My Experience on Shark Tank

I have been a fan of Shark Tank for years. I love the show. I have used the advice they give other entrepreneurs to help my own business. Auditioning for the show was a no brainer.
It started with a fateful email from Yun Lingner, one of the Executive Producers. She asked me to call her, which I knew would be my first audition. We spoke for a few minutes and she encouraged me to apply.
"You're a little behind, so we need you to move quickly," she said. "We need a 3 minute video. Introduce yourself and show us your personality."
I then gave her my email address and she emailed me a 21 page application that asked me a lot of in depth questions about my business. Everything from how I came up with the idea, to what I thought my biggest disappointment and success has been to any publicity I have received. It took me several hours to fill it out.
Once I filled that out, I made a 3-5 minute audition video that was supposed to show my personality and any interesting things about my business. Because Yun only gave me a few days to complete all of this,I did it in 3 tries, cut it down to under 5 minutes and emailed it over to the producers.
A week later, I was contacted by Mark Burnett productions to let me know that I was a semi-finalist! It felt pretty good, until I considered that a semi-finalist might have just been 1 of thousands. I read through a very long agreement, signed it and mailed it over.

A week later on a Friday night around 6:30 PM, I was contacted by two of the producers of Shark Tank while I was on a road trip. I immediately called them back to set up a phone call the following Monday. I was so nervous to take this call. I knew that every contact with someone from Mark Burnett Productions was part of my audition. How I handled myself on the phone call would be an indication to them how I would handle myself in front of the camera so if I clammed up on the phone, they would probably think I would clam up in front of the Sharks.

The phone call went really well. My producers were so nice, friendly and professional.
After I got off the phone with them, I sat down and wrote my draft of my pitch.

When, I filmed my pitch for the producers I was far more nervous than when I actually was in front of the sharks. I kept telling my friend, "Don't look at me! You're freaking me out!" He was so patient with me as I got all my jitters out in front of him instead of the sharks. I practiced my pitch with Izze, my yorkie/boston terrier/chow mix,who stood on her mark and took the Puppy Cake with gusto.

With pitch on its way to being polished, I needed to get everything else ready. Even though my producers didn't say I was definitely going out to LA to film, I had to act like I was so that everything would be ready for when I got confirmation I was flying out there.

First task: figure out how to get my dog out to LA with me. It isn't easy flying with a dog, especially when they are too big to fly in the cabin with you. While Izze, being part terrier, loves to sleep under the bed and chairs, law requires that the dog be able to stand up, lie down and turn around in their kennel under the seat. Izze was too big to fly in the cabin and had to be checked, something I was not happy about, but knew Izze would be fine. I had her vet appointment all scheduled to have her certificate of health, which would have lasted long enough just to get her there and back with no time to spare. As I researched more and more about flying with dogs, I found that in order to protect the health and safety of dogs, a dog cannot fly when the temperature goes above 85 degrees at any point during their travel. The only direct flight from Pittsburgh left at 6:30 PM which is a little cooler because it is the evening. It was late July and the temperatures were hovering around 85 degrees every day. As I looked at the forecast, I realized that I might be able to get Izze out to LA, but trying to fly back with her would be impossible because every day the high was about 85 degrees while she would have been flying. So Izze was a no go. Fortunately, Puppy Cake had made some friends over the years donating product to rescue organizations, something I am very passionate about. I contacted Alyson Lyons who helps run a Vizsla rescue group near LA. Alyson is a very seasoned dog owner, passionate about dogs and an excellent trainer. I reached out to her to see if there was a dog that would be appropriate for me to bring on TV. I needed a bomb proof dog that could walk on a leash and was food motivated. Alyson got back to me immediately and told me all about Minnie, her 7 year old Vizsla. Minnie was absolutely perfect for the job. With that settled I had to move onto another critical area: Wardrobe.

I spent an entire Saturday before the show aired shopping at Ross Park Mall for the perfect dress. Why a dress? Well, I personally do not like pant suits. I feel like they make me look like a man and I wanted to look like a smart, professional business women. I am young enough as it is and if I showed up with jeans and a Puppy Cake t shirt, I was afraid they wouldn't take me seriously. Four hours later, I found the perfect dress by Black Halo.

I began my packing list which included a mixing bowl, spatulas, frosting tips, frosting bags, measuring cups, parchment paper, plates, napkins and more cake decorating supplies. After I had everything purchased, it took me 3 hours to pack. Oh packing, I hate packing. This was definitely to most stressful packing I have ever done. If I forgot something, I might not have been able to buy it in LA. Thank fully, there was a Target across the street from my hotel in LA.

A few nights before I left, I baked up a storm. There were bone shaped cakes and cupcakes all over my house. I froze everything to bring with me as my backup plan if I wasn't able to bake fresh ones in LA. I can't tell you how many times I muttered angrily to myself, "Why didn't I invent something that was plastic?! No, I had to invent something that is perishable."

Once in LA, I had one day to relax and get settled before we had to do our pitch in front of the producers as our final audition. Minnie and I got to know each other that night and were prepared for our last audition.

It was Tuesday morning and the group of other Shark Tank contestants piled into the vans. I immediately met Jared Joyce, who is on the February 24th episode and another contestant with noise reducing high heels. We introduced ourselves and said a little bit about our businesses.
"You know how there is always a 'dud' on every episode?" I asked them. "Well, I hope I'm not the dud," I said anxiously.
The girl with the noise reducing shoes said in her valley-esque voice, "Oh, I hope I'm not the dud."
You are the dud, I thought to myself as Jared and I swapped knowing glances at one another.

At the Sony Picture Studios Lot we had orientation and then waited in our dressing rooms. Yes, I got a dressing room! One of the few pictures I took while I was there was of my dressing room door. I practiced my pitch to myself in my room and then got called to go to the studio. We did a dress rehearsal in a different studio than the Shark Tank set. I wondered if they were trying to make us extra nervous by not letting us see the set, but found out that it was because they were filming all day, every day that I was there. I did my pitch and got a little criticism. I immediately felt like it was over and that they weren't going to let me film.

Being a track and field athlete during school, I always knew that you only get one shot during a race. If you screw it up, there weren't do-overs. I anxiously waited to hear from my producers to find out if I was going to get to film on Thursday.

Before I left the set that day, the crew began asking me about Puppy Cake. I told them about how we use human grade ingredients and how it's really healthy.
"Can I eat one?" a crew member asked.
"Sure if you want to," before I could finish my sentence, he grabbed a Puppy Cake and tossed it in his mouth.
"That's pretty good," he said with his mouth stuffed.
Before I knew it, a swarm of crew members began grabbing Puppy Cakes and tossing them in their mouths with gusto.

Wednesday, I paced around my room while watching old episodes of Shark Tank on hulu. My only break was when I baked my Puppy Cakes in the hotel. I actually had to mix the batter in my room, fill the pans and then wheel them downstairs on a luggage cart. I bet the housekeepers were wondering what in the world I had been doing in my room. There was batter and white powder everywhere. The white powder being the yogurt frosting that comes in every box.

With the Puppy Cakes baked and frosted, I stood in front of the mirror and practiced my pitch. I even called my parents and practiced my pitch over the phone with them. I visualized all the questions the sharks would ask me and tried to prepare myself for tomorrow. At 7 PM, my producer called me to let me know that I needed to be packed and ready to go at 11 AM the next morning. I was going to film in the later half of the day. As soon as I got off the phone, I called my family to let them know that I was filming the next day and to pray for me. I then called Alyson to let her know what time she needed to bring Minnie to the set.

I had everything packed, did my hair and makeup and got ready to face one of the most important days of my career.

Just before lunch, I went into hair and makeup. I doubt I will be able to say that again! The makeup artist asked me what kind of makeup I was wearing.
"Bare Minerals," I responded.
She immediately looked miffed. "No!" she said exasperatedly.
"I brought it with me," I said thinking that she was out of and that is what caused her to be alarmed.
"I know that everyone likes that because it makes your skin look so dewey and youthful, but it makes you look like an oil slick on camera."
Bummer, I thought to myself. She fixed me though. She had to wipe off almost all of my foundation and reapplied a "camera approved" foundation, which of course, was at least a shade darker than my natural skin tone. That's stage makeup for you.

Finally, by late afternoon, I was taken over to the Shark Tank set to film the "jitters," the 30 seconds that they sometimes show of the entrepreneur looking nervous and scared in the room outside of the Shark Tank hallway.

While we were trying to get Minnie to sit still and look at me, she looked right at the camera and farted. Myself and the crew couldn't help but laugh. Minnie offered some comic relief just when I needed it.

When we were done with the jitters, I had a little more down time before they took me back to the set.

On set, I had to wait backstage, quickly whip up some frosting, topped a fresh Puppy Cake for Minnie and then inspected my table with all of my products on it. The sound guy came over and put a microphone hidden within my dress.

With the back half of my dress zipped down I said to him, "You have to best job in Hollywood."

I had one last makeup and hair check. After a while, I asked myself, "What do I look like right now?" I hadn't seen a mirror in over a half an hour and two people had been putting lipstick on me, powder, mascara and hairspray on me.

My producer came over and said, "We're ready."

I remember standing in front of those doors feeling incredibly overwhelmed. "What if I forget my pitch?!" I had no time to run through it one more time. A leash was handed to me, I got one more touch up of hair and makeup and then a man started counting down with his fingers.

The doors opened and I started walking. I feel nervous just writing about it.

The hallway is pretty long, at least, it felt that way. Everything I had been nervous about seemed to fall off me as I took each stride down the Shark Tank hallway. I reached the "spot" and stopped. Minnie, the perfect actress, stopped too and looked out at the Sharks.

No, I did not get to meet them beforehand. I didn't even get to shake any of their hands. What you see on TV is pretty much how it is. It is meant to be daunting, because those 5 successful entrepreneurs come with a lot of clout.

With a deep breath, I began my pitch. Upon saying I was from Pittsburgh, I made eye contact with Mark Cuban who then gave me a thumbs up. I did my pitch flawlessly with Minnie behaving perfectly. I loved it when she jumped up on the table. I would have loved it if she knocked the whole thing over to get some more Puppy Cake.

Was I nervous? Before hand, absolutely. While I was in there, something changed, I was a business woman. I knew my stuff. I knew a statistic to back up why I started this business, why I have made money with a tiny marketing budget and no distributors. I fought back and stood my ground when Kevin made ridiculous comments about dogs and dog owners. Robert was out really quickly, so quickly I didn't even have time to acknowledge that he was out. Lori was really nice and spoke about how there are lots of dog owners who want to give their dogs treats like this. Kevin must have been channeling Simon Cowell because he kept coming with the cutting remarks. I actually laughed at one ridiculous thing he said because I thought that he was surely joking. He wasn't. Daymond just couldn't see himself ever buying this product and couldn't get excited about it. Mark was very nice and gave me some good advice. I knew the truth about my weaknesses and I was honest about them. I graciously took the advice that was given to me, thanked the Sharks and walked out.

One thing they didn't show on camera was that as soon as we got to the doors, Minnie spun around and started barking at the Sharks. Thanks, Minnie!

I exhaled deeply when I came out of the hallway. I knew I did my best in there and that was my ultimate goal.

Watching myself on TV was so weird. I actually hid behind my sister as we watched. I still haven't seen the whole thing.

What has happened after Shark Tank? A lot, to say the least. My sales quadrupled from 2011 to 2012 and doubled from 2012 to 2013. I have added a new flavor: red velvet, a new product: Puptato Chips and am working on easy to whip up frosting.

My biggest problem on Shark Tank was that I needed money to be able to attend trade shows to get more stores to carry Puppy Cake. Since the show, we have attended the HH Backer Christmas Show where Puppy Cake was chosen as the bronze winner of the Retailer Select Award for new products! We also attended the largest pet trade show, the Global Pet Expo, twice.

What's next? Oh, the journey has just begun!
Kelly Costello is the owner and founder of Puppy Cake LLC, appeared on ABC's Shark Tank and guest blogs for topics regarding business and dogs. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, where she currently lives with her two rescued terriers, you can regularly find Kelly creating a new dog product or sharing her passion for business with other entrepreneurs. See Kelly's products on www.puppycake.com.

Top 10 Tips: How to Get Motivated

   

Top 10 Tips: How to Get Motivated

by Anne M. Bachrach

 

Learning how to get and stay motivated isn’t always an easy task. It’s especially difficult when you’re dreading the task at hand and are inclined to procrastinate. Below, are the Top 10 Tips to help you get motivated - and back on track. They will also help you stay on track so you achieve your goals and be even more successful.

1. Find what drives you. Are you driven by your own needs, by the need of your family, or by someone else? How about the needs of your clients? Are you willing to work10-hour days because your client is in a pinch or because you desire the end result? Maybe your drive comes from paying off your debt and providing a better life for your family. ACTION STEP: Find what drives you and then exploit it to stay motivated and focused. Write it down and post it at your work station where you will see it frequently throughout the day.

2. Visualize the end result. Zoning in on the end result is one of the key steps in being able to understand how to get motivated. When you accomplish a goal, you feel a sense of excitement or triumph. ACTION STEP: Visualize how you’ll feel once you accomplish each goal. Make a to-do list for the things you’d like to do once you get this task out of the way. Maybe you’ll take a mini vacation with your significant other,make an appointment to get a massage, or take a day off and play golf. Hang that list where it will remind you frequently of the desired result.

3. Reward yourself. Aren’t rewards the biggest motivator? Give yourself a tiny prize every time you accomplish something on your to-do list. Motivate yourself with a cup of coffee, a break to read your favorite books, or the time to take that vacation. ACTION STEP: Set up small rewards for each goal you achieve. Staying motivated is a heck of a lot easier when you’ve got something exciting in the immediate future to look forward to.

4. Change your scenery. Sometimes, it’s just difficult to get motivated when you’re looking at the same four walls hour after hour. Occasionally, all you need is a change of scenery to get the ball rolling. ACTION STEP: Shake things up by changing your scenery. If it’s a nice summer day, get some work done while sitting on your porch. If you live in the city, head to a coffee shop and plop yourself down into a nice cushy chair, get a latte and get to work.

5. Plan ahead. Creating a realistic schedule is essential when trying to understand how to get motivated. ACTION STEP: Give yourself a set amount of time to complete each task and then move on. If you’re not done before times up, save the task for the end of the day and reprioritize your to-do list for the following day.

6. Divide responsibility. You’re not just an entrepreneur; you also have personal responsibilities that need your attention. If you have a spouse or children, consider delegating some responsibilities to them. Instead of using your break to drive to the post office and mail bills, ask your significant other if they have time to do it before he or she heads to work. If you usually wake up early to clean the house, give your 13-year old $20 to clean the house three times each week. ACTION STEP: Hold a family and/or team meeting to divide responsibilities throughout your household (and office) so you can free up your most valuable time to taking on the most high-impact actions.

7. Remember why you do this. You obviously became an entrepreneur for a reason. Perhaps you have a passion for what you do or it allows the flexibility you need in your schedule. Maybe your income provides great benefits to you or your family that would otherwise be minimal if it were not for your business. ACTION STEP: Constantly be mindful of why you do what you do - it’s one of the best ways to easily get and stay motivated.

8. Use fear. This may seem like a dirty little trick,but sometimes it’s a necessary evil to truly learn how to stay motivated.If you are unable to connect with why you do what you do, perhaps thinking of what would happen if you didn’t will remind you. You may use this only as a last resort if nothing else seems to be working. ACTION STEP: Think of what you could lose if you don’t get the task at hand completed. Analyze what’s at stake and let the fear of losing these valuable things pump you into getting motivated!

9. Raise the Bar. Successful entrepreneurs know that constantly raising the bar is the true key to self improvement. Raising the bar each time you reach a goal will force you to advance your skills,become a strategic thinker and ultimately thrust you towards completing your responsibilities in a more efficient manner. ACTION STEP: Raise the bar every month or even every week. If you have a goal in mind, step it up one or two more notches, yet it must still be believable for you. You’ll soon start to see your motivation (and your ability to achieve more) sky rocket.

10. Break a Sweat. It’s no secret that exercising boosts your confidence and helps you stay motivated. Get active and clear your thoughts by taking a jog in the park each morning, swimming a lap in your pool during your lunch break or speed walking with your dog before work. Any kind of physical activity for thirty minutes or longer will help you get motivated and boost your levels of endorphins. ACTION STEP: Commit to 30-minutes per day of any type of exercise. Use your personal preference (morning, afternoon or night) to use your peak energy to the best advantage.

Follow these tips and action steps to help you get and stay motivated and you will continue to move closer to achieving your goals. Remember, it’s about staying focused and disciplined, taking many positive steps forward while minimizing or eliminating the backwards steps, and committing to doing what it takes to get you where you want to be.

© Anne M. Bachrach. All rights reserved. Anne M. Bachrach is known as The Accountability Coach™. She has 23 years of experience training and coaching. Business owners and entrepreneurs who utilize Anne’s proven systems and processes work less, make more money, and have a more balanced and successful life. Anne is the author of the books, Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule!, and Live Life with No Regrets; How the Choices We Make Impact Our Lives, and The Work Life Balance Emergency Kit. Go to http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/Achieve.Your.Goals.Free.Gifts.Now/ and get 3 FREE gifts including a special report on 10 Power Tips for Getting Focused, Organized, and Achieving Your Goals Now. Join the FREE Silver Inner Circle Membership today and receive 10% off on all products and services, in addition to having access to assessments and high-value resources to help you achieve your goals so you can experience a more balanced and successful life (http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/inner-circle-store/).

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6 Step Guide - How to Set up Google Authorship for your Blog

6 Step Guide - How to Set up Google Authorship for your Blog

Why take an ISO 9001 financial training course?

An ISO 9001 training qualification could potentially be an essential requirement for those hoping to become an auditor.

The qualification provides an individual with proof that they have sufficient enough knowledge of the ISO 9001 standards to be able to judge whether an organisation has met them.

For those who are unfamiliar with the standards, this might seem like a tiny part of an auditor's job. Whilst it is true that there are plenty more standards that auditors are likely to need to have a full understanding of, this doesn't diminish the importance of them passing ISO 9001 training courses.

What is ISO 9001?

ISO9001 is a set of standards, defined by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), used to determine the merit of a quality management system (QMS). It's important for businesses to have a QMS that meets certain standards otherwise the results shown by it will be worth very little to potential customers. Customers like to see proof that a business is using efficient day-to-day processes and IS09001 certification is the best way of proving this.

Most standards set by the ISO are accepted by businesses across the world as the only set of quality standards worth meeting, and this is no different for ISO9001.

This is because the ISO is made up of representatives from 159 countries who all work together to develop standards that are suitable across the globe. According to the ISO website, the standards "ensure desirable characteristics of products and services such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability -- and at an economical cost".

Businesses across all of these countries are aiming for their QMS to meet or exceed these standards. That's why it's basically compulsory for auditors to have a great working knowledge of ISO9001 in order to be able to judge a QMS. If a business meets these standards, they are said to have gained ISO 9001 accreditation.

How does a business become ISO 9001 accredited?

The first step to becoming ISO 9001 accredited is to ensure that a QMS meets the standard set in ISO9001 documentation. Once those in charge of the QMS are satisfied that this is the case, they have to apply to a third party, such as the British Assessment Bureau, to be assessed. The assessment will be completed by individuals who have passed ISO 9001 training courses. Without passing these courses, it would be impossible to prove you have the knowledge to complete such an assessment.

It's not compulsory for a QMS to be ISO9001 accredited, but there are plenty of advantages to being so. It is believed that ISO9001 accreditation gives organisations greater success with tenders and an improved chance of achieved preferred contractor status. After all, if you had a choice between an organisation with an industry-approved method of measuring the quality of its processes and one that didn't have this, what would you choose? There are plenty of companies who insist on using an ISO9001 accredited supplier.

In short, ISO9001 accredited businesses have a competitive advantage over their unaccredited rivals. That's why thousands of businesses are so keen to gain this certification - and why it's so important for auditors to be qualified to issue it.

About the author: 

Batalas (www.batalas.co.uk) has over 50 years experience in lead and internal auditor training with over 300,000 people having attended our training courses. 

How do I get beautiful stripes in my lawn

You’ve noticed around town that the pros create beautiful stripping in the lawns they mow, and you’re wondering… How can I do this in my lawn without having to pay a professional?

Well… as in many cases it comes down to two things… Skill and professional equipment.

But, this doesn’t mean you can’t achieve the same results in your lawn.  First.. You will need to have a great stand of grass to work with, if your lawn is full of weeds, sparse and shoddy it won’t stripe well.

Assuming your lawn is a good “canvas” to stripe up, this is how it’s achieved.

The appearance of the stripes is due to the way the lawn is laid down with each pass of the mower, and the way the sunlight hits the angle of the grass blades.  This difference in angle Is achieved with alternating the directions the lawn is mowed in.  So start with mowing in a straight line, then turn around, and come back to where you started returning to your starting point in the opposite direction.  This alternating path creates the contrast with the lawn being laid down in one direction on the first swath and then being laid down in the opposite direction on the return swath.  So when the sunlight hits the turf the alternating directions the grass in laid in reflects with a light green and dark green contrast creating the beautiful striping effect.

Now here is the challenging part.. You’ll have to have the right equipment for the job… You see.. the way the pros create the alternating stripes so well is because the mowers they use have a “Zero turning radius” meaning they can turn on a dime, this is how they can quickly and easily turn at the end of each swath and create the alternating lines that make the striping effect.

So , if you really want to mow like a pro, you will need to invest in the proper equipment. You will have to purchase a zero turn mower.  Manufactures like Exmark, Hustler, and Bobcat make great mowers that commercial lawn cutters use. Brand new these mowers can cost anywhere from $5,000 - $10,000 , however, you can purchase them used on craigslist or eBay for around half that cost or less.

So if you really want to mow like a pro, you will have to invest in professional equipment, and practice the moves… or you can take the easy way out and jump on GreenPal and hire the best professional in your area at the best price!

Happy Landscaping ! Cheers!

This article was written by Zach Hendrix co-founder of GreenPal  You can catch Zach on Google+

4 Tips for Networking at Your Next Trade Show

How you plan to work a trade show can determine what you get out of it. These shows are places where long-lasting relationships can be formed that might benefit everyone involved for years to come. However, showing up unprepared to meet and greet people can doom your efforts and make you feel like you just wasted a lot of time and money. Here are four tips to make the event worth attending:


1. Create a Plan

There are three primary groups that attend trade shows: vendors, speakers, and visitors. The vendors and speakers will be listed in the paperwork for the show. This list can be extremely valuable to making the right connections. Study who is coming and make plans to stop by their booth and say hello. You may even want to call a couple of people beforehand and try to set up a time to meet before the show begins or afterwards for dinner or a couple of drinks to get to know one another and present possible opportunities for collaboration.

2. Bring Help

You never want your booth to be unmanned. Every person walking by is a potential customer who could use your services. Even taking a small break to run to the restroom could mean lost opportunities. There are usually a lot of booths and visitors generally keep on moving from one aisle to the next. There should always be someone in the booth to give a quick presentation about your products or services to those who decide to stop by and show interest in what you do. You will probably lose the opportunity to learn the names and contact information of interested people in your business so you can follow up with potential customers after the show ends and you are back at the office.

3. Study the Vendor Booth Layout 

You might only get a limited amount of time to leave your booth and approach other vendors. One thing to remember is that the other vendors present are active in your industry in some capacity. For instance, you might make and sell a product that can be used to clean tar-based sealcoats off of equipment and sidewalks. There might be sealcoat contractors and equipment sellers who could use that type of product. Taking the time to make a connection could be worthwhile.

4. Business Cards, etc.

Always have business cards, a pen and a notebook (either paper or electronic) with you at all times. You want to make it easy for a person to contact you later and business cards are cheap. Hand them out as frequently as you can. Also take the time to gather information and put it into your notebook so you can follow up on your discussions. Pamphlets and brochures should have your contact information on them and not the contact information of companies you might represent.

Trade shows are a good way to find new business. Being prepared to take advantage of opportunities make them worthwhile.

This article was written by Aubrey Phelps, a writer for Fibernet. In her spare time, she goes hiking in Utah and spends time with family.

iPad 5

     iPad 5 was about to Outstripp iPad Mini 2 with the Release Date

If you are among the millions of people who get excited about each iPad release, clearly you haven’t had many opportunities to get curious lately. Apple only released the slightly upgraded version of 9.7 inch iPad and the iPad Mini last year, but all of us were disappointed by the disruption of Apple’s traditional March/April cycle of new releases. Bottom line, we were left with empty hands during the first half of 2013 and we are not happy about that fact.

According to the latest rumors in the technology world, Apple is considering to release an improved 5^thgeneration of the iPad before this year is over, but there is a slight surprise: the iPad Mini is expected to be released several months after the iPad 5. In fact, according to the report from DigiTimes, the iPad Mini of the second generation might not hit the market until November. Where does this change in Apple’s usual release patterns come from?

The same DigiTimes report is also supporting some of the earlier rumors about the iPad 5 being launched in a more compact appearance that will be close to the iPad mini. Its weight is supposed to be reduced, and it will feature a thinner form factor and narrower side bezels. In fewer words, it’s supposed to be iPad mini-esque.

Reasons for the alternation

You must be wondering about the reasons for this alternation. Apple never does random things, so there must be a good explanation behind this switch. First of all, it’s been reported that the immense success of Apple’s iPad Mini was coming at the expense of Apple’s original iPad. The numbers of sales are clear and undeniable: the Mini version of the tablet is enjoying greater popularity on the market. This explains why the manufacturer decided to give the 5^thgeneration of iPad an advantage of few months before the spotlight is taken over by the new iPad Mini.

Steve Jobs always claimed that there wasn’t any need for the production of a smaller iPad, so the original iPad Mini was a surprising launch on the market. However, its sales overcoming the original iPad were even a bigger surprise, as the market was clearly in demand for a smaller version of the Apple tablet.

Another assumption for the delay of the iPad Mini’s production is that the supply chain is not able to meet the schedule of mass production, which made the delay of iPad Mini’s launch inevitable.

Maybe the holidays have something to do with it

Although it is still not clear when the new versions of both tablets will be released, it’s becoming obvious that Apple is timing their launch to be around the holiday season. The new iPad 5 is expected in Q3, and a new iPhone will possibly hit the market around that period as well. With the iPad Mini expected in Q4, this change in Apple’s usual release cycles from the Steve Jobs era seems to have something with the holiday season.

According to the previous Apple pattern we were all used to, March or April was the time for a new iPad, June or July were reserved for an iPhone launch and September was the time of iPods. During the time of holidays, the excitement for new Apple devices on the market was already in the doldrums, so the manufacturer was clearly not taking all obvious advantages of the holiday focus. This is what makes us question the alternation of Apple’s cycle from a PR perspective.

However we put it, no one can deny that Apple is clearly giving us something to talk about and keep ourselves busy until the next launches; and nobody can predict their exact dates.

Stay tuned for more information

You could pick any month and say that Apple is going to launch their new iPad Mini then, and you will encourage new rumors in the same minute. Every rumor site is making assumptions and the public is being instantly attracted, simply because we are all anxiously waiting for Apple’s new releases. The only thing everyone agrees upon is that the iPad Mini 2 and the iPad 5 will be definitely released during this year. Half of 2013 is already gone and there isn’t much time left, so we can definitely say that the latest assumptions are slightly more accurate than the previous ones.

Nevertheless, we will definitely get more information on these fronts in the following month or two. The analysts are predicting some great surprises by Apple, and we can only say that the starved fans really need something surprising. Apple refuses to provide any comments on these rumors and speculations, which makes us even more eager to see what the giant brings to the table this time. All I can say is that I already know what I am getting for Christmas this year!

                                          

About the Author

Sasha Moran has a degree in Linguistics. She is a writer at

essay on time with a background in psychology, e-learning, and marketing.