Several business owners, budding entrepreneurs and millions of viewers across the US and the world watch ABC’S Reality TV Series – Shark Tank. Being on “the tank” can be truly game-changing for any business. For small business owners, the show offers several benefits such as TV exposure, deal with a celebrity investor, sound business advice, business financing, and more.
Obviously the biggest draw to appearing on Shark Tank is convincing one of the sharks to give you a business deal for your product or service. The opportunity to partner with one of the sharks is invaluable but even if you can't make a deal, the simple act of appearing on the show can transform your business. The kind of exposure you get on a syndicated nationally broadcast network show is like having an advertisement air during the Super Bowl, but better. That's because, unlike the super bowl, many viewers of the show are already engaged with learning about new products and likely to research their favorite ones after the show airs.
For small businesses, this kind of exposure can completely transform them by having millions of viewers introduced to their product. Sometimes the demand for a product soars so high after a show airs, that the traffic can crash a website or become so high that it's hard to process every order. Unlike large corporations, small businesses don't always have the best web infrastructure so if you are planning on appearing on the show its critical to make sure your website can handle the traffic. And if you don't have a website, make sure to have one well before the show airs because without it most potential customers will not have a way to find you.
Another important aspect of a show appearance is that even if you don't make a deal, you are getting valuable face to face time with successful entrepreneurs that know their fields better than anyone. If you have a product that you think would be great for QVC, Lori Greiner will be able to give her thoughts on if you are right. If you are looking to get into tech field, Mark Cuban will be able to tell you how feasible that aspiration really is. Regardless of what field you are interested in, there is a shark there that knows a thing or two about launching a product into the hands of consumers. Most of them will offer their advice after you pitch them and will be honest about what steps you need to take to get to the next level. You don't have to win a deal for this either because it's the nature of each shark to inspire and guide small business owners into becoming bigger.
Of course if you have a product that intrigues them, the best outcome is making a deal. By doing so, you'll be parenting with an incredible resource most people will hardly have exposure to. Each of the sharks have well established connections and proven knowledge of how to lead a business. It doesn't matter if the product is a simple as a sponge, silly as Christmas sweaters, or as important as a life saving Breathalyzer. The fact of the matter is that if you believe in your product and know how to pitch it, you can turn your small business into a household name.
If you think you are ready for the next step of your small business's development, consider applying for Shark Tank. Even if you don't get on the show, the preparation done for an appearance will only help your business. Having a working website, and cleaning up a sales pitch will always benefit your business so don't feel as if applying for the show is waste of time. In actuality, its one of the first steps to becoming the next big thing.