Dragon’s Den Top Tips – Hot Stuff or Hot Air?
I’m not a fan, and I’ve never watched it.
Having said that, a newspaper article recently caught my eye and, upon reflection, there was far more hot stuff in there than hot air.
Top tips
- “Find a mentor” (Kelly Hoppen)
- Don’t be frightened to ask for advice
- “Go out and talk to people and network” (Kelly Hoppen)
- “We’re so computer-led today, that people become engulfed in the online world”
- “You need to get out and meet people – there’s always someone who can help you”
- e.g. Google campus – programmers and networkers prefer to work alongside each other rather than in standalone offices
- “Being a small business is a great place to be at the moment” (Deborah Meaden)
- Previously, if you liked 2 tracks, you used to have to buy the whole CD – now you can pick & choose
- “Consumers are used to getting what they want, and small businesses are in a great position to satisfy their needs”
- “Online bespoke businesses can do very well” (Deborah Meaden)
- “Give people 100% of what they want, not just 80%”
- “Do nothing and nothing happens” (Deborah Meaden)
- “Take the first step, it doesn’t matter how big or small – just do it and once you start, you’ll be amazed how much the momentum carries you on”
- “Seek to disrupt traditional business models” (Piers Linney)
- They way it’s been done for the past 40 years isn’t how it’s going to be done in the future
- “Fail fast” (Piers Linney)
- Try things, build it, and if doesn’t get traction, try something else
- There’s a million reasons why a business might not work out, but that’s no reason not to try
- This dovetails nicely with point 5 = do something!
So, whilst Dragons Den might seem rather superficial, there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface – after all, pussycats don’t make good Dragons!
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