According to a CNBC study, Americans plan to spend an average of $907 during the holiday season in 2022. ReadyFestive is hoping to cash in on this trend while helping you get in the Christmas spirit.
This subscription-based startup sells personalized gift boxes every holiday season. Founders Liz Voelker and Kristina Barnes pitched the business on Shark Tank and landed a deal with Robert Herjavec. ReadyFestive is valued at $1 million by 2024.
About the Founder
Elizabeth Volk and Christina Barnes are festive moms living in San Francisco, California. Not much is known about Christina’s background, but Liz is known to have graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Marketing.
After studying International Business, Elizabeth began her career in New York City. She was hired by Sports Illustrated as a Consumer Marketing Manager, but left after a year to join Turner Broadcasting.
Liz was initially recruited as a Marketing Sponsorship Manager and later moved into Digital Sales. In 2011, she started at the World Wildlife Fund as a Corporate Partnerships Manager.
Founding ReadyFestive
Voelker and Barnes became close friends because they both have three children. They love planning for different types of vacations, which is what motivated them to start a business together.
The company’s business plan is to launch a subscription service for all seasons and holidays. The service is customizable because users can choose the occasion they want to celebrate and the company will then send them a box filled with relevant decorations.
The mom entrepreneur sells decorations for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and seven other holidays. They also sell decorations for all seasons of the year. ReadyFestive officially launched in 2019.
Appeared on Shark Tank
The pandemic hit shortly after the startup was founded. They expected sales to be affected, but surprisingly, the situation improved. Retail stores were closed, so many stores turned to selling to customers online.
When regulations began to relax, they retained most of their customers. People realized they didn’t want to spend hours shopping if they could have someone else do it for them. So ReadyFestive set out to become a one-stop shop for all your holiday needs.
To grow their company, they needed to raise money and create awareness. Elizabeth and Christina believed angel investors could help them expand their business. They applied to Shark Tank and were selected from thousands of applicants. They both performed well when they presented themselves on national television and came across as genuine and lovable.
After Shark Tank
Their show aired on December 9, 2023, and after the show aired, their sales soared. During the Christmas period, customer service staff were much busier than usual, and a message on their website stated that “we are experiencing unusually high volumes of traffic.”
Interested viewers can subscribe to their festival service on their website ReadyFestive.com. Before receiving any deliveries, you must answer a 5-step quiz related to your style and festival preferences. Currently, they cover 4 seasons and 10 festivals. Each box will have 4 to 10+ items depending on the size of the box, and prices start at $69 per box.
ReadyFestive has only 13 reviews on Facebook and a 3.2 star rating. Hopefully that will change after Shark Tank. The company is valued at around $1 million. Robert should be a great partner, having already made a good investment in another festival-themed company, Tipsy Elves.
Categories: Shark Tank
Source: svlsf.edu.vn