Mr. Erik Radbill and Mrs. Katie Radbill took their product, the Buster Brush, to an open casting call to audition for “Shark Tank” on March 18 to receive supplementary funding to launch their business.
The Radbills’ dog, Buster, like most canines, will eat nearly anything. When it comes to cleaning dogs’ teeth from the unhygienic residue, the Radbills struggled. Most pet dental care resembled that of human devices with finger caps and thin toothbrushes. They could not find an apt way to regularly clean their dog’s teeth in a stress-free manner. Thus, they created the Buster Brush, a dog toothbrush that was designed for aggressive chewers, unlike most dog toothbrushes on the market.
“We figured we could invent something that would incorporate his instinct to chew when you get it in his mouth, and that’s exactly what we did,” said Mr. Radbill.
The Radbills identified a gap in the pet industry in dental care and seized the opportunity to launch Buster Brush, the only patented toothbrush for dogs. This brush features a rubber ball with bristles that is screwed onto a thick, plastic handle. This detachable style of brush entices the dog to play with the rubber toy before attaching it to the stick, familiarizing them with the brush and desensitizing them to having it in their mouth.
Currently, they are working with a Texan design team that has engineers experienced in dog-related products, but getting to that point was difficult. The original design of the product had three layers: the same rubber and bristles, but with an extra area on the surface of the rubber ball for dogs’ teeth to dig into. This product was harder to make than they thought, since most factories found creating a round, multi-layered dual material product to be daunting.
Fortunately, the Radbills could get their product into factories with the help of the Texan design team. They ordered 3,000 units of the Buster Brush, 1,500 units of peanut-butter flavored, enzymatic dog toothpaste and 1,500 units of a mouthwash that can be poured into the dog’s drinking water. These products have been ordered and will be in stock for sale over the summer.
Once the product design and production began, the Radbills set their sights on the stage of “Shark Tank.” They went to the only open casting call on the East Coast at the Event Center at Rivers Philadelphia. At the event, they competed against 350 other products for a chance to pitch their business to the Sharks.
An undetermined number of products can be chosen to be shown to the Sharks. If the Radbills are not one of the chosen products, they will still launch their business and continue to grow, returning to the casting call next year with more business experience and hopefully revenue.
The Buster Brush will be sold for $24.95 and can be bought online through their website or in-store at 10 independently owned pet stores in New Jersey. These stores will receive floor displays and stock the products when they arrive over the summer. The Radbills plan to promote their product through social media, especially through their Instagram account, which has about 450 followers.
Mr. Radbill is teaching at Cherry Hill High School East for his 27th and final year. He will retire this summer, just in time for the shipment of the 6,000 Buster Brush-related products to be stocked online and in stores.
“This gives me the perfect reason and perfect timing to roll into something new,” said Mr. Radbill.
On March 31, the Radbills will find out if they will move beyond the casting call and have the opportunity to showcase their products on season 18 of “Shark Tank.”
