Carsik Bib
NO DEAL
EPISODE SUMMARY
🕓 Air Date: April 29, 2011
Asking For:
$30,000 for 15%
Investor:
No Deal
Deal:
No Deal
PRODUCT SUMMARY
The Carsik Bib is a hands-free barf bag designed for children experiencing carsickness, offering a convenient and hygienic solution for parents dealing with unexpected vomit incidents during car rides.
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Background Story
Les Cookson, the founder of Carsik Bib journey began with a personal struggle familiar to many parents: dealing with children prone to carsickness. With a background likely rooted in problem-solving and innovation, Cookson found himself facing a recurring challenge when his own kids would unexpectedly become ill during car rides. Frustrated by the lack of effective solutions available on the market, Cookson decided to take matters into his own hands.
Driven by a desire to alleviate the discomfort and mess associated with carsickness, Cookson embarked on a journey of product development. Drawing from his own experiences as a parent and likely leveraging skills honed from previous endeavors, Cookson set out to create a practical and hygienic solution for this common problem. His vision was to provide parents with a hands-free alternative to traditional barf bags, one that would offer convenience and peace of mind during family travels.
Cookson’s motivation likely stemmed not only from personal necessity but also from a desire to fill a gap in the market and improve the experiences of countless families facing similar challenges. With determination and ingenuity, he transformed his frustration into innovation, resulting in the creation of the Carsik Bib. This product not only reflects Cookson’s entrepreneurial spirit but also his commitment to solving real-world problems with practical solutions.
The Product
The Carsik Bib is a innovative solution designed to tackle the common issue of carsickness in children. Functioning as a traditional bib with an added twist, the Carsik Bib features a specialized pouch to contain vomit, ensuring a mess-free experience for both parents and children during car rides.
Its operation is simple yet effective: the bib is attached around the child’s neck like a regular bib, and in the event of carsickness, the vomit is directed into the pouch located at the bottom. This pouch is equipped with an absorbent pad to soak up liquid and minimize odors, maintaining a clean and hygienic environment within the car.
The benefits of the Carsik Bib are manifold. Not only does it offer a convenient and hands-free alternative to traditional barf bags, but it also provides parents with peace of mind knowing that they can effectively manage unexpected incidents of carsickness without the hassle of cleaning up afterwards.
The product can be purchased online through the company’s website, although specific details regarding pricing and distribution channels are not provided in the pitch. However, given the low production cost of 19 cents per unit, it is likely that the Carsik Bib is priced affordably to appeal to its target market of parents seeking practical solutions for car rides with carsick children.
How It Went
The company’s position before Shark Tank
The company’s performance of Carsik Bib remains somewhat limited as it has primarily conducted a small-scale test run of the product. With 160 units sold online, the company has demonstrated modest initial success, although mass production and wider distribution have not yet been achieved. Despite this, Carsik Bib has garnered attention and interest from parents seeking solutions for carsickness in children. Funding for Carsik Bib has primarily come from the founder, Les Cookson, who has invested $1,300 into the project himself.
While this demonstrates Cookson’s commitment to the product, it also highlights the company’s reliance on limited resources for development and growth. Additional funding may be sought through investment opportunities or crowdfunding initiatives to support further expansion and marketing efforts. As for profits and losses, specific financial data is not provided in the pitch, making it difficult to assess the company’s current financial health.
However, with a low production cost of 19 cents per unit, the potential for profitability exists, especially if Carsik Bib can scale up production and secure wider distribution channels. In terms of company structure, Carsik Bib appears to be a small-scale operation, with Cookson handling various aspects of the business himself, from product development to sales. While this hands-on approach may have enabled cost savings and flexibility in the early stages, it may also pose challenges for scalability and long-term growth without additional resources and support.
The Negotiations:
During the negotiations on Shark Tank, Les Cookson, the founder of Carsik Bib, sought a $30,000 investment in exchange for a 15% equity stake in the company. However, the Sharks expressed concerns regarding the product’s practicality and safety, ultimately leading to no deal being struck. Mark Cuban, the first to bow out, expressed discomfort with the idea of investing in a product associated with vomit, citing concerns about its place in his investment portfolio.
Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O’Leary echoed similar sentiments, with Corcoran specifically mentioning liability issues related to having a plastic bag around a child’s neck during car rides. While Daymond John found the product amusing and innovative, he ultimately decided not to invest due to concerns about the practicality and safety of the Carsik Bib. Jeff Foxworthy also opted out, stating his reluctance to invest in a product that he couldn’t imagine using with his own child.
Despite the founder’s conviction and belief in the product’s potential, none of the Sharks were willing to make an investment. Cookson’s willingness to share his personal experiences and his efforts to create a solution to a common problem were acknowledged, but concerns about the product’s viability and safety overshadowed these factors. As a result, the negotiations ended without a deal, leaving Cookson to continue his entrepreneurial journey without the backing of the Sharks.
