The founder of Tangle Pets, Liz Martin, is a mother to three young daughters. She would have to battle her daughters and force them to comb their hair daily. At some point, she realized that she would have to be innovative. One day, while trying to get the tangles out of her daughter’s hair, she stuck a plushie toy on top of the hairbrush to keep her distracted. This worked like a charm.
Her background in sales helped Liz find the perfect solution for kids who absolutely hated having their hair brushed. She figured she could not be the only mother struggling with this everyday task and decided to develop her idea.
However, instead of choosing conventional forms of fundraising by applying to Indiegogo or Kickstarter, she applied for Pyramid, a TV game show. Even though this was a non-conventional strategy, Liz successfully won $50,000 in 2016 and was able to develop a prototype for children-friendly brushes.
However, $50,000 was not enough, and soon, she tried her luck at Kickstarter. However, the crowd there did not share her vision, so she could not reach her target. Liz did not feel discouraged by this setback and instead applied to Shark Tank to convince the Sharks to join her in dealing with temper tantrums while ensuring that every mother could comb their child’s hair by the end of the day.
It is safe to say that the Sharks were not expecting Liz’s energy when she entered Shark Tank. Her pitch was extremely enthusiastic, and she informed the Sharks that she was aiming for $75,000 in exchange for 35 percent equity in the Tangle Pets business. She explained how brushing her daughter’s hair was the most exhausting task of the day, and she was looking to help mothers make brushing time easier.
Liz passed out Tangle Pets samples to the Sharks, including a Tangle Ladybug, Tangle Kitty, Tangle Puppy, and other such brushes. Kevin was not impressed and thought that Tangle Pets was just like any other brush.
Mark was intimidated by Liz’s personality and believed that her energy was not his vibe. Robert said he did not agree with her vision and dropped out. Barbara shared Kevin’s thoughts- working with Liz would be exhausting.
The last Shark, Lori, believed that Tangle Pets was a wonderful initiative to ease the lives of mothers. She loved that Liz had personally designed the brush and saw a lot of potential.
Lori thought that Tangle Pets matched Liz’s personality perfectly, so she was willing to offer $75,000 in exchange for 50 percent of the company. Liz tried to negotiate, but Lori talked about all the work that Tangle Pets would require to be successful, and with that, both the ladies closed the deal.
Our Review of Tangle Pets
We believe that Tangle Pets will be a game changer in the market, especially since it is designed by a mother who knows the personal struggles of combing a kid’s hair. Children hate having their hair combed, but it is important for parents to get all the tangles out, even if that means fighting a war with their kids every day.
Pros of Tangle Pets
The Tangle Pets only cost $2.60- this amount includes the cost of transportation to the US. At wholesale, they are sold for $5, and at retail, they are sold for $12. This means that the margin of profit is very large. So far, Liz has made $8,000 in sales, even though she started the company in 2016.
During this time, Liz’s husband was diagnosed with a brain disease. Despite this, Liz managed to pull through, and once her husband was given a clean bill of health, she jumped back into her business. This requires dedication and courage, both of which are very inspiring.
The best part is that Liz is a mother who knows the struggles of combing through children’s hair. Moreover, she developed the prototype all on her own and believes that soon, every hair brush will try to copy Tangle Pet’s designs because of how popular they will be.
Cons of Tangle Pets
Tangle Pets is a relatively new company that will require loads of work to become popular in the market. Even though Lori will help Liz, she has already warned that developing the company will take effort and patience since there are lots of loose ends to tie.
Moreover, even though Lori believed that Liz’s energy was perfect for Tangle Pets, all the Sharks thought that she would be too high maintenance and they would not be able to match her vibrant energy at all times.
At the end of the day, Tangle Pets is just a brush, as Kevin from Shark Tank pointed out. Some customers may not view it as innovative and will not purchase it.
Who is Tangle Pets for?
Tangle Pets is for mothers who have difficulty brushing through their kids’ hair. Children hate sitting still and cry easily when a brush runs through their tangles as some hair gets pulled in the process.
Tangle Pets allows mothers to distract their children with a plushie toy so they can brush through their hair half the time and avoid a fight.
Are there Any Alternatives?
As of now, there are no alternatives to Tangle Pets in the market. However, we believe that soon every hairbrush company will try to copy their design.
Our Final Thoughts
We believe that Tangle Pets is a great initiative to make hair brushing times easier for parents. Children love plushie toys, so distracting them will be a great way to get everyday grooming sorted. The best part is that the toys are of great quality and will not fall off the brushes, making Tangle Pets worth the purchase!
