Dragon’s Den seeks green business start-ups
by Nicola Alexander on 12/01/10 at 2:10 pm
The popular reality TV business show, Dragon’s Den, is appealing for fledgling green businesses to apply to appear on the show.
Entrepreneurs from across the country once again have a chance to make their business dreams come true by facing the ‘Dragons’ and potentially winning a large cash investment.
If you’re a green business, genuinely seeking investment for your business idea or invention, they’d like to hear from you.
The last series saw some of the most diverse range of inventions and business ideas receive offers of cash from the multi-millionaire investors.
All the Dragons were won over by entrepreneur Sharon Wright and the simplicity of her cable wiring device; Rupert Sweet-Escott went into business with James Caan who was impressed with his unique range of aviation designs and prototypes; and Carol Savage chose to accept Deborah Meaden’s offer of a cash injection into her tasty new food networking website.
In fact, when the Den finally closed for business an incredible 15 entrepreneurs had managed to convince the fearsome financiers, they were worthy of their cash.
Previous success stories in the Den include Brixton based Levi Roots who secured an investment of £50,000 for his secret recipe, Reggae Reggae Sauce. Just four weeks after his appearance on the programme, his Dragon investors helped him launch his sauce in a major supermarket all over the country. Now Levi has increased his product range to eight sauces, produced a Caribbean cook book, and won Best New Product at the World Food Awards 2009, even going on to present his own successful BBC Television series – Caribbean Food Made Easy. Levi says that thanks to the Dragons he has a business empire that is now valued in the millions.
The rules are simple: entrepreneurs ask for a cash investment in return for equity in their business. However, they must get at least the amount they ask for or they will walk away with nothing. The Dragons are prepared to listen to a pitch for any kind of business but they must be convinced that it will make money.
As demonstrated by the investments in the last seven series, ideas, businesses and products that meet some or all of the following criteria stand a good chance of securing the Dragons’ interest:
- A Unique Selling Point: a product that serves a need like nothing else.
- Scalability: something that can be up scaled to make real money.
- Route to Market: the clear way the product can be sold and marketed.
- Mutually Beneficial Arrangement: just what will the Dragons get out of it?
- Exit Strategy: a plan of how the entrepreneur/Dragon will exit and make money.
The BBC is currently searching for Britain’s best entrepreneurs and will be auditioning throughout the coming months. They want to hear from anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes to enter the Dragons’ Den.
If you would like an application form send an email to dragonsden@bbc.co.uk or visit www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden
Read our article by Saira Khan from The Apprentice on running a successful ethical business.
