Programme 3
That was a good show tonight. It is really interesting for me to see the show now, as parts of it were recorded back in November. It is always very interesting to see that some items get as much as 10 minutes air time, while others only get 30 seconds. I was very disappointed tonight to see James Powell’s device for holding and placing a door as you hang was only touched upon. It was a most beautifully engineered prototype. I believe he deserved to be featured more extensively, but it’s not my decision, it’s up to the producer.
Going on Dragons’ Den for Publicity
First up tonight were Priscilla and James with their web site portal for voice over artists. It is great to see a presentation maximising the medium of television. Priscilla knew that by wearing a pink wig and a big 1950s style pink skirt she was going to be heavily featured by the producers. They also pitched the price low ensuring they would get offers. Then they declined the offers but left The Den with the bonus of 10 minutes free advertising on a top rating programme. Genius! Well done guys. I don’t mind this happening. In fact I believe it is an intelligent use of the programme.
The Cake Shop
I am still trying to figure out what Niall meant when he said that thing about the cake shop. There’s a prize for anyone who can explain it to us!
Second Stage Development
It is tough starting a business but second stage development is often tougher. Mike Fernandez has a very successful business selling 60,000 samosas a week from his take away, but his plan to expand that business wasn’t well thought through. His Sami-Snax are great. Hopefully he will have learned from his experience in the Den, and will come up with the correct strategy for his second stage development.
I’d have preferred a Nama Lama!
Some business ideas are just past their use-by-date and this is one of them. If Carol Kemp wants to continue her Celtic Tiger memorabilia business in Killarney, that’s ok. It will continue to trade modestly successfully. Tourists can be sold anything. Look at the junk you have bought on your own holidays. But the Tiger idea will never work as a main stream business.
“I’ve a great idea for a fireplace.”
There are more patents on fires and stoves than most other household items. It is probably because we all sit staring at the fire and as we do we get ideas. There was very little original in Terence Doherty’s idea called Draftguard.
Golf is so Boring
Golf is excruciatingly boring! On Dragons’ Den we have seen quite a few boring ideas and quite a few completely mad ones, and these are the ones that make the show. But, believe it or not, there is actually quite a good golf related idea coming up later in the series. Watch out for it.
Kev Valve – Brilliant!
Kevin Hester proves to anyone coming in to the Den that, even if your presentation is poor, if you have a really good idea you will get an investment. I hope Kevin doesn’t mind me saying this, but I remember him very clearly the day he was in the Den. I have rarely seen someone so nervous and uncomfortable in their presentation. But he stuck with it, got through it, and made us believe that his valve to help us resolve air locks in our boilers is ingenious. Brilliant idea Kevin and I hope it makes you a fortune.
Next Blog Monday morning the 15th.
I thought it was a very enjoyable show tonight. Can I ask Gavin does Sarah make any further investments in the weeks ahead?
Fair dues Gavin you’re right the Tiger is dead but you could be onto something with the Nama Lama.
I agree with Gavin, I thought the door hanging gizmo was a great idea
I was wondering what is it like for the Dragons watching Kevin who was clearly very nervous at the start of his presentation. Do you ever feel like saying something like relax it will be ok?
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Loved the show last night, I think you called it correctly with Priscilla and James but fair play to them, I do love their branding its so eye catching!
One thing that I remarked on last night while watching was the genuinely good advice that the dragons give to the entrepreneurs. Sure, there are some puns and funny quips, but for the most part the advice that was given was spot on and sometimes people need to get that “outside” voice as when you are working on your own business you are too close to it to see the wood from the trees.
I do think some of the ideas pitched last night were good, but as the dragons said, not “investor ready”. Delighted for a guy like Kevin to get the investment as working with the dragons will really help him propel his truly innovative invention into a much broader market and they will probably help him polish up on his presentation skills too. Everyone starting out needs a leg up and whether that is from the Enterprise Board Mentoring program, one of the Enterprise Ireland incubation programs or an angel investor, it is often the support and mentoring that makes a huge difference. It is as important as the money in my opinion.
Hi Gavin – firstly I would just like to say that I have really been enjoying reading your blog over the last few weeks. It is very interesting to hear your honest thoughts on each pitch and I believe your comments are invaluable for budding entrepreneurs.
With regards to “The Cake Shop” I am pretty sure what Niall meant was that in his business he is a potential customer of Piehole’s and thats the way he wants to remain. He doesn’t want to go to the other side of the fence and help them sell their product – he just wants to be like a customer in a cake shop – go in buy a cake and have nothing more to do with the business. In Niall’s situation he obviously needs voice overs from time to time (although he said he has used the same guy for Black Tie for years) so Piehole might just be the “cake shop” he decides to go to… I have my doubts that you didn’t understand what he meant but I said I might as well give my 2 cents.
I find what you say about golf to be interesting. The golf industry is huge so a good golf product could go a long way. Of course the game might not be for everyone though. Certainly the product the lads had last night does not seem like something that would sell. I think I’ll stick with the idea that I learned while caddying in the States when I was a student, that you just imagine the ball to be sitting on a dollar bill.
Closer to home though I think you might like my recession-busting golf idea. My website, or blog rather, http://www.golf4less.ie is a resource for sharing golf deals around the country. I setup it up last year but am really only getting going with it now. It is only a blog for now but I have some great ideas for it down the line so watch this space..
I will be looking forward to seeing the golf idea you mentioned later in the series.
Hi Gavin –
You are of course spot on with your analysis of our pitch although I will say that we didn’t go into the den expecting to turn down an offer. We were aware that there were ‘major’ and ‘minor’ pitches in the show and from the get-go we knew that we had to give ourselves the best chance of getting into a major 8 minute slot.
Our first objective was certainly the publicity, both for us and our voiceover talent, but as we prepared over the weeks we also started to realise what one of the Dragons could bring. We were actually a little disappointed we didn’t manage to coax an offer from your good self. I’ll get working on a mass market offer for you next time.
I am however happy we didn’t accept the offers on the table. Although it doesn’t make great TV – we know we can raise better offers off the box.
Anyway – it was great to meet you on the day and thanks for all the feedback on our pitch.
James
You are so right Ciara Crossan. You hit the nail on the head. Every budding entrepreneur needs his/her presentation skills developed and/or polished up. After Gavin Duffy invested into my product and myself I was lucky to do a Media Course with him. I feel a new person mentally ever since. Stronger, more articulate, more to the point, more confident. Gavin has a gift to get the best out of people provided there something there in the first place. I love the word angel investor. It is very befitting.
The money is important. Without it often you can’t go on or can’t get started. But yes equally as important or more is the support and the mentoring. You can’t put a price tag on the time and advice a Dragon gives you. It’s priceless. I admire my Dragon Gavin for the time he makes for me, day or night and even weekends if it was necessary. I suppose I have to say thanks to his lovely wife Orlaith for (in his own words) not let him have an affair. That way he has all his time and energies for business( he works from 6am till late every day, I don’t know how he does it) and for the entrepreneurs and products he supports. Obviously besides us on his platter he is a very busy man anyway. But besides the seriousness of business there has to be a human side to all of this. As you said; some puns and funny quips. It is a television game show and there has to be fun in it. Viewers want to see a bit of blood and drama and want to have a laugh. By signing up for the show as a contestant you know what you let yourself in for. If it were as dry as the business part of the Financial Times nobody would watch the show.
Dear Herbie
Thank you for your comments. You will have to stop ‘love-bombing’ me -
Rumours will start!
Had to be done. Truth had to be told.
[...] has been a little bit of discussion as to why we turned our offers down on this weeks Dragons Den program. There was however a fair bit [...]
Great articles & Nice a site….
Dear Mr Duffy
Referring to your comment that there was nothing original about my product the “Draft Guard” I wish to correct you. If it was not original i would not have got a patent for it, it is the first arched magnetic fireplace seal , the experts in the Irish patent office and the European patent office would not grant a legal document for an invention lacking an original and an inventive step.
To be referred to being crazy for saving energy,saving oil,cutting co2 emissions, a product that would pay for itself in a short time now that we have a carbon tax on home heating oil therefore saving the home owner money, it is a funny type of crazy. I must discuss this with the department of psychiatry as with the help of the dragons we might have discovered a new strain of insanity