S01.E03: Beyond The Tank: Episode 103

[yeswedo]

Robert Herjavec travels to Dothan, Ala., to check up on the Chord Buddy founder as he faces a decision that will determine the company's survival, Lori Greiner tries to convince Brooklyn-based Bantam Bagels to make a name change, and Barbara Corcoran reevaluates her investment in Mix Bikini.

[bilgistic]

What's with bikini guy's Saturday Night Fever walk?

[mjc570]

That was a weird episode.  The ChordBuddy segment was FAR too long - it was only interesting when Robert was there.  Travis seems like a lovely man, but did he really not understand that those 2 politicians were only supporting a pilot program?  I had to FF through most of it, I really had enough of him and his family and his employees.

 

I don't understand why Barbara was so sold on the bikini guy - he seems like  the classic guy who's always starting failing businesses. 

 

FInally, I think the bagel folks made a huge mistake changing the name.  I don't know what kind of editing was involved, but "bantam" is well-known as a word meaning small (Not just chickens, but weight classes etc.)  To me, the selling point is that they are small.  Calling them "Bagel Stuffins'" doesn't convey that at all, and makes me think of something you use to stuff bagels, not that they are stuffed bagels.I don't understand why they couldn't continue to call them Bantam Bagels, with a line underneath saying "mini stuffed bagels," which I think is what they do.  The naming problem I see isn't the "Bantam," it's the "bagels," which I think might limit them if they want to expand into non-bagels.

[bilgistic]

Well, they'll certainly fit in with "the big guys" in your supermarket freezer section, because "Bagel Stuffins" sounds like generic, flavorless crap put out by the people who make Bagel Bites. Lori's a bully, even if she tries to hide it with her screwy-faced fake smiles.

That was gross how at the co-packer, she had the hair net perched atop her head, completely not covering any of her hair. Warning to whoever orders Banta--er, Bagel Stuffins: may contain blonde weave.

[mjc570]

 

That was gross how at the co-packer, she had the hair net perched atop her head, completely not covering any of her hair. Warning to whoever orders Banta--er, Bagel Stuffins: may contain blonde weave.

 

Ha ha, I completely forgot that.  I assume they would have to throw the product out, due to the hygiene violation.

[roseha]

Yes, Lori wearing the cap with 80 percent of her hair outside was absurd.

 

I guess bikini guy will be the only failure they show, but I wonder why he didn't try to fix his website rather than move on to - what was it, two other businesses?

[zxy556575]

I can understand the appeal of building a custom bikini, especially for young women who have several, but wasn't sure why they kept showing them with different material on the cups. Who wants mismatched breasts? And do these website builders never do any stress testing? The weaselly owner doesn't so much long to be an entrepreneur as he wants to be Jay-Z. Spent all his money on a ridiculous party? I wave my private parts in his general direction.

 

Chord Buddy, sigh. Sales are down, dude! You have to pay attention. I actually feel sorrier for Robert because of how boyishly excited he was to make the deal.

[Lola16]

Bagel Stuffins is an incredibly horrible name.  When I saw them on Shark Tank, I thought Bantam as in Bantam weight in boxing.  I don't see Bantam as a sales killer.   Sweet & Savory Balls by Bantam Bagels.  There you go.  I'd buy that before I'd buy Bagel Stuffins.  Sounds like that Doc McStuffin.  This is where the sharks cause harm --- when they think they know so much about branding and don't spend a few bucks on a branding expert to come up with a name.

 

Chord Buddy guy didn't listen.  And his wife is blindly supporting him.  I'm OK with him keeping the production in Alabama but not OK with him having declining sales for 2 years and waiting until then to start cutting costs.  If he saved the $3 per book before then, how much would that have contributed to the bottom line?  And he could make a smaller booklet and have the rest online for people to download or print.  That would have shaved costs as well.  Guy isn't very smart.

 

Bikini mix dude... OK, he blew it with the fancy website and no back-up servers.  So... he gives up and starts another business?  Signs that business over to a designer?  What? Saturday Night Fever indeed.

[roctavia]

Didn't actually watch because I can't bring myself to care enough about the stuff they are following up so far... But I did want to agree that the new name for Bantam bagels is stupid...

I wasn't thrilled with the Bantam name either, since it means nothing to me, as someone who doesn't follow boxing or chickens ... But it sounds like a brand like any other- Einstein, big apple, even Lender's bagels don't tell you what the product is just by the name... But people wil figure it out if you build the brand.

[bilgistic]

The middle-aged guy's obsession with bikinis (two companies!) that require an adolescent figure to pull off kept nagging at me as a titch inappropriate.

[LotusFlower]

Didn't actually watch because I can't bring myself to care enough about the stuff they are following up so far... But I did want to agree that the new name for Bantam bagels is stupid...

I wasn't thrilled with the Bantam name either, since it means nothing to me, as someone who doesn't follow boxing or chickens ... But it sounds like a brand like any other- Einstein, big apple, even Lender's bagels don't tell you what the product is just by the name... But people wil figure it out if you build the brand.

Except Lender's bagels are bagels, and Einstein bagels are bagels, so I kinda get Laurie's point about no one getting what they are. I agree, though, that "Bagel Stuffins" is cheesy and generic, and to me, it sounds like what you'd name the cream cheese or filling to go in the bagel. Maybe switch it around? Stuffed bagels?

I also wanted to say that I didn't appreciate Robert pushing the guitar guy to get his product made in China. I think it's really admirable when someone tries to bring jobs to his or her community, and includes it in their mission statement as an important value and priority. I understand the value of cheap labor, but the Sharks always push overseas manufacturing and often turn their nose up at higher-based US production costs. For a show that's supposed to be about helping people reach the American Dream, maybe they can discuss other business ideas that might help defray costs.

[zxy556575]

My main problem with Bantam Bagels is that they're not very good, with only a dab of filling in each. The owners were childishly clinging to the name out of misplaced sentiment, but Lori's "solution" was even worse. If they're intending to expand their product line, why not keep Bantam as the unifying brand like Nestle or Kraft and add descriptors -- Bantam's Stuffed Bagel Balls, Bantam's Brownie Bites, etc.

 

On another note, if I never hear the word "co-packer" again, I'll die happy.

[leighdear]

I'm confused with the Chord Buddy.  Were the components made in the USA or imported from China?  I know the "labor" was local.  I drive through Dothan, AL every time I visit my brother in Columbus, GA. and there is very little that tiny company is going to actually contribute to the economy outside of a handful of low-paying jobs.  He's a nice guy, but stubborn.  And he seems to have a bit of a savior complex.

 

And paying for songs not in the public domain was stupid from the get-go.  Robert should have known that fact from the beginning and those booklets should never have included them.  The songs a beginner learns to play on a guitar, piano, etc. are almost irrelevant. Once somebody masters the basics, they go buy their own sheet music for songs they like. 

[cooksdelight]

Has anyone ever explained why they changed the name of Ryan's Barkery to Ry's Ruffery? The new name says nothing about the baked treats, and it's stupid-sounding when I say it. I've searched online and there's no reason given.

[leighdear]

I believe Barbara said in the update that the word "Barkery" was already trademarked. 

[Cranky One]

Did anyone notice how much the bikini guy's hands were shaking when he was on his computer? Either he was really nervous or has Parkinson disease.

They need to shorten these segments and add more updates.

[Kenz]

I'm disappointed in these three Beyond the Tank shows. Everything seems contrived. I wish it seemed more genuine.

[Amarsir]

When Bantam Bagels first appeared on Shark Tank, forum response to the name was lukewarm. I can understand wanting to change it. But I agree with all of you that "Bagel Stuffins" is worse.  Unless they're going to try to become a bulk item like "Bagel Bites", sold cheap in every supermarket's freezer section. Then you want a generic-sounding name (which you have trademarked) so you become a household standard. But that doesn't seem like what they're going for.

 

Has anyone ever explained why they changed the name of Ryan's Barkery to Ry's Ruffery? The new name says nothing about the baked treats, and it's stupid-sounding when I say it. I've searched online and there's no reason given.

That was 102 (which was the only decent episode of the 3) and they said "Ryan's" was trademarked and "Barkery" was trademarked, so "Ry's Ruffery" is what they could get.  Apparently it's working fine for sales.

[saber5055]

I only came in at the end of this show so just saw the name change for Bantam's Bagels. I didn't know what the product was, but "Bantam" makes me think of paperback books, although that's not a big deal. The "Stuffins" part, however, all I could think of was buying a bag of them at Thanksgiving to put in the turkey.

 

So, I strongly disagree with that name change. You guys had better ideas. The Bantam people should read here before they change everything.

 

Yeah, that was interesting that "Ryan's" was trademarked. Well, although it just dawned on me, that's an all-you-can-eat buffet chain. So ... nevermind.

[cooksdelight]

I'm pretty sure those bagel things arrive frozen with dry ice in a styrofoam chest, and a few people complained that they'd defrosted on the way.

[theatremouse]

They should've just changed it to Bantam Stuffed Bagels. There. Done. No goofy childish sounding name. And people will know they're stuffed bagels. And the three people Lori brought into the store who didn't associate "Bantam" with small roosters, or small boxers, or small books is hardly a decent sample size.

Plus I wonder when they filmed the follow up in relationship to the original appearance on the show. Because they explained the name on the show the first time. So they have a nationally televised appearance not only calling them the original name, but also explaining its meaning. I wouldn't think anyone who'd been on Shark Tank would want to change their company/product's name after being on the show unless there were a real major problem with it, such as already trademarked or completely confusing. I don't think Bantam's completely confusing. Even if you don't know what the word means, betcha a buck people who didn't know would probably assume it's someone's name or the name of a place or something and not jump to "WTF is Bantam". They had a potential source of recognition and now they're tossing it. I mean, I guess they just went on again and announced their new name, but it still seems a weird move to me.

[nobodyyoucare]

I'm confused with the Chord Buddy.  Were the components made in the USA or imported from China?  I know the "labor" was local.  I drive through Dothan, AL every time I visit my brother in Columbus, GA. and there is very little that tiny company is going to actually contribute to the economy outside of a handful of low-paying jobs.  He's a nice guy, but stubborn.  And he seems to have a bit of a savior complex.

 

And paying for songs not in the public domain was stupid from the get-go.  Robert should have known that fact from the beginning and those booklets should never have included them.  The songs a beginner learns to play on a guitar, piano, etc. are almost irrelevant. Once somebody masters the basics, they go buy their own sheet music for songs they like. 

They said 90% of it was made in the US.  As for licensed songs I could see that as a result of not finding good public domain songs as the company started,

 

 

Travis seems like a lovely man, but did he really not understand that those 2 politicians were only supporting a pilot program?

Said pilot was over 200k enough to save the company for the year. If the pilot worked then it would potentially be 2 million in one state, If that 2 million was over 50 states that would be a 100 million. So hopefully for him having the pilot succeed means a lot of sales. Also guess what the students who did the mathbuddy would do? They would buy the chord buddy.

[Shibori]

I think the problem they're glossing over with the Chord Buddy (and most Shark Tank businesses, I suspect) is that most businesses will have a hard time sustaining the Shark Tank bump for long after it airs. Sure, they'll probably settle at a higher annual sales number one it two years out, but it's not going to keep going up and up unless you have a good sustainability plan. Chord Buddy is a one time purchase per person that would use it, and the market is finite. Eventually you're going to saturate the market, and then what?

I chuckled at his meeting with the state rep and senator- I run an educational nonprofit that relies heavily on government contracts, and I can tell you what we saw means nothing. He stated a cost of $250k per school for 50 schools- $5,000 per school. To get that kind of money you have to have research to show that your product and method produces some kind of result- research like that takes years and can cost millions. You can't just say, hey, theoretically this will improve math scores. "Evidence-based programs" are the hot commodity in education now, and evidence doesn't come cheap. Not to mention that this kind of stuff doesn't come top down- individual school districts ultimately make these calls. At best some government office might offer a grant to use the product, but a state doesn't put in a PO for a few thousand Chord Buddies and then just hand them out. Which leads to the next question- who is going to train teachers how to use the program? How much does the training cost? Math teachers or music teachers? Getting into schools on a large scale is no easy feat- politics, unions, elections, etc. I've had teachers unions oppose good programs with a proven track record provided free to a school because the teachers didn't want outsiders (or non-Union teachers) coming in classrooms at all, but they also didn't want teachers having to be trained in the program to do it themselves without more pay. I've also seen millions committed to programs that magically disappear (or end) when an incumbent loses an election. This guy doesn't know what he's getting into.

Edited May 16, 2015 by Shibori

[kimberwatch]

I chuckled at his meeting with the state rep and senator- I run an educational nonprofit that relies heavily on government contracts, and I can tell you what we saw means nothing. 

Exactly.  Two politicians that want to be on tv does not mean that he's getting one dime.  Of course, it could be that it was some sort of staged meeting for something that was approved, but I doubt that seriously.  Everything that Shibori said times one thousand.  He's not the first person to make the connection between music and math and schools aren't going to plop a bunch of hard-to-get funds into something completely unproven.  I think he'd have to find a private funder to get this out as a test in order to get the evidence that Shibori spoke of.  This dude needed a Kevin to come in and tell him that he needs to either smarten up or fail again in no uncertain terms.

[Quickbeam]

I couldn't get beyond the fact that the Bantam couple's kitchen is bigger than my whole house. And yes to the upthread comment about Chord Buddy's segment being way too long.

[cooksdelight]

Have they done a followup lately on the TeePee watering system? I'd think people in California would be all over that for the commercial growers.

[Shibori]

Even if they get this pilot, a $200k pilot program won't save a company that lost over $100k on $1M in sales last year. They likely wouldve negotiated the price down for a large order, and it's $200k in sales, not profit.

My goodness did bikini guy crash and burn! Wonder if Barbara's money ever changed hands, and if so, how much went for that party? I'm thinking the deal never closed, because I can't imagine she wouldn't have made sure their tech could handle the bump. And was everyone involved at the party with no one back at the office to see how things would go? You'd think they'd at least have someone checking sales throughout the night in anticipation of big numbers.

My problem with both the Bantam Bagels name and Bagel Stuffins (besides being a stupid name that came from Lori's stupid smug face) is that they're expanding into sweets! Which aren't bagels! If the unwashed masses are going to be confused by Bantam Bagels, their brains will really scramble at banana bread balls (brought down by angels from heaven and Lori's sainted mom) which aren't bagels and didn't appear to be stuffed? Kraft has been selling Bagel-Fuls to the WalMart set for years, and the category's not exactly on fire. And donut holes have been around forever and the cake balls trend has already peaked, so I don't see sweet balls with a Bagel Stuffins label being a big hit. Lori, I think there's a reason the name hadn't been trademarked yet!

Edited May 16, 2015 by Shibori

[roctavia]

Even if they get this pilot, a $200k pilot program won't save a company that lost over $100k on $1M in sales last year. They likely wouldve negotiated the price down for a large order, and it's $200k in sales, not profit.

My goodness did bikini guy crash and burn! Wonder if Barbara's money ever changed hands, and if so, how much went for that party? I'm thinking the deal never closed, because I can't imagine she wouldn't have made sure their tech could handle the bump. And was everyone involved at the party with no one back at the office to see how things would go? You'd think they'd at least have someone checking sales throughout the night in anticipation of big numbers.

My problem with both the Bantam Bagels name and Bagel Stuffins (besides being a stupid name that came from Lori's stupid smug face) is that they're expanding into sweets! Which aren't bagels! If the unwashed masses are going to be confused by Bantam Bagels, their brains will really scramble at banana bread balls (brought down by angels from heaven and Lori's sainted mom) which aren't bagels and didn't appear to be stuffed? Kraft has been selling Bagel-Fuls to the WalMart set for years, and the category's not exactly on fire. And donut holes have been around forever and the cake balls trend has already peaked, so I don't see sweet balls with a Bagel Stuffins label being a big hit. Lori, I think there's a reason the name hadn't been trademarked yet!

Something like " Bantam" makes even more sense in this scenario of other things... It's the brand name- like Lender's or Smuckers or any of the million brands out there... Without seeing the product- a randome person who had never heard of a cheeto wouldn't know what it is.. But that's how brands work.

Getting established as Bantam Stuffed Bagel Bites or whatever and then expanding under that name does make more sense than Lori's dumb name... Bantam Banana Bread Bites... Bantam cinnamon bites etc...

Sure Bantam doesn't really mean anything to a lot of people but if it grows as a brand it will...

[designing1]

I couldn't get beyond the fact that the Bantam couple's kitchen is bigger than my whole house.

 

Judging by that kitchen they are not hurting for money. In NYC that kind of space doesn't come cheap. I had serious kitchen envy.

 

I have to agree with those saying the problem with the name isn't 'Bantam' itself. I just assumed it was the couple's name and didn't make an association with little prizefighters or mini-chickens as neither plays a role in my life, ever. The problem was differentiating their product from any other brand name bagel -- it didn't tell me the bagels were little (again, no immediate bells ring that bantam = little) and stuffed, and with the vast number of products in the average grocery store, I wouldn't have stopped to read the package to find that out. Now if it said clear as day that they were stuffed bagel bites, I'd be far more likely to notice. So yeah, Bantam's Stuffed Bagel Bites, as has been suggested, grabs attention that a less descriptive name does not. As Jjrmt pointed out above, it also makes it easy to expand the line to other products.

 

Lori's piss poor suggestion sounds like some cheap, highly processed junk food you'd stick in your kid's lunchbox, and I'm pretty sure that's not where the Bantam folks are trying to position themselves. And without a brand name, each product they introduce will seem like a standalone product and require a whole new round of consumer education, as opposed to "New from Bantam, Lori's Sainted Mother's Banana Bread Balls!". Is Lori so focused on selling one-off crap that she doesn't know how to build a brand?

Edited May 16, 2015 by designing1

[LotusFlower]

Have they done a followup lately on the TeePee watering system? I'd think people in California would be all over that for the commercial growers.

I would love to know this, too. That design seemed revolutionary, and I remember the guy as being so warm-hearted. I think he even gave the system to other farmers for free because he believed in it so much and wanted so much to help farms in peril. But I think I also remember that that hair care guy (Mitchell? Sebastian?) was the investor as a guest Shark. Not sure if that makes a difference re: updates.

[cooksdelight]

Paul Mitchell was the guest shark, thanks for the reminder.

[starri]

IIRC, the Bantam Bagel/Bagel Stuffin couple were Wall Street types that cashed out and decided to open a bagel shop.  The shots of the apartment earned my husband flipping them off.

 

So, it's Lori's mother's banana bread recipe?  Lori's mother probably bought it from someone.

[nutella fitzgerald]

Between the rooster and Lori giggling as she said "sweet balls," I really thought they would go for some type of cock-and-balls branding. "Cox's Balls! Pop them in your mouth and feel the cream!" Then again, I'm not the one with my face on a display of defecation aids at BB&B, so what do I know?

[marny]

Here's the thing: I would never purchase a product called "Bagel Stuffins".  It sounds like cheap garbage food for children.  Any help that name gives in explaining what the product is ruins the desirability of it.  And if memory serves, it wasn't an inexpensive product. That name will turn off the kind of customers who are willing to spend more to get quality food products.

 

It makes sense coming from Lori who made her millions on shilling cheap junk to the masses.  She was a terrible partner for this company.

Edited May 17, 2015 by marny

[bilgistic]

I think the difference for me is that "Bantam Bagels" sounds like, and is, a company name, whereas "Bagel Stuffins" sounds like a product. And it was also something that Lori rattled off the top of her head while filming. She is not, as others have mentioned, a branding expert. I also think about how many thousands of dollars physically rebranding will cost--store redo, new packaging, throwing out currently branded packaging inventory that is already paid for--just money burned.

[atir]

They shouldn't have much of those costs as the couple is keeping their Bleeker St store named Bantam Bagels.

[seacliffsal]

Chord buddy guy is going to spread himself in too many directions.  He's trying to expand his brand rather than solidify its position.  Robert (who really looked good) was trying to get him to focus on his primary brand and product.  Also, unless he has studying cognitive development and has a mathematics background I don't see how Math Buddy can be a curriculum.  Two members of the state legislature have no authority or decision making power-it's just show.  It was also interesting how he changed what Robert said into what he wanted his wife to hear.  His segment was way too long and they tried too much of a sob story.  This segment would make me less likely to buy Chord Buddy.  Hopefully Robert made money as the business is probably collapsing even as I write this.

 

Boy did Barbara misread the bikini guy.  I can't believe it took her until the day after the party to realize her investment paid for it.  And, the guy said that they gave away a new car.  I believe that they didn't even have a working website the night they appear on Shark Tank.  I think he was totally in it just to be on the show and to throw a $50,000 party paid for by Barbara.  I can't even believe that they gave him a follow-up segment.  

[zxy556575]

Here's the follow-up story I'd like to see -- a profit/loss accounting by each Shark for every investment they've made, and which fell though. Mark confirmed that he has a team who focus solely on his Tank investments, and that ain't cheap. Are any of the Sharks in the black, long term? I'm also curious how much the show pays them.

Edited May 17, 2015 by lordonia

[atir]

Great questions, lordoni. I'd add: how many presentations can a shark refuse before s/he's asked not to come back.

[silverspoons]

I bought my husband a chord buddy. It was in a package set on amazon. My husband had wanted to learned to play the guitar since he was a teen. About 5 years ago I signed him up for a night class at the local CC to learn to play but he could not turn down overtime work and never made it to the class. I'll admit I'm a math person and know nothing about music. The cost of the set I think would be high to most consumers, it was over $200 for a beginner guitar, case, a few cool picks and the chord buddy. I honestly bought it because it was a package, amazon prime shipping and I had read that certain guitars have a hard time getting chord buddy to work. My husband who is very mechanically inclined had a hard time getting the chord buddy on the recommended guitar in the special chord buddy package. Chord buddy almost broke. Then what it teaches you is VERY basic, it took my husband maybe 1 day to get all the use out of the chord buddy that one could get. The chord buddy kept falling off so he never reattached it. I almost returned it to amazon but I didn't have the original box. I can't see how anyone would pay $30-40 for a chord buddy alone.

 

I was pretty upset that the owner thought he could find a new way to sell his cheap chord buddy by ripping off the school system. It rubbed me the wrong way. He seemed to not realize the reality of money at all. Does he not get how many states have little to know music budgets and then he wants to get some of the new "core money"? Has the man even ever went to his kid's schools? Does he know anything about the common core? Do those "congress people" he meet with even get the common core? I have sat through way too many meeting on common core math and they would never allow a dime to go to math music. In fact the whole point of the core is that every kid is suppose to get the same education, it is not to have anything different.  our middle and high school had 7 math teachers quit because they have to follow the core and could no longer play cool math games or have projects or even customize math lessons to certain students (without an IEP).  I guess Alabama must have a lot more money then other states. My daughters middle schools entire budget after paying teachers and staff and for building costs was under 50k for over 1,000 students. This includes computers, books, clubs, parties, awards, and the arts.

 

I'm glad they are showing different stories not just successes. It was interesting to see Barbara's loss in the bikinis. I would think most shark tank contestants would be sitting with maybe some family and friends at home watching the show but also checking their website all night for sales. I would think watching your first huge sales come in on shark tank night would be one of the most exciting parts of starting a business. I can't believe those party bikini guys didn't check till the next morning!

Edited May 17, 2015 by silverspoons

[nobodyyoucare]

Common core is under fire in a number of states. A number of bills have been passed or proposed repealing it. Alabama in fact no longer accepts common core.

 

http://chordbuddy.com/cb-troubleshooting 

 

http://www.dothaneagle.com/lifestyles/local/chord-buddy-sees-growth-helping-others-make-music/article_9a7c4f16-b3b7-11e4-a8ac-bf8303c5a6cd.html 

The meeting with the gov't officials took place in either Jan or December of 2014. 

Common core is under fire in a number of states. A number of bills have been passed or proposed repealing it. Alabama in fact no longer accepts common core. 

Edited May 17, 2015 by nobodyyoucare

[Amarsir]

That's true, but if it turns out that one of their first purchases after removing common core is $2.5 million on "Math Buddy", that would probably convince people to go running right back.

 

I watched the MIx Bikini segment from season 3. (Episode 14, right before the far more memorable Billy Blanks Jr segment.) They were a complete mess right from go. No sales.  Didn't know what percentage they were even asking for (one said 5%, the other 10%).  No clear idea what direction they wanted to go in. (Kiosk vs online.)  Most of the sharks went out fast, but Barbara liked the idea so she made an offer. (This kind of thing may be why she has a reputation with other sharks for being more open to crazy ideas.)

[saber5055]

The ST ep with Bantam Bagels was rerun here last night so I got to see the product. It looked delicious. Expensive, though, and with that new "Bagel Stuffin'" name? Big ouch. The guy can always go back to his six-figure-Wall-Street job though, I guess.

[LeGrandElephant]

I didn't know the word Bantam, but I think Bagel Stuffins sounds kind of tacky. Was that Lori's off the top of her head idea on the show? I would have liked them to come with some better compromise name. Bantam Bagels doesn't make me think small, but it does sound classy compared to Bagel Stuffins. I liked the suggestions up thread like Stuffed Bagels by Bantam Bagels. Aren't there people who's job it is to come up with better names for products and brands? I get why Lori didn't want to stay with just the name Bantam Bagels, but I don't think her off the cuff idea was any better. They should have spent some real time and effort exploring alternatives, or compromises like something or other "by Bantam Bagels". 

It was painful watching that guy blow $50,000 on party before he had anything to celebrate. I actually wonder if that isn't breaking some sort of law or rules? It sounds like serious misappropriation of funds or something, to ask for an investment in a business and then spend it all on a party. That's one way to fund an epic party if you don't care if the business survives. Like a Producers type plan. Couldn't believe Barbara still had a soft spot for him after that. Was she just trying to save face for having made a bad decision to invest with him?

Edited May 17, 2015 by LeGrandElephant

[LeGrandElephant]

Did anyone notice how much the bikini guy's hands were shaking when he was on his computer? Either he was really nervous or has Parkinson disease.

They need to shorten these segments and add more updates.

I didn't notice, but shaking hands plus blowing all his money on a crazy party with tons of booze makes me think drinking problem, not Parkinson's.

[LeGrandElephant]

My goodness did bikini guy crash and burn! Wonder if Barbara's money ever changed hands, and if so, how much went for that party? I'm thinking the deal never closed, because I can't imagine she wouldn't have made sure their tech could handle the bump.

She said in the show that she enjoyed the party but felt weird about it, and then realized the next morning that that's where her investment went. So the deal did close. That comment plus her saying she still likes and supports the guy - didn't make her look very bright to me. But I guess she was trying to be nice and maybe trying to save face. And it's not like she's hurting for money, so I guess she can just write off the loss and not care too much.

I can't believe the guy threw a party where he gave away a car, and didn't even pay attention to whether people were buying from his website. That shows he really didn't have any serious business plans but just wanted to live the high life short term. He seems like the type to always be going for get rich quick schemes and not actually focusing on the work that needs to be done. What small startup business can randomly give away a car and waste fifty thousand dollars on a party? I can't get over that. Is that even legal to do with money that people invested to grow the business?

[theatremouse]

Her comments definitely read "face saving" to me. Or...maybe that's not even the right phrase. If I thought she were being genuine, I'd agree she'd look like an idiot "liking" and "supporting" said dude. I think she said it to just avoid publicly saying something negativeabout someone "on her team", so more like, not admitting to having made a mistake.

[Dots And Stripes]

The lesson of the night is the Shark Tank bump does not make for a successful, long term business. I liked the Chord Buddy guy but it's obvious he needs a full time partner who can channel his creativity. The problem with Math Buddy is education is moving towards centralized standards. He needs proof that his method leads towards results in test scores. Also, it's expensive because in addition to the Math Buddy and Chord Buddy, kids would actually need guitars. Not cheap.

 

If bikini guy were really serious about his bikini business he would have found a way to make it work outside of the Shark Tank bump. I know Barbara explained why the bump would not wait for the website to get fixed, however, I have it on good authority some businesses became successful before Shark Tank. Oh and Barbara saying she didn't realize until the next day that maybe her investment went towards the party is ridiculous. She should have realized that the second she was invited. How many times have we heard Sharks scold entrepreneurs for paying themselves a salary early on? A lavish party on the company dime before you really launch is beyond stupid. I don't understand why anyone would continue to invest in that guy,

 

I whole heartedly agree with everyone who hated the Bagel Stuffins name. I also agree Bantam could have stayed the brand name while giving a product name to the bagels and sweet balls. Of course this segment was probably the best example of everything being staged for the night. The fretting over the change seemed like a reenactment of conversations that happened long ago.

[phoenix780]

I hope the Bantam Bagels people don't wander in here.  Not a lot of love for the new name- add me to the list of those who aren't fans.  To me it brought to mind something like Bagel Bites, which are awesome if you're 16 after school or you're older and you're drunk (or something) and need a snack.  I think it'll do great in the right retailer, though.  Like a 7-11.  So would Bantam Bagels, probably.

 

I was pretty upset that the owner thought he could find a new way to sell his cheap chord buddy by ripping off the school system. It rubbed me the wrong way. He seemed to not realize the reality of money at all. Does he not get how many states have little to know music budgets and then he wants to get some of the new "core money"? 

 

That was really obnoxious.  In fact, I didn't much care for any of that segment in its attempts to portray him as some down home country family man just trying to keep local jobs.  I liked him on ST back in the day.  Then here he opens by saying he was in real estate before the crash, which just makes me suspicious at this point because part of the cause of the crash was realtors and their fun little games with banks and appraisals.  Next his big plan to save his current business is...turning to government programs for money.  I just couldn't buy the edit, though I think the guy himself might.

 

Really dumb question here- do you need a guitar to use his product?  If so, is part of the plan for schools to buy cheap guitars for students?  Or are there schools out there with spare guitars?  I'm not getting how that would all fit together.

 

I'm also curious- if it's a great learning tool, couldn't you get publishers/artists to maybe cut the prices on their songs so you can include them?  A little bit of guilt, talk about doing the right thing (which they can use to show how awesome they are)- seems like you could get a couple decent songs at least without breaking the bank.

[nobodyyoucare]

 

 

If so, is part of the plan for schools to buy cheap guitars for students?  Or are there schools out there with spare guitars?  I'm not getting how that would all fit together.

I'm also curious- if it's a great learning tool, couldn't you get publishers/artists to maybe cut the prices on their songs so you can include them?  A little bit of guilt, talk about doing the right thing (which they can use to show how awesome they are)- seems like you could get a couple decent songs at least without breaking the bank.

A number of schools can get guitars from guitar makers as a tax break for the guitar company. Also they can reuse the guitars or have the students parents or a community group such as the Rotary club buy them.

 

3 dollars for the licensing over http://chordbuddy.com/booksthat many books is dirt cheap considering what one licensed song for a product can cost. Some licensing for songs is 50 grand just for one song.