Living in the 21st century demands some unique solutions to assist in easy and effective cleaning of spaces. While vacuum cleaners work for some places, the traditional brooming is more effective, especially if the need to sweep the floor occurs every few minutes, such as in homes with toddlers. However, the conventional way of brooming using both hands to balance the broom’s weight and effectively bending down to collect the dust in a pan is quite outdated.
Eben Dobson also saw how bad the situation was, and the lack of effective technical solutions drove him to devise a plan of his own. He designed and initiated a company called WISP that manufactured easy and effective brooms and pans that are usable single-handedly and don’t require straining back muscles. The business expanded and designed other cleaning products as the years went by.
WISP appeared on Shark Tank seeking an investment of $500K in exchange for 10% equity in the company. Eben demonstrated his patented cleaning equipment and how the design alleviates the problems prevalent with traditional cleaning methods. Sharks loved Eben’s product and were impressed with the functional design.
Things started to go downhill when the sharks started seeking information about the numbers. Eben told the sharks that the company had made 3.3 million dollars in sales over the six years since its launch. However, the company was 2.1 million dollars in debt, making matters worse.
Eben accepted the responsibility of driving the company into loss as he made some bad decisions for the company. He wasn’t business-minded but believed in the product he had created. He enjoyed the design aspect and wanted to work on that but had no other partner who could look at the company’s business side.
Sharks advised Eben to seek a partner to balance the weaknesses he had. With this advice, guest shark Sara Blakely was out. Mark also announced he wasn’t interested in the business as he didn’t trust Eben’s ability to run the business in the long term. Barbara also congratulated Eben on the great design and effort but didn’t feel like investing in the business.
Lori wanted to help Eben out with the marketing of the product, but she didn’t want to invest a penny into the business. Kevin was the only shark willing to invest in the business but wanted half of the company in exchange. Eben found the deal impossible as he had 22 other investors on board.
Despite the restrictions, Eben decided to take on Kevin’s offer. However, he was stuck on how Lori could help with the business and if she wanted to be a part of the investment. Lori stayed firm that she didn’t want to invest money but could contribute her time and effort.
Kevin found Eben stuck on what Lori could offer. Kevin took that as disrespect for his time and effort. As a result, he pulled the deal off the table.
Eben left the show with some great words of wisdom but with no monetary investment for WISP.
Our Review of WISP
WISP was stuck in a rut as, despite making sales, the business couldn’t earn enough profit before Shark Tank. However, after the Shark Tank appearance, the business found a rise in sales. Despite not securing a Shark Tank deal, WISP is now a successful brand with annual revenue of $7 million.
WISP has grown due to the patented design and ease of use of WISP brooms and pans. The business has gained a lot of traction as it offers smart design solutions for a mundane yet necessary task that people all over the globe are mindlessly performing and hurting their back as a consequence. The incredible design and excellent customer service have attracted customers over the years and have contributed to the company’s future growth.
Pros of WISP
In a short time, WISP has managed to find a loyal customer base owing to its sophisticated and patented design and mind-blowing customer service. Here are some things customers love about the business:
- The single-handed design of the brooms makes it easy for individuals to sweep the floor.
- The brooms are, therefore, lightweight and easy to move around.
- The electrostatic bristles on the brush pick up dirt and debris from every nook and cranny.
- The pressure from the foot to the pan makes the pan’s edge expand and align with the surface making the last bits of dust easily sweep into the pan.
- The telescopic handle on WISP brooms allows the broom to extend to desired lengths and shorten as per requirement.
- The need for sweeping a floor multiple times is eradicated as a single sweep does the job well.
- WISP brooms work well on all surfaces, including wood, carpet, concrete, etc.
- The smart design allows the WISP brooms and dustpans to attach, saving storage space in small closets.
- To help out their loyal customers, WISP also has a range of product videos that show the proper and efficient usage of WISP products.
- Their scrap and clean technology for window cleaning is also high performing in the market.
- WISP brooms and pans are available in various sizes to assist in picking debris from elevated surfaces.
- The award-worthy customer service has kept the customers coming back.
Cons of WISP
Despite having a loyal customer base, some things haven’t worked in favor of WISP:
- Some customers didn’t find WISP brooms and pans to be durable and long-lasting.
Who Is WISP For?
WISP brooms are for all individuals tired of spending time and effort on the conventional sweeping and collecting method. The electrostatic broom picks up the dirt from every nook and cranny of the room and collects it immediately in the sweep without any extra effort or bending, thanks to the foot pressure that perfectly aligns the sweep to the floor. Thanks to the WISP brooms, there’s no chance of the debris or dust left behind.
The wide range of other smart cleaning equipment makes WISP a favorite for home cleaning companies and individuals passionate about keeping their homes clean.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Although there aren’t many companies providing the same excellent products as WISP, SweepEasy is another Shark Tank business that has proved beneficial in sweeping. The one-hand design, attached scraper, and rod-attached pan make sweeping easy without having to bend down. The scrapper makes scratching off the stubborn debris from the surface so that the entire surface is clean in no time.
Our Final Thoughts
WISP has made its mark in the cleaning industry through its uniquely and ergonomically designed Wisp system consisting of brooms and pans. The company has brought a line of smart and effective solutions for the people who are clean freaks but find bending down to be a chore. The patented design of WISP is likely to make the company profit along with other highly trending products.
In the years to come, we will see more WISP in the ever-growing home and space cleaning industry with its variety of solutions to make cleanliness an easy task for everyone.
