Greedy Dragons
I’ve been hooked on the BBC’s business reality shows, and yearn for the next series of the apprentice, if only to find out what happened to Michelle who is apparently having Syed’s baby!
In the meantime we have Dragon’s den on Thurday nights, 8pm BBC2 which is a must watch. I’ve experienced the world of start-ups and equity raising, and I have the utmost respect for all the would-be investees who are pitching to the dragons - It’s a tough ask for those with an investable concept (like Alpine last week ((although their website could do with some TLC)), let alone those who do not.
Last week’s episode 2 featured our very own Marion Burns who runs snip snap at Hatton Country World where we take William for his hair cuts. Much as I love the concept I’m not surprised that the dragons’ didn’t bite, as there is no real USP and minimal barriers to entry.
What did annoy me was the situation with the fantastic Alsi from empty me. Asli had designed a portable picnic bag and has sold over 800 for more than £50 each - not bad for a start up - that’s proof of concept which is all important. Asli wanted £50k to expand her business, loose change for the Dragons. Fair enough, Doug Richard thought that it was a lifestyle business and Asli has not been over-ambitious with the business plan. Duncan and Richard liked the idea, but thought it was uninvestable; again fair call.
What annoyed me was Deborah Meaden’s one-time offer to take 51% of Asli’s business for £50k. The concept of Dragon’s Den is to take a minority share in a business, and then offer the entrepreneur your help and assistance to rapidly grow the business to exit in a 3-5 year timescale with super profits. That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about taking a majority share in a business - in general the entrepreneur will be stifled after loosing control of the business, and the Dragon is unlikely to have the spare time to completely manage and control the venture. I’m sure that Deborah would have offered much to the business, but 51% was too much of a pill to swallow.
So well done Asli for holding out, I hope you get the Investment, and more importantly the investor, you need to drive the business forward.
I can’t believe Michelle won a 100k job for Alan Sugar then got pregnant…and with Syed!
There’s no accounting for taste.
I’m a big fan of a site called http://www.digitalspy.co.uk as too is my fiancé as the site keeps me up to date with all the soaps and allows me to miss full weeks of rubbish story lines and allow him to have full control of the remote.
This site however also brings news of other TV shows like the apprentice before and after its tv run, has a fantastic community forums and general entertainment previews… anyway I heard from this site that Michelle is not in Sir Allen’s good books and it is rumoured that she could be about to loose her job. Hmm I hear unfair dismissal.
Anyway the badger should of won by far in my opinion and only let herself down at the last hurdle when she said to Sir Allen :
“I AM the apprentice because…”
back on topic anyway, I LOVED Alsi from empty me and that night at my friends house we cheered her on as she turned down the old hags offer of 50k for 51%.
You go girl!