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BUSINESS PROFILE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOUR CELLPHONE HAS BEEN So Clean It With PhoneSoap
Since its feature on “Shark Tank” in 2015, PhoneSoap has sold over 1 million units and launched multiple versions and models of their products, as well as an array of additional cleaning products. But they started from humble beginnings, and like the world’s greatest entrepreneurs, LaPorte and Barnes got to where they are today by recognizing a problem that many people have and setting out to fix it. I own PhoneSoap for myself and my family at home, and we love it. We might not be able to see the cleaning process as it happens — nor can we see all the bacteria it’s eliminating from our phones — but the value of this product, like many of the best out there, isn’t always about seeing a tangible difference but about feeling the good that comes from using it. Business Insider puts it best: “It’s more than just peace of mind. PhoneSoap gives real results that’ll keep you and the people around you healthier. Germaphobe or not, if you’re going to treat your phone like your third hand, you should clean it like one too.” While PhoneSoap’s science and applications are captivating, it’s really the story of perseverance by LaPorte and Barnes that made the company what it is today. Now, PhoneSoap models are so quickly sold out that they require preordering for delivery. The tremendous success of Dan Barnes and Wes LaPorte’s business has been shocking for some, but the ingredients to their success were present from day one. You can see it in their considerations
The men gave their pitch to the sharks and millions of other Americans. PhoneSoap is a small and sleek device equipped with a chamber into which you safely seal your phone. During a 10-minute cycle, the device emits powerful UVC light that kills 99.99% of household pathogens, viruses, and bacteria. While UVC light is harmful to the human eye, it doesn’t produce any heat, so it’s not harmful to your device. PhoneSoap products are designed so the UVC light emitted inside the chamber never reaches your eyes. That makes it incredibly safe and, thanks to its small size and portability, easy to use. Some investors passed because, like some consumers, they had doubts about whether the ease of using PhoneSoap was enough to convince consumers to buy it. One investor who passed on their product pointed out a surprisingly common concern: “The average consumer is relatively lazy, and I’m not sure they see this as a major issue that they’re willing to spend money on.” That shark had a point. Despite statistics, PhoneSoap is $79.95 and a luxury to many. But then, the cousins gave a critical counterpoint: PhoneSoap isn’t just for residential consumers but also for commercial use, such as in hospitals. This caught Cuban’s attention right away. “This is not something that everybody’s going to buy, but on the commercial side, that’s interesting,” he said. By nature of their job, a health care professional is prone to transferring bacteria or viruses to their phone, but this device could help hospitals, and those working in them, become much cleaner. Eventually, after receiving three offers of partnership from millionaire investors, LaPorte and Barnes made a deal with Lori Greiner, the self-proclaimed “Queen of QVC.”
Imagine saying no to a $300,000 offer by Mark Cuban on “Shark Tank” and having that decision pay off better than you could ever imagine. That’s exactly what PhoneSoap founders Dan Barnes and Wes LaPorte did. Their journey is a prime example that great ideas don’t come to fruition and find success overnight. Their story begins with science-based health concerns around cellphones. From early implementation to our modern day, smartphones have become such a natural extension of our bodies that we don’t realize how often we handle them or set them down in questionable places. While it’s hard to put an exact number on it, some surveys suggest that on average, people wash their hands up to eight times per day. But how often do people wash their phones, an item their hands touch nearly nonstop? For many, the answer is never. In 2009, researchers found that the average smartphone is crawling with 18 times more bacteria than a public restroom. Cousins Wes LaPorte and Dan Barnes stumbled upon these staggering cellphone statistics by chance, and when they saw the numbers, they couldn’t drop their phones fast enough. Because they had degrees in life science and business marketing, they knew they had the power to explore ways to decrease those numbers and thus felt an obligation to do so. That’s how the initial concept of their company, PhoneSoap, was born in 2009. The future of PhoneSoap wasn’t nearly as certain back then as it is today. They began their initial testing and business planning in 2009, but they endured a lot of trial and error, struggles with crowdfunding, and many ruined cellphones before their product finally went to market in 2014. When PhoneSoap was featured on the CBS show “Shark Tank,” their hard work finally paid off.
of their craft, faith and tact in their business, strong visions for the product’s applications,
and compassion for the everyday well-being of the people who use it.
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