Dragons Den Style Pitch?

[Unistructuresdan]

Does anyone know how to apply for a local dragons den style sales pitch???

I have come to a point where i now need a Director with good marketing experience, to push the business to a higher level than i could ever achieve on my own.

The business has been running for many years making small profit.
With the new design, product, website, video and name change, i have personally secured a few sales but feel it needs an experienced director with contacts, to scale it up to the level it should achieve.

Can anyone help with links or advice?
Based in Essex/London

Many Thanks
Dan

 

[Mr D]

Is there such a group in your area doing dragons den style presentations?

If not have you thought of recruiting the right person to your management team?

 

[Unistructuresdan]

They do exist but are normally arranged by a third party.
That is a good idea but was ideally looking for a fresh approach to the business.

 

[Socio South West]

Try googling Business Angels - several different ways you can put yourself out to potential investors there.

 

[Unistructuresdan]

Thanks.
Ill try registering to the UKBAA looks like they have similar forums

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Do you really want to go down that route and copy a TV show !
It is so important to find the right calibre of person for this role That it should be taken a lot more seriously

 

[Caledonian TV]

Do you really want to go down that route and copy a TV show !
It is so important to find the right calibre of person for this role That it should be taken a lot more seriously

Completely agree... I recall a few years ago an individual locally who I can only describe (in all seriousness) as a local Gangster's 'Moll', and a few of her cronies tried something very similar. Not only had they ripped of a well-known TV show, but ripped off a local radio rip-off of a well known TV show! - Everything to do with the whole shebang was as dodgy as a dodgy thing on a shoogly train crossing a rope bridge in a high wind! - Chavtabulous so it was! I'd be surprised if anyone without an extensive criminal record or an IQ north of 75 applied - but then that was the point of the whole circus freak show approach!

Copying car crash TV will only ever result in a car crash! - Besides which, you do know a very large proportion of the deals on 'Dragons' Den' never go through, Dan?

I'd look for a more serious approach based on due diligence.

 

[Noah]

I'd look for a more serious approach based on due diligence.

Yup, and you'd save a lot of time not having to wait for those dramatic

 

[Noah]

pauses.

[Ha! "You must wait at least 23 seconds before performing this action."]

 

[Mr D]

To be honest a dragons den style presentation can look good but what if the possible investor says no?
Have a backup plan. You say you need "an experienced director with contacts, to scale it up to the level it should achieve"
Look for that person in multiple ways. Even headhunt.

 

[Gecko001]

In my experience of watching Dragon's Den, the Dragons usually try to look behind appearances and slick presentations. Is a salesman brought in to give presentations about a product that he has limited experience of going have better results than the owner who will no doubt know the product and the business back to front?

 

[The next Steve Jobs]

Was invited to go on the Dragons Den TV show a while back

On closer investigation I declined as it's all a bit of a circus and though it would of made for a good episode the business plan was a bit to ' hi tech and hot' for the Dragons to handle....i did my research on them, it's mostly bread n butter stuff they back...had more important things to do!

@OP , the phrase 'small profit' indicates you might have a scaling problem that will prevent you from hireing someone or attracting a freelancer looking for an additional revenue stream ... you need to be prepared to gear up production significantly and be prepared to share ownership. Who ever you attract will (bring along there own ideas and ways) and need a fair / hefty slice of the profits as an incentive to commit

IF you let us know the nature of the business then the advice given will be more usefull, we are not mind readers! ... This applies to the majority of thread originators on here, hotdogs or hotrods the industry specific advice varies greatly!

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

Was invited to go on the Dragons Den TV show a while back

On closer investigation I declined as it's all a bit of a circus and though it would of made for a good episode the business plan was a bit to ' hi tech and hot' for the Dragons to handle....i did my research on them, it's mostly bread n butter stuff they back...had more important things to do!

@OP , the phrase 'small profit' indicates you might have a scaling problem that will prevent you from hireing someone or attracting a freelancer looking for an additional revenue stream ... you need to be prepared to gear up production significantly and be prepared to share ownership. Who ever you attract will (bring along there own ideas and ways) and need a fair / hefty slice of the profits as an incentive to commit

IF you let us know the nature of the business then the advice given will be more usefull, we are not mind readers! ... This applies to the majority of thread originators on here, hotdogs or hotrods the industry specific advice varies greatly!

I agree there has to be a lot more detail in the posts
Equally those people giving the advice should have credibility and while the advice may not be accurate Those imparting their wisdom should be people that are traceable and genuine

Those that hide on here and we don't have a clue who they are Their advice should be taken with a pinch of salt

If I have said something that was out of place you can ring me up and bollock me !
You cant do that with the next Steve jobs

 

[Caledonian TV]

Was invited to go on the Dragons Den TV show a while back

People apply to go on the show... Many thousands of them every season.

 

[The next Steve Jobs]

But only a handful get accepted ... and some of those decline the offer in hindsight

IT'S the way of the world!

) JUST because you are in a position to pitch X to Y doesn't mean you should

) JUST because you have been offered funding doesn't mean you should accept it

etc etc

The OP will face many decisions like this, it's all part and parcel of being in business, information asymmetry is all part of the game.


In a wired world flooded with comercially and personally sensitive information it's often better to refrain from broadcasting your life! ... information is power, and we must all learn to use that power wisely! ... If you work in the IT industry, cyber security or indeed any senior position then being mildly anonymous online is hard wired into your contract!

To quote a line from Dark Star, the hypothesis is valid regardless of source


I think most advice givers would like to know the industry sector of the person asking the questions, sometimes this may be withheld deliberately but I'm quite sure it's more often an oversite ... aka keen to ask the question but forgetting that advice givers aren't telepathic.

There is a second information issue

The wiser you are the better you are at filtering good advice from bad from mediocre.That puts a naive person at a huge disadvantage ... learning to filter advice is a skill in itself.

 

[Caledonian TV]

ZZzzzzz....

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

But only a handful get accepted ... and some of those decline the offer in hindsight

IT'S the way of the world!

) JUST because you are in a position to pitch X to Y doesn't mean you should

) JUST because you have been offered funding doesn't mean you should accept it

etc etc

The OP will face many decisions like this, it's all part and parcel of being in business, information asymmetry is all part of the game.


In a wired world flooded with comercially and personally sensitive information it's often better to refrain from broadcasting your life! ... information is power, and we must all learn to use that power wisely! ... If you work in the IT industry, cyber security or indeed any senior position then being mildly anonymous online is hard wired into your contract!

To quote a line from Dark Star, the hypothesis is valid regardless of source


I think most advice givers would like to know the industry sector of the person asking the questions, sometimes this may be withheld deliberately but I'm quite sure it's more often an oversite ... aka keen to ask the question but forgetting that advice givers aren't telepathic.

There is a second information issue

The wiser you are the better you are at filtering good advice from bad from mediocre.That puts a naive person at a huge disadvantage ... learning to filter advice is a skill in itself.

HAVE A DAY OFF MATE !

 

[Caledonian TV]

Steve, mate...

 

[Unistructuresdan]

I was really looking for a way to contact the right person, gain their support and contacts.

I make you all right Patience is key.

Nothing good in business seems to happen quickly and easily.
Thanks all