Who are the business people that make up the panel on the new ABC television show “Shark Tank”?
n these trying economic times, it’s difficult for an individual possessing a dream or even a working small business poised for growth to get a loan for a risky venture. Whether it be an imaginative enhancement for an existing product, a family recipe that has all the ingredients to become a profitable culinary treat, or the latest technological gadget that could take the world by storm, most of these dreams die an early death because no one dared take a financial chance on someone with an unproven and oftentimes outrageous proposal. Many of these people now see Shark Tank as their last chance at success. Some have been laboring on their ideas for years or even decades, have invested large amounts of money, and are being pressured to throw in the towel by friends and family.
By Hillary Canada http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/05/22/oh-the-shark-has-pretty-t… It’s hard enough to pitch a business plan to hurried venture capitalists. Try doing it on camera in front of millions of people to five wealthy business people who aren’t afraid to show their pointy teeth. That’s the premise behind Shark Tank, a new reality television series from Mark Burnett coming this fall, ABC announced this week. The concept of pitching a business to potential investors isn’t all that new for reality TV. ABC ran two seasons of American Inventor, which gave entrepreneurs $50,000 to improve their products, with the shot of winning “$1,000,000 worth of business support, entrepreneurial counsel, physical resources, and prize money.” And last year, VentureWire covered the launch of a whole mess of these TV shows including Wall Street Warriors, Bobby G: Adventure Capitalist, an
n these trying economic times, it’s difficult for an individual possessing a dream or even a working small business poised for growth to get a loan for a risky venture. Whether it be an imaginative enhancement for an existing product, a family recipe that has all the ingredients to become a profitable culinary treat, or the latest technological gadget that could take the world by storm, most of these dreams die an early death because no one dared take a financial chance on someone with an unproven and oftentimes outrageous proposal. Many of these people now see Shark Tank as their last chance at success. Some have been laboring on their ideas for years or even decades, have invested large amounts of money, and are being pressured to throw in the towel by friends and family. Sources: http://www.enterthesharktank.com/about.
By Hillary Canada http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/05/22/oh-the-shark-has-pretty-t… It’s hard enough to pitch a business plan to hurried venture capitalists. Try doing it on camera in front of millions of people to five wealthy business people who aren’t afraid to show their pointy teeth. That’s the premise behind Shark Tank, a new reality television series from Mark Burnett coming this fall, ABC announced this week. The concept of pitching a business to potential investors isn’t all that new for reality TV. ABC ran two seasons of American Inventor, which gave entrepreneurs $50,000 to improve their products, with the shot of winning “$1,000,000 worth of business support, entrepreneurial counsel, physical resources, and prize money.” And last year, VentureWire covered the launch of a whole mess of these TV shows including Wall Street Warriors, Bobby G: Adventure Capitalist, an
