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Apopka entrepreneurs audition for Shark Tank

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"You're dead to me," and, "I'm out," are the last words any entrepreneur wants to hear from the sharks on ABC's hit show, Shark Tank.

Last week Shark Tank hit the $100 Million investment mark. Since 2009, more than 600 entrepreneurs have ventured into the "tank" to pitch their business ideas to a rotating panel of investors, or "sharks."

Last month a company from Apopka traveled to Dallas to attend an open casting call and got to make their pitch to the Shark Tank Casting Team.

For Flame Boss, the road to the audition started when they became a client of the Apopka UCF Business Incubator in July of 2014.

Before joining the Incubator, Roger and Michael Collins had already built and sold several smoker temperature controllers to friends and family. They determined through those "test sales" that the product worked, and there seemed to be a demand, but they felt they would need help to make the company a success.

According to Flame Boss president, Michael Collins, that is why they applied to join the Incubator program. Within a few months of joining, they started selling Flame Boss controllers on a commercial basis.

According to Collins, 2015 was a year of growth and learning.

"We had thought about going to Shark Tank, but we felt we needed at least two years of operational results to make a successful pitch," he said.

In 2016, sales exceeded $1.4 million, an increase of 75% from 2015.

With those numbers in hand, Michael and Roger headed to Dallas where they joined more than 500 others who thought they were ready to swim with the Sharks.

Each entrepreneur was allowed a one-minute pitch to the make their case to the Casting Team, and then answer questions from them, just as they would on the show.

Did Flame Boss make the cut?

According to Collins, he cannot disclose that answer. At this point, the Flame Bosses are sworn to secrecy. We will all have to watch the show to find out.

Interested in better BBQ? Use this link to learn more about Flame Boss.

Do you have a business idea? Use this link to find out how the UCF Apopka Business Incubator can help you launch and grow your business in Apopka.


 

Flame Boss, UCF Business Incubator Apopka

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