-jack: hey, marcus. lemoniseck on the progress of their lower-priced gazebo for true value. -you had your baby. -simon: yes, i did. lemonis: congratulations, my man. what's happening? damion: myself and jack got the true value gazebo ready, built. lemonis: you did? damion: i'll show you it if you like. lemonis: okay. and so what changed? damion: the furniture and the inside of the roof. lemonis: and i love the way that looks. what's the inside of the roof? damion: so, before, it was the tongue-and-groove boards, like this, and now we've done a weatherproof, marine plyboard. lemonis: what did simon think of it? damion: he wasn't over the moon about was -- lemonis: that's too much of a cutting of a corner. what happened since i left? damion: we were all on board, and simon goes to england, so i had to run the business, get these made. lemonis: did you communicate with him? damion: yeah. sent him pictures. lemonis: he ignored you? damion: he could have just checked in a bit more. lemonis: we're getting back to the

-lemonis: i'm marcus. -gary: i'm gary. lemonis: gary, nice to meet you. this is an unbelievable location. how long have you been here? -gary: 41 years. -lemonis: wow. -and who started the business? -gary: it was my dad. lemonis: and do you guys rent this property? gary: no, we own this property. lemonis: how much did you buy this property for? gary: way back when, it was $450,000, and i bought it from my dad for $600,000. lemonis: it's a really nice building. gary: well, it didn't look quite like this, 'cause it burned down. lemonis: remind me a little bit -- when did this fire happen? gary: 4th of july, 2009. it was 100% loss. lemonis: and how much was the total loss? gary: over $1 million. lemonis: how much did the insurance pay? gary: about $1.2 million. lemonis: so the loss was $1 million, but they paid $1.2 million? -gary: yeah. -lemonis: okay. -do you mind if i come around? -gary: oh, no. you're welcome. lemonis: do you have a mortgage on the property? gary: i do. lemonis: how much is that payment a month? gary: about $3,800. lemonis: so, those peop

lemonis: i'm ready to work. there you go. j: marcus-made. monis: now, it goes without saying that before i invest any money in any business, i need to have confidence in the product. -i love the concept. -j: thank you. lemonis: the bread was nice and soft. -the lobster meat -- great. -j: thank you. lemonis: why'd you start the business? j: when i was in l.a. in 2008, i pursued opening my own bar-restaurant. lemonis: where'd you get the money to open that? j: my dad gave me my part. he lost a little over $300,000 when it was all said and done. i was having partner issues. that was back when i was living in l.a. and trying to be the l.a. lifestyle. lemonis: so what does that mean -- "living the l.a. lifestyle?" j: everyone has to have a bmw, an audi, nicest clothes, go to the nicest restaurants. lemonis: were you living that lifestyle? -you were spending money? -j: yeah. lemonis: why'd you start this business? j: because i was so frustrated with that business, but i knew i still loved the food industry. lemonis: how much money did you invest to

lemonis: i'm marcus. nice to meet you. erik: nice to meet you. it's kind of a slower event, but it'll work out pretty good. lemonis: small businesses rarely have the budgets to do big marketing campaigns. so taking over a corner where you can pass out samples and brochures and talk to customers about your product, it's a good idea. so, how many customers do you have in total? erik: we have a total of 300 customers we service. we have 3,000 in the system. lemonis: and how long does a typical customer stay? erik: about three months. lemonis: so, your typical customer stays three months? erik: yeah. now, i have customers for life. lemonis: i want to see you do your marketing thing. erik: yeah. 20 new clients this week. lemonis: let me see it. make it happen. erik: [ laughs ] so, chicken and spinach, or do you want gourmet, delivered health food? there's two servings to a snack for $7.50. diana: if there's any type of allergy, we can actually help you with that. erik: hello, dessert samples. key lime pie? lemonis: erik's idea of healthy eating is a gr

-cristina: hi, marcus. -lemonis: your name? cristina: cristina. lemonis: cristina, nice to meet you. -miranda: hi! -lemonis: hi, how are you? -i'm marcus. -miranda: hi, i'm miranda. lemonis: hey, miranda, how are you? -is this your place? -miranda: this is it. lemonis: how long have you been in the business? miranda: 10 years. we started in my house. i had chronically chapped lips my entire life. and so my daughter was born -- she's now 11 -- and while breastfeeding, started using lanolin -- for breastfeeding -- on my lips. lemonis: the nipple gets chapped. okay. miranda: and i'm like, "oh, i'll put it on my lips," and they were healed for the first time in 30 years. lemonis: now, what is lanolin? miranda: lanolin comes from sheep. it's like an oil, like, a protective coating on their fur. lemonis: i think it's especially cool when somebody starts a business that is meant to solve a problem. sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. miranda: this is where we started. that's the lano lip. this is my original formula, and it's got medical-grade

sammy: marcus, i don't want you to feel that way. lemonis: i do feel that way. ht, marcus. i-i promise. lemonis: honestly, i think we have to close. sammy: [ sighs ] it's more than a nit's reliable uptime. and multi-layered security. it's how you stay connected to each other and to your customers. with centurylink you get advanced technology solutions, including an industry leading broadband network, and cloud and hosting services - all with dedicated, responsive support. with centurylink as your trusted technology partner, you're free to focus on growing your business. centurylink. your link to what's next. ♪ it's the final countdown! ♪ ♪ the final countdown! if you're the band europe, you love a final countdown. it's what you do. if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. the possibility of a flare swas almost always on my mind. thinking about what to avoid, where to go... and how to deal with my uc. to me, that was normal. until i talked to my doctor. she told me that humira helps people like me get uc

lemonis: are you proud of her? michael: very proud. very proud. marcusming into our business and helping us go to the next level was the single best thing that's ever happened to us at pro-fit. lemonis: michael and tina are gonna make a lot more money with the pro-fit bars than they do with the pro-fit gym, and over the next year, we plan on selling about a million bars, generating $900,000 in revenue and $200,000 in profit. and we're gonna launch a number of new product extensions. tina: oh, my god! michael: good job, honey. you did great. tina: oh, i can't believe this! -michael: [ smooches ] -tina: ah! -michael: well done. -tina: amazing. plan well and enjoy life... ♪ or, as we say at unitedhealthcare insurance company, go long. of course, how you plan is up to you. take healthcare. make sure you're covered for more than what just medicare pays... consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company... you might give this a try... the only medicare supplement plans that carry the aarp name, and the ones tha

-lemonis: i'm marcus. -lisa: marcus, this is kacey. -kacey: nice to meet you. ice to meet you? how are you? pet food experts is one of the largest distributors of pet food in the united states. not only do they carry a ton of brands, but they carry a wide variety of price points. that's why we're here. do you have your mission statement? lisa: this is our food promise that we go off of. lemonis: "no byproducts, corn, wheat, or soy." -"no chemical preservatives." -kacey: mm-hmm. lemonis: why don't we walk and just kind of get a feel for it? i need lisa's expertise and her brand promise to determine what foods are gonna work and not work, but i also need her to be open-minded. -do we carry this nutro? -lisa: no. lemonis: does it have byproducts, corn, wheat, or soy? lisa: this one i don't know. no, this one doesn't. lemonis: chemical preservatives? lisa: doesn't look like it. lemonis: so, this has the food promise, but you won't carry it. -lisa: no. -lemonis: why? lisa: when we actually first opened, they were the biggest ones that had all the recalls and stuff, t

lemonis: we'll go with "athletic." lady: [ laughs ] marcus, how you doing? lemonis: these feel -- so, the problem with these -- they feel big on me. lady: i like the leg shape on you. lemonis: no, i can't fit in 34s. lady: do we have the size 36? amy: we don't have them anymore. lemonis: these have too much stretch in them. i feel like i'm in, like, grandma pants -or something with leg stretch. -lady: yoga pants. lemonis: same issue. so these actually got even wider. lady: yeah, those are actually way too wide. you got to take those off. [ laughs ] lemonis: you want me to take them off right here? -just like -- -lady: well -- lemonis: they didn't have my size in most instances, and they didn't have much inventory for me to choose from. i felt like i was being given the leftovers. why is it called blujean bar as opposed to blue jean bar? lady: i'm from new orleans, and so i came up with this idea that it was gonna be, like, a blues bar, like a new orleans blues bar. lemonis: does it feel like a blues bar in here? lady: it does not feel like a blues bar. lemoni

>> my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. i make tough decisions... i will not do it if you're managing the people. and back them up with my own cash. it's not always pretty... first time you ever emptied out poop? but this is business. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. this is the profit. la dogworks is an upscale dog boarding facility located in the heart of hollywood, california. >> you're stinky dogs. >> founded by andrew rosenthal in 2004, this 24-hour full service center with 36 employees has everything from grooming to training... >> sit. >> in a state-of-the-art indoor dog park. this business generates $1.3 million a year, but recently, their numbers have started to tumble. sloppy business practices... >> i don't want to waste your time, and please don't waste mine. >> together with lax management... >> there's inventory missing? >> well, you know, it's hard to tell, because stuff slips through the cracks. >> has driven down sales and piled up $150,000 of debt. >> you know, i could lose everything. >> if they don't make changes,

my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses.f you think that i can launch you in a direction to make you a profit, then you should do a deal with me. i make tough decisions...

-lemonis: i'm marcus. sasha: i'm sasha. nice to meet you. -lemonis: nice to meet you. -rich: hi, marcus. -i'm richard. how are you? -lemonis: nice to meet you. market square serves gyros, but beyond that, there are few similarities to the other locations. the color scheme and seating are different. even the layout's different. same brand, different experience. not a good idea. how's business? tell me a little bit about it. rich: well, as far as business is concerned, we do about a half a million a year. lemonis: half a million in sales? rich: well, to break even. lemonis: so, how often do you see mike and kathleen? sasha: the first of the month, like clockwork. rich: they're here to get their royalty check. lemonis: do they stay for a day and work on your business and help you? rich: no. we put $175,000 of our own money into it. we just gutted this entire building. lemonis: so, you put in all this equipment, the floors, the ceilings, the whole thing. sasha: everything. lemonis: $175,000's a lot of money to invest without getting support. sasha: yeah. lemonis: after visi

[laughing] "i'm marcus lemonis."ughter] >> that's gonna cost you. >> [laughs] >> so here's the deal. my offer is, uh... i'll pay off the 1.1 million of debt and i'll provide another million dollars in a working capital line, and i want 50% of the business. >> no. >> that's not gonna happen. >> why not? >> 'cause we're not gonna give you controlling interest of our company. >> why is that? >> because-- >> it's part of who we are. >> skullduggery is me. i am skullduggery. it's my company. it's our company, you know? it's not your company. you didn't spend 25 years building this company. >> so 1.6 million in revenue, you've got no cash in the bank, and you lose money. and you think giving up half of the business is a bad deal? >> you're asking for our whole life. you're asking for everything that i've ever worked for. >> yeah, i mean, it feels like a punch in the gut. >> i just offered to wipe out a million dollars' worth of debt and then give you another million dollars in working capital, and you're acting insulted ab

green tea. >> hey, marcus. >> are you greek? >> yes. >> so am i, lemonis. >> oh. >> it's two greek-- >> so, see, you know how the greeks are, then. >> that's right. i do know how the greeks are. listen, one of the things that i think may be a better angle is for us just to buy the bank's position. so if we just signed a deal to buy the bank's position at $240,000, the economics are the same for you, but they put us in a little better spot, and i want the leverage to have the ability to get something back. when the original borrower took out a loan against the warehouse, he pledged additional pieces of property other than the warehouse as part of the loan. the loan is now in default, and the bank is foreclosing, so when i buy the bank note, i'm not only gonna get the warehouse as collateral, but i'm going to get other pieces of property as collateral as well. my plan is to liquidate those other pieces of property, which will lower my investment from $240,000 to $140,000. >> you are 100% correct. >> do you understand? >> you should. you should! >> to me, the

my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. i'm willing to write a "half a million dollar" check. i make tough decisions. i'm not willing to do the deal if you're in charge of sales. back them up with my own cash. it's not always pretty. i'll take the shower. jen, you take the toilet. >> i don't do the toilet in my own house. really? >> but this is business. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. this the profit. [upbeat music] ♪ eco-me is an all-natural cleaning product started by robin kay levine in 2006. with the partnership of her childhood friend jen mihajlov, a 12% owner, they built eco-me up from a small, do-it-yourself cleaning kit to a 17-piece cleaning line, including dog-grooming products. this product is sold nationwide at stores like whole foods and target, and last year they did a half a million dollars in sales, with only six employees. i personally use this product in my own home and find that it works extremely well. to stay in business, robin has leveraged friends and family to find every penny she c

lemonis: how are you doing? i'm marcus. keith: marcus. keith lyden. lemonis: nice to meet you, keith. how you doing? dean: i'm good. dean lyden. -nice to meet you. -lemonis: dean, how are you? keith: my brother. lemonis: oh, this is your brother? okay. when did you start the business? keith: 2004. lemonis: and who put in all the money? keith: all the finance came from me. think we're up to about $160,000. lemonis: $160,000? dean: originally, i had some screening equipment and some sign software, but not much. he primarily got us going financially. lemonis: and what is the equity split? 70/30? -keith: 50/50. -lemonis: 50/50. dean: i had a graphics background and i had been doing this. i didn't have the financing to do it, so it was a perfect match. lemonis: so, you have a good brother, right? dean: if you can't trust your family, -who can you trust, right? -lemonis: well... while i appreciate keith recognizing his brother's experience, i'm not quite sure that 50/50 is exactly the right formula. if i asked most of the employees here who is in charge, wha

lemonis: my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses.if you don't like money, don't follow my process. i make the tough decisions. we're closing the store, we're done,

joined now by go daddy founder bob parsons along with my friend marcus lemonis. good to see you again. >> good to be here again. >> this is veterans day, you are a moore rmarine corps vietnam veteran. what did you learn in the marine corps that made you a better business person? >> first of all, before i went into the marine corps, i was pretty aimless. i failed the fifth grade. thad goii had that going for me. i was probably not going to graduate my senior year. i joined the marine corps in 1968, showed my teachers my orders and they all passed me. so i went to paris island in august and i was over to vietnam in march. what they taught me was, they taught me discipline. they taught me when you have a responsibility, you need to do it, and when you're responsible, you make a commitment to somebody else, you have to come through and honor it. that was the most important and, you know -- and everything i have ever accomplished in my life i owe to the marine corps. i got out of the marine corps, went to college, graduated magna cum laude. everybody did. >> that woul

my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. if you think that i can launch you in a direction to make you a profit, then you should do a deal with me. i make tough decisions... how am i supposed to trust you? and back them up with my own cash. it's not always pretty. i have to know for sure that the partner that i have has the same goals as i do. this is business. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. this the profit. [hip-hop music] ♪ sharla mcbride started planet popcorn with a single cart and 250 bucks. 13 years later, they now have 30 employees, three flavors, products ranging from kettle corn to churros to crepes. their popcorn sells at fairs and farmers markets all over southern california. but the bulk of her money is generated through downtown disney. planet popcorn generates $2.5 million in revenue, but it still can't turn a profit. this year, they're about $200,000 in debt. sharla's mother has mortgaged her house and loaned the business almost $200,000 to keep planet popcorn afloat. planet popcorn is an all

my name is marcus lemonis. i fix failing businesses. this month you lost $150,000. i make tough decisions... you're not gonna come behind every single person and change the deal. >> i didn't agree to this [bleep]. >> and i back them up with my own cash. if you're not gonna put your pride away, well, then i'm not gonna do the deal. it's not always pretty. >> are you okay? >> end it. >> but this is business. you gotta trust the process. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. >> that's all you. >> yeah, buddy. this the profit. [hip-hop music] ♪ 10 miles outside of my hometown of chicago, located in morton grove, illinois, is the home of athans motors. in 2009, pete athans, a car enthusiast and successful real estate investor, who made millions flipping houses, sunk his entire life savings into building his first car dealership. >> i created a place where you want to hang out, buy a car, sell your car... car's worth 30 all day, wholesale. service your car, or just come by and have a cup of coffee. >> the project took 18 months and cost more than $4 million to

my name is marcus lemonis. in the past ten years, i've bought hundreds of failing businesses, turned them around, and i've made millions doing it. i'll write whatever check i need to, even if you won't. if you want people to listen, you put money on the table. i'm gonna give you a check for $500,000. i found six struggling businesses, some weeks away from closure. my plan is to turn them around. for the next week, i'm 100% in charge. >> all right. >> let's go get to work. can't run a business if it's not clean. but i'm not just giving them advice. i'm putting up millions of dollars of my own money. if you don't know your numbers, you just don't know your business. i'll work by their side... i'll put in the hours... 'cause i have the same risk that they do. where's accounting? >> she's counting. >> no, where's accounting? >> um... >> oh, my god. this business is a total mess. i judge businesses based on three things: it's pretty damn good. most often, businesses fail because of people. >> i trusted people to man

. >> my name is marcus lemonis, and i fix failing businesses. 2.5 million people visit key west a year, and you only sell 40,000 pies. i make tough decisions. we're closing the store. we're done. i'm not talking about it anymore. and i back them up with my own cash. >> check that out. >> it's not always pretty... >> tired of this bull[bleep]. >> but this is business. >> we're gonna have a battle on this one. >> i do it to save jobs... i got to get some stuff done and you're gonna be our leader here. and i do it to make money. this the profit. [theme music] ♪ u.s. key lime pie company is a pie maker located in beautiful and sunny key west, florida. jim brush... >> jeff! >> and his girlfriend, alison sloat, bought the company, recipes and all, over ten years ago for just $1,200, and have grown the business from selling pies on the side of the road to having their key lime pie named the nation's best pie by the american pie counsel. even though they generate $1.4 million in sales, they have yet to turn a profit. >> we really are a victim of our own success right now. damn it, i'm tired of

my name is marcus lemonis. i fix failing businesses. so the business only made 50,000? i make tough decisions... you can't train every class. and i back them up with my own cash. i like [bleep] done right the first time. >> that's not on me. >> it's not always pretty. >> he starts bringing in equipment here, i'm gonna break into hives. >> but this is business. the deal's off. i do it to save jobs, and i do it to make money. this the profit. [hip-hop music] ♪ pro-fit is a small group personal training studio located in the town of dyer, indiana. while national gyms offers huge facilities and the latest equipment, small gyms like pro-fit offer a much more personalized service in a less intimidating environment. >> we concentrate on doing one thing because without trainers, you can't get results. >> michael sena has been in the fitness industry for over 35 years... >> change direction. >> first as a body builder, then as a personal trainer. >> i was a personal trainer before there was a personal training industry. i'm a book author, fitness product inventor. it's really be