward with testimonies that creates a sense of connection with the buyers and products. Educational campaigns  puts the business out there reaching a greater audience. Including information not only about the product but about the amount of people that suffered from stress with no quick and portable outlet. Highlighting Calm Strips as a tool connected with science and designed to make dealing with anxiety easier.