There’s a visible shift in the air as Christmas approaches. Our energy levels rise slowly. We start seeing Christmas festivities around us; green, white, and red dominate our homes, and the hustle in shopping malls increases because of gift-shopping sprees. And who can forget the most important ones: people getting trees to add ornaments to them and decorating spaces with Christmas-y lighting! Be it homes or commercial buildings, the Holy month is incomplete without a wave of Christmas lighting, making everything feel nostalgic, pretty, and oh-so-comforting.
Alas, while the decoration looks visually pleasing, accomplishing the task isn’t a pleasant job. Stringing the Christmas lighting can be a massive hassle, especially when you’ve got to spend a significant amount of time searching for the required wires, hooks, and fasteners.
Is there a way to simplify the job of putting up holiday lights smoothly and efficiently? Shawn Genenbacher answered the million-dollar question in the form of Lite-Netics, a business aiming to manufacture magnetic Christmas lights without wasting time dealing with damaging and unsightly fasteners, wires, and hooks.
The 26-pound magnets enable the holiday lights to stick to anything metallic and had already been tested in windy, rainy, and snowy climates. Lite-Netics is compatible with C9 bulbs, famous for their energy effectiveness, high reliability, and better fire safety. The phenomenal and innovative project required additional funds to help Shawn enter large-scale home depots worldwide. This led him to appear and pitch in front of the Sharks in the Shark Tank’s fifth season.
Shawn sought $125,000 in exchange for his company’s 20% equity. He started his pitch by demonstrating Lite-Netic’s quick installation and proceeded to offer financial information. The business generated $118,000 in sales in the previous year and approximately $400,000 in the last four years. The use of magnetics prevented cost-effectiveness, becoming a major hurdle in increasing his sales and profitability. Therefore, he required more investment to focus on optimizing manufacturing. So far, the business has sold to expert lightning installers and is currently in talks with working with Home Depot.
Mark thinks the present buyers offer favorable potential, but he cannot assess the overall market, and Robert doesn’t think Lite-Netics is scalable enough. So, they’re both out. Lori thinks Lite-Netics wouldn’t sell at retail.
Kevin appreciates Shawn’s innovative invention and offers to assist in his licensing deal with a significant lighting producer. In exchange, he wants a 50% partnership. Daymond has a licensing offer like Kevin’s and demands a 40% ownership. Shawn counters Daymond’s deal with 30% ownership. The shark refuses, and Shawn doesn’t accept Kevin or Daymond’s deal. Eventually, he leaves the Shark Tank platform without signing a deal with any shark, hoping to expand the business himself.
The patent intrigued attention after the episode aired. However, things remained rocky for Shawn and Lite-Netics, mainly because of the product’s high price tag. Due to limited applications, the product also faced critical obstacles in entering the market and improving its sales.
However, it seemed that Shawn remained dedicated to his venture for a while. Though many people believed the company went out of business when its official social media remained updated in 2015, and the official website wasn’t accessible anymore.
Thankfully, that was only a hiatus, with Lite-Netics soon resuming their operations. As of 2022, the company’s website is up and functioning for traffic, selling magnetic lighting essentials like LED light bulbs, accessories, and strands. Additionally, Lite-Netics generates annual revenues of over $1 million – a huge milestone considering its initial constraints!
Our Review Of Lite-Netics
Honestly, for someone like us who hides from the task of putting on holiday lights, Lite-Netics is an apparent miracle. The products relieve the stress of always finding wires and hooks to ensure the lighting is decorated just as we like.
Apart from the effort and time it takes to find and set the hooks and wires, they also look unappealing out in the open. It’s a letdown when you get aesthetic and homely Christmas lighting and style it charmingly. But the black wires and dull hooks spoil the looks by creating tangled messes. Lite-Netics helps avoid this because now, there’s nothing to dampen the ornamentation’s visuals.
Pros Of Lite-Netics
- Quick and hassle-free installation
- A magnetic base eliminates the changes of faulty fasteners, tangled wires, and broken hooks
- Maintains the beauty of the holiday lights
- Durable and convenient
- Effective attachment even as it snows or rains outside
- It wouldn’t fall apart during windy times
- Decorate and embrace holiday festivities instantly!
Cons Of Lite-Netics
- Not suitable for buildings without metallic bases
- The magnet doesn’t stick to aluminium bases
- Costlier than traditional practices
- Have to buy the bulbs separately because strands don’t include them
Who Is Lite-Netics For?
Lite-Netics is ideal for people living in meta-based buildings. You can easily install the magnetic strands and put in your decided C9 bulbs. In addition, if you’re tired of having to climb up the ladder or can’t climb because of some reason, Lite-Netics is a sure superhero for you. Moreover, the business is an exceptional help for people who can afford a slightly wider budget to fund their holiday festivities because buying and using these creative magnetic accessories can be a bit pricey. But if that’s not an issue for you, because its benefits and convenience widely exceed the costs, we say you order these essentials now!
Are There Any Alternatives?
Novelty Lights are among Lite-Netics’ best alternatives, offering magnetic strands that offer seamless looks and problem-free installation. Though you will still have to buy the bulbs yourself, the price tags aren’t lower than Lite-Netics. That’s primarily because of the magnetic features, anyways. If you’re on a low budget, you can always pull a DIY, use the regular strands, and expertly hide the wiring. That’s a lot more effort but at least wallet-friendlier.
Our Final Thoughts
Lite-Netics was the epitome of innovation when it was first launched. Even today, it’s an efficient and worthy investment because of its outstanding durability. It’s also incredible to observe Shawn’s dedication. He didn’t stop simply because he couldn’t get any deal from any shark. Instead, he notched up his efforts to ensure his venture developed. And the product and business story is a vital inspiration for us because the magnetic powers have certainly created a massive difference in our lives!
