Rent A Grandma Shark Tank Update – Shark Tank Season 3
Todd Pliss pitched Rent A Grandma, a unique childcare concept that connects families with experienced caregivers, but struggles to scale into a high-growth business on Shark Tank.
In Shark Tank Season 3, Episode 8, Todd Pliss brought his idea for a unique staffing agency, Rent A Grandma. A complaint he had heard repeated often by parents was that it was nearly impossible to find reliable, trustworthy child care.
So, he wanted to franchise the idea, taking the grandmas national. Would the Sharks bite on this unique idea?
About Rent A Grandma
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Rent A Grandma |
| Founder | Todd Pliss |
| Industry | Staffing Services / Childcare |
| Product | Childcare services provided by experienced older women |
| Funding (Pre-Shark Tank) | Self-funded |
| Investment Asked | $150,000 for 20% equity |
| Deal Status | No deal |
| Valuation | $750,000 (Ask) |
Before launching the business, Pliss worked as a tutor to up-and-coming stars, including the Jonas Brothers.
College students and teens tended to be too distracted. Pliss came up with an idea: Why not pair older ladies with proven domestic experience with families in need?
He closed his tutoring business and began interviewing candidates, doing background checks, and creating the Rent A Grandma business.
Rent A Grandma Shark Tank Pitch
The founder, Todd Pliss, requested an investment of $150,000 in exchange for 20% equity in his business.
He entered the Tank with one of his “grandmas.” He had a teen model demonstrate how younger caregivers might sit around texting and playing with electronic devices, rather than paying attention to the children.
By contrast, he presented a “grandma” who would be engaged with the children, not distracted by electronics, and “may even bake cookies.” He had his model pass out fresh cookies to the Sharks, eliciting lighthearted exclamations of “Thanks, Grandma!” and “Thanks, Nana! You shouldn’t have” from the Sharks.
Barbara Corcoran asked Pliss how long he had been in business. Pliss explained that he had been in business for a year, had 50 “grandmas” in LA, and was getting calls from around the country.
He had made $25,000 in the first year and was preparing to expand by offering franchises in other cities.
What Made Rent A Grandma Unique?
Rent A Grandma stood out in the childcare space for several reasons:
- Focused on experienced caregivers rather than typical babysitters
- Built trust through background checks and personal matching
- Expanded beyond childcare into tutoring and household support
- Initially operated as a placement service, later evolving into a marketplace-style platform
- Addressed both employment for seniors and childcare needs for families
Did Rent A Grandma Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
No, Rent A Grandma did not secure a deal. Each Shark ultimately passed for different reasons.
Kevin O’Leary wanted to know, “How can I make a buck off a granny? How does this work?” He was not impressed with Pliss’s answer that the profit margin was 15% of the total fee.
Pliss explained that the families paid up front for the service, so once the grandma was hired, the company didn’t have any more work to do. He didn’t believe that Pliss brought enough value to a franchise, even with the trademarked name, Rent A Grandma. He was out.
The founder explained that the company required a minimum commitment from the families to ensure the income was solid.
Daymond John thought it was a “cute idea,” but he was out. Robert Herjavec believed the company was a “good idea” but “a long way away from franchising.” He was out.
Barbara Corcoran said, “This just wasn’t my type of business.” She was out. For a similar reason, Mark Cuban didn’t want “to be in the Rent A Grandma business.” He was out.
Kevin did not like the profit margins, and he was out.
Rent A Grandma Shark Tank Update
Although Pliss was shot down in the Tank, he continued to offer his senior employment services.
The franchise idea seemed to have been abandoned in favor of a website that worked like Angie’s List. Families could visit the site and “browse” available matches in their area. Potential “grandmas” paid a small, one-time fee for their listing on the website and underwent a background check.
Today, Rent A Grandma is available to users worldwide. The brand continued to grow, filling a niche in the market for domestic help and providing older ladies who might otherwise have aged out of the workforce with jobs. Even without a Shark deal, Pliss had hit upon a winner that Grandma would be proud of.
In 2020, Todd Pliss added tutoring, pet care, housekeeping, cooking, and much more to the list of services the business offered. As of July 2022, more than 300 grandmas offered services on the site from across the country. They also added an app to their suite of services.
The concept has found success in Japan under the name “Okay Grandma,” with over 100 women aged 60-94 registered, and was featured in the AARP Bulletin, ABC News, the Los Angeles Times, and more. Reliable revenue figures were unavailable.
Posts about Rent A Grandma on Shark Tank Blog
Know more about the business before its pitch in the Rent A Grandma Shark Tank Preview.
Where Can You Buy It?
Rent A Grandma services were available through its official website, where families could browse caregivers and connect based on location and needs. The addition of a mobile app has made access more convenient over time.
You could follow them on their social platforms, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, for more updates.
Quick Summary
- Todd Pliss sought $150,000 for 20% equity in Rent A Grandma, a service pairing experienced older women with families in need of reliable child care.
- Despite the business having made $25,000 in its first year, all Sharks declined to invest, citing concerns with scalability and profit margins.
- After Shark Tank, Rent A Grandma grew its presence with a website and app, providing services across the U.S. without franchising.
Check out other Shark Tank Season 3 Episodes.
Curious about the other businesses featured in Shark Tank Season 3 Episode 8? Explore more updates and see which ideas made a splash in the Tank.
The fee they charge claims it is to help background checks but if you go to browse on their website clearly they don’t bother. https://rentagrandma.com/resumes/buttsecks/
I understand the rent-a-grandma thing, but rent a grandpa? uhhh…i’ve heard too many stories of older males taking advantage of young children while the parents are away. seems weird AF. Unless the father of the children or another adult was there to co-supervise.