It’s almost here! The Making It… With Lowe’s final pitch competition is right around the corner. On November 1, entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their products to Lowe’s executives in the final hosted by “The People’s Shark” Daymond John for the chance to become the Making It… With Lowe’s top supplier.
This year, Lowe’s gave you the opportunity to decide which entrepreneur would make it to the final by voting for your favorite product! Hopefully before you made your picks, you were able to meet the Top 14 entrepreneurs, where Lowe’s shared how their ideas came to fruition and of course, their products.
Now, Lowe’s is ready to reveal voters’ “fan favorite” and the top five entrepreneurs selected by Lowe’s executives who will be heading to the final pitch competition. Lowe’s spoke with each of the finalists to learn a little bite more about what they’re most looking forward to and what advice they would give to other small business owners.
TOP 5
Frank Lauyans: AnchorHog Security Anchor
Frank Lauyans is the entrepreneur behind Anchorhog Security Anchor.
As for the product’s best quality, well it’s certainly not a secret, Lauyans says it’s “security.” AnchorHog is small, low cost, compact, easily installed and can also mount to wood or concrete surfaces. Lauyans is most excited about having the “potential of moving AnchorHog from e-commerce to retail, ultimately achieving greater exposure.” The entrepreneur says selling through Lowe’s will move AnchorHog to the next level.
Never give up on your passion. Accept failure along the way to achieve success.
Kim Craig: Musashi Weeder
Kim Craig, the owner of The Musashi Weeder says the best word to describe her product is “efficient”.
The Musashi Weeder vibrates and pulls weeds up with the root intact so they can’t grow back. The product is cordless, lightweight and overall, reduces the strain and stress of pulling weeds. Craig says she’s most excited to proudly showcase her product’s capabilities and “put it in executives’ hands.” Through her mentoring sessions with Lowe’s, she’s learned “to always ask questions,” and that “Lowe’s is always there for [small business owners].”
Find a product or service that you believe in and believe it can make a difference which will justify the drive, time and commitment it will take to become a successful entrepreneur.
Thomas K. Barnhill: QuikSizer Instant Diameter Gauge
QuikSizer can size nuts, bolts, pipe and tubing. The product features both Standard and Metric scales and has been verified to a certified machinist pin for accuracy.
Owner Thomas Barnhill says if he had to describe his product’s best quality in one word, it’d be “exceptional.” Barnhill is looking forward to meeting and networking with very successful people who can “open pathways to creating more job opportunities in the USA,” at the final pitch competition. When asked what advice he’d give to others looking to start a small business, his answer was simple:
Be hardcore honest with yourself and others.
Denise Sung: Watex Mobile Green Wall – When Denise Sung of Watex Mobile Green Wall thinks of her product’s best quality, it’s “maneuverable.” The Watex Mobile Green Wall is a moveable, vertical garden with a drip irrigation system.
The DIY kit comes with 18 interchangeable pots for growing multiple varieties and pre-assembled drip irrigation that’s ready to be connected to a garden hose. Sung is most excited to “receive product and operational feedback from home improvement experts,” during Making It... With Lowe’s final pitch session, noting that “being recognized by one of the largest home improvement retailers in the nation” means the world to her. Sung’s advice to other entrepreneurs stems from her favorite quote:
Failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of the success. You need to learn from your failures.
John Farnsworth: Cut & Guard Gang Box Lid
Cut & Guard Gang Box lid allows you to find electrical boxes with a magnet while also keeping wires and cables clean and protected.
John Farnsworth describes gang box lid’s best quality as “simple.” In preparation for his final pitch, Farnsworth says his mentoring sessions with the Lowe’s team have taught him to “focus on how to present product in a retail setting in order to get customers' attention.” When giving advice to entrepreneurs trying to pursue a small business, Farnsworth said one of the best things they can do is get advice and mentorship from around their community.
Use all the community resources available. Your community wants you to succeed as an entrepreneur.
FAN FAVORITE
Dave Chambers & Steven Boyd: The Perfect P-Trap
The Perfect P-Trap is a tool designed to let you access your under-sink plumbing without having to disassemble the unit or call a plumber. Dave Chambers and Steven Boyd describe their product’s best quality as “necessary.” The entrepreneurs are excited to share their “vision, passion and commitment with industry leaders” during the final pitch competition.
The pair says this is an opportunity to bring what they believe to be “the new industry standard to market with what could be the category’s most disruptive entry ever.” Similar to fellow entrepreneurs in the program, Chambers and Boyd say their Lowe’s mentorship sessions have taught them that “Lowe's is an awesome company that genuinely believes in giving the community an opportunity to sit at the table of free enterprise.” For those interested in starting a small business, Chambers and Boyd encourage them to be patient and understand it is a marathon, not a sprint.
Never lose the belief in your product and your ability to get it to market. Make sure you are addressing a real need with an effective and differentiated product. In other words, build a better mousetrap.
