Bev Halisky laughs loudly as friends and family erupt with screams of glee. On the television in front of them, Halisky is sealing a deal on Dragons’ Den.
Halisky and her daughter, Tara Armstrong, pitched their business on the popular Canadian television show back in May. The show brings inventors and entrepreneurs to the stage, where six savvy business moguls – called dragons – decide whether or not to invest in a company.
“I’m feeling so relieved,” said Halisky right after the show, which aired on Thursday. “I thought it came off nice.”
I was so happy. They work very hard; I see the hours that they put in and the passion that they have for this business,” - Ryan Armstrong
On the show the duo asked for $100,000 for 10 per cent of their business. They were offered two deals, one from Jim Treliving, who owns Boston Pizza. Treliving offered $100,000 for 20 per cent of the company.
Arlene Dickinson, CEO of Venture Communications, combined forces with dragon Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Fresh Grade Inc., offering the two $200,000 for 35 per cent of the company.
In the end, they decided to partner with Dickinson and Merrifield.
“Arlene is a heartfelt woman,” Armstrong said. “She has a huge heart, and I think part of the reason she’s so successful in her business is because who she is as a person.”
She added Dickinson and Merrifield offered to help with marketing and branding, which is what they were hoping for.
Even though the show only showed several minutes of the pitch, Halisky and Armstrong were in the den for around 45 minutes. Together, they pitched Driving Miss Daisy, a transportation service for seniors and persons with disabilities. The company also provides non-medical services, such as delivering groceries or attending weddings with clients.
Armstrong said the pitch was nerve-wracking.
“It was not an easy thing to do,” she revealed, adding that she had laryngitis at the time. “I was fighting to get my words out.”
For her, the most difficult part was answering the dragons' pressing questions in a way that would best promote the business.
The deal
Even though the show was taped four months ago, Halisky and Armstrong had to remain mum on the deal until the show aired.
Halisky said family and friends spent months unsuccessfully trying to get them to spill the beans. One family member even tried using copious amounts of wine to coax her into talking.
“We weren’t saying anything,” Halisky said, laughing.
As 30 close friends and family sat in her sister’s living room in St. Albert to watch Dragons’ Den, Halisky finally had the great relief of talking about it.
Ryan Armstrong, who is married to Tara, said he was excited when he saw the deal go through. Along with everyone else, he was left in the dark.
“I was so happy. They work very hard; I see the hours that they put in and the passion that they have for this business,” he said.
Since the taping of the show, Tara said they’ve been in constant contact with the two dragons. Halisky said they’re currently working out the conditions of the deal, with the next step involving putting pen to paper.
If Halisky and Tara decide to formalize the deal, they’ll put the funds towards rebranding and advertising for Driving Miss Daisy.
