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Hoppy Paws Enjoying ‘Shark Tank’ Success After Making Deal With Barbara Corcoran

By Sarah Field
Published on: 15:21 PST, Jun 4, 2015

When Trina Barkouras entered the Shark Tank last year, she was ready to get an investment. The California entrepreneur had launched her product, the holiday stamping kit “Hoppy Paws,” only 90 days before. She still found time to watch every episode of Shark Tank to prepare for her pitch.

It worked. Barkouras asked for $50,000 for a 10 percent stake in her company. On the show, Barbara Corcoran committed to an investment of twice that amount, $100,000, for 49 percent. As reported by Business Insider, Barkouras had insisted on maintaining a majority stake, to which Corcoran agreed as long as the two were equal partners in Trina’s future endeavors.

Barkouras told the OC Register that she sold approximately 5,000 units of Hoppy Paws in less than two weeks after the Shark Tank episode aired in December. She praised her partnership with Corcoran, calling it “great.” Corcoran has helped her to connect with retailers and sales reps.

Hoppy Paws helps parents to create a trail of hoof prints to show children evidence Santa’s reindeer have come to the house. The company has a variety of stamping kits tailored to different holidays.

Although Corcoran had recommended that Barkouras limit the number of SKUs, the company website still offers unique designs for Easter, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day and family celebrations, such as stork prints to welcome a new baby.

Barkouras started the stamping tradition with her own children, and she wasn’t alone in doing so. Corcoran revealed she’d also created a hoof print trail during the holidays. Hoppy Paws makes user-friendly and simple stamping kits. The prints are biodegradable and can be vacuumed clean.

Trina told the Register back in December that she is hands-on with the company, always attending to customers.

“The company is growing at a very rapid pace, and we’re trying to keep up with the orders. I personally answer every email that comes in, and there have been hundreds.”

Hoppy Paws has become a family business, now including the very children who inspired Trina.

“My kids love it. My oldest daughter works here with me right now, and they’re very proud of me and very happy that it’s a family business, and we’re going to keep it that way.”

Shark Tank airs Friday nights on ABC.

[Left photo: Ana Venegas, OC Register; Right photo: ABC]

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