Q-Flex entered the Shark Tank on December 12. Back then, we interviewed creator Andrea Cao, who entered the Tank with her mother, asking for $20,000 for 20 percent of the company. To read our original interview with Andrea, click here.
We caught up with Andrea today to see how her company has fared after debuting on the show in 2014. Barbara and Mark gave them a deal, and Andrea gushed over their involvement, saying, “I can’t even put in to words about the amount of help both of them have offered.” As for Cuban’s assistance, he has provided a team of web designers, lawyers and marketers to assist them. As for Barbara, Andrea said:
She has even devoted her time to call us herself and actually come down to meet us in person. She is the funniest person ever, and gives us great daily advice. She is overflowing with great ideas, which have saved us. All of her connections have proved very useful to us, and she is even helping us get in to retail. I would describe her as a mother hen. I am always grateful to be under her wing.
The day the show aired, they joined Amazon, but because of the surge of customers ready to buy Q-Flex, they had to temporarily leave the site. Just recently, Amazon contacted them to be a part of their new Amazon Exclusives program, and they accepted the offer.
You can find Q-Flex on Amazon here.
When asked about the growth they’ve experience since the Tank, Andrea said:
Our company had grown a ton! We are no longer a door to door company and we actually have real customers and real sales. We are even in the process of getting a fulfillment center so we can get out of our garage.
(Amazon)
Andrea, who is an eighth grader, impressively balances school work with running a business. Her school day, she says is ‘half school and half business.'”I’m not afraid to take a conference call during lunch and take care of customer service. It’s all made possible by my graciously kind history teacher who has let his room become my office at lunch. I don’t eat at school, and use all of my extra time in class to be taking care of business,” the young entrepreneur said.
Read our first interview with Andrea here:
