Susan Knapp sold Yellow Pages ads to small businesses. She was inspired by their stories and turned her Cinnamon Pear Jelly into a side business, Aunt Sue’s. She was able to get plenty of pears from a nearby farm, so started out with four pear products. Her business was wildly successful, so she quit her job to invest her time (and home-equity line, savings and credit-card allowances) in her business, newly named A Perfect Pear, with 15 products, including pear vinegar, marinade and dressing. By the time Susan reached the Tank, her products were in 650 stores, and she had grossed $700,000, but only netted $15,000. And there she was with $100,000 in orders that she couldn’t fulfill.
The sharks were very impressed with her and her samples. She received three offers: Kevin O’Leary wanted 70% of her business, Daymond 51%, and Kevin Harrington and Robert teamed up to offer her 50%. It appeared to be a very difficult decision for her, but she accepted Kevin H. and Robert’s offer.
After the show, Robert dropped out of the deal. Kevin got Susan on the Home Shopping Network and her products into Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, Disney, Luxor Hotel & Casino and the U.S. Navy, in addition to wineries and restaurants across the country. At one point sales had grown to $80,000 a month. Now there are conflicting reports on the status of the company. It is either a multi-million dollar company or it’s out of business. The “out of business” reports are more credible. We couldn’t find the products for sale anywhere.
