The Dragons aren’t always right with their adviceHere’s the story of a Dragon’s Den candidate who was told her business ‘pathetic’ – only to go on to make £10 million per year.
Going on Dragon’s Den is not for the weak. Not only are you pitching your idea to five titans of industry but to every armchair businessman tuning in from their living room.
The Dragons have been known to back multiple success business over the years, including Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae Sauce, Tangle Teezer and Magic Whiteboard, to name a few.
However, the Dragons aren’t always correct with their advice.
Controversial Dragons’ Den pitch
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One person to be face scathing feedback was Rachel Watkyn, who pitched her sustainable packaging company the Tiny Box Company back in 2008.
In today’s eco-conscious world you’d think a company which specialises in selling recycled and eco-friendly packaging would be a no-brainer, however not all Dragons were on-board with Watkyn’s vision.
Scottish entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne was particularly scathing in his feedback, telling Watkyn it was something his daughter could make at school.
“I think it’s ridiculous that you’ve come along with what you call a business,” he said.
“That you describe as ethical and recyclable materials and you produce a box which my eight-year-old daughter Emily could make better at school, the ends don’t match up, the lines aren’t straight. It’s pathetic, it really is.”
Rachel received scathing comments from one of the judges (BBC)
Thankfully Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis saw the potential in the company, allowing Watkyn to walk away with £60,000 worth of investments from the pair.
And things have only gotten better from there.
Making £10 million a year, Watkyn finds it ‘hilarious’ that not everyone understands her business.
“One of the dragons said that eco-friendly packaging would never be mainstream,” she told ITV Meridian 15 years later.
“They were brutal, they were absolutely brutal. On the show, I didn’t have any confidence. Off camera, I just knew that Etsy was becoming more and more popular and Not on the High Street.”
She has now received an OBE for her work (Instagram/@tinyboxcompany)
She continued: “There was a movement of a lot of start up companies and I knew that they would all need packing like I did.”
“But everything people buy comes in a bag or a box or some kind of packaging, and if we can help business switch from plastic or less environmentally friendly solutions to more environmentally friendly, then the job’s done.”
Watkyn has since had her work recognised by King Charles himself as she was awarded an OBE for outstanding contributions to Sustainability, Ethical Business Growth, and Exports.
Not bad for a business labelled ‘ridiculous’.Featured Image Credit: BBC / Instagram/@rachelwatkyn
Topics: BBC, Dragons Den, Entertainment
Brenna Cooper
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Published 13:02 14 Feb 2024 GMT
Business labelled ‘pathetic’ on Dragons’ Den went on to make £10 million a year
One of the Dragons may have absolutely slated it, but now its hugely successful
Sure, there might only be a handful of people who sit on those chairs in a big empty room… but admit it, when you’re watching people give their pitches, you become a Dragon too.
It’s not British telly, if we’re not all sat at home giving our own judgement on people’s creations and ideas – and Dragons’ Den is no different.
Dragons’ Den judge in tears
Credit: BBC
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But it turns out an actual Dragon was pretty wrong about a business that appeared on the show back in 2008.
Having been labelled ‘pathetic’, it went on make a mega £10million a year.
Rachel Watkyn, 52, pitched her sustainable packaging business, the Tiny Box Company, on the legendary show.
And Duncan Bannatyne absolutely slated it: “I think it’s ridiculous that you’ve come along with what you call a business, that you describe as ethical and recyclable materials and you produce a box which my eight-year-old daughter Emily could make better at school, the ends don’t match up, the lines aren’t straight.
“It’s pathetic, it really is.”
BBC
But just because he wasn’t onboard doesn’t mean the other Dragons weren’t, as Watkyn and her business partner walked away with £60,000 worth of investments by Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis.
And she’s absolutely had the last laugh of it.
Fifteen years on from her Dragons’ Den experience, she told ITV Meridian: “They were brutal, they were absolutely brutal.
“On the show, I didn’t have any confidence. Off camera, I just knew that ‘Etsy’ was becoming more and more popular and ‘Not on the High Street.’
“There was a movement of a lot of start up companies and I knew that they would all need packing like I did.”
She was totally right; her company now makes over 1,500 products for nearly 200,000 customers.
Instagram/@rachelwatkyn
Making £10 million a year, Watkyn finds it ‘hilarious’ that not everyone understands her business.
“It’s really funny when people come into the warehouse and don’t know why they’re here, or are coming for something else, they’ll say ‘what do you sell then?’ And we’ll say ‘boxes’.”
People ‘just don’t get it’ when she explains they sell ‘empty boxes’. Watkyn added: “One of the dragons said that eco-friendly packaging would never be mainstream.
“But everything people buy comes in a bag or a box or some kind of packaging, and if we can help business switch from plastic or less environmentally friendly solutions to more environmentally friendly, then the job’s done.”
Despite the confusion and the slamming of the business being ‘pathetic’, Watkyn was actually awarded an OBE this year for her work in sustainability, ethical business growth and exports. Fair play.Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Dragons Den, Business, TV and Film, BBC
Jess Battison
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Published 10:15 15 Feb 2024 GMT
Business told it ‘won’t make any money’ on Dragons’ Den went on to be worth £70 million
Used by royalty and celebrities, the bloke proved the Dragons wrong
While some business pitches get those Dragons in that big empty room all excited and trying to outsell each other, others have them all shaking their fire-breathing heads.
Ok, well, obviously they don’t breathe fire but sometimes there words are so savage they might as well be.
Peter Jones calls Dragons’ Den pitch ‘ridiculous’
Credit: BBC/Dragons’ Den
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But although the investors on Dragons’ Den might be the top dogs with plenty of experience behind them, they’re not always right.
From one business being slammed as ‘pathetic’ but going on to make millions a year, to this one which was told it ‘won’t make any money’ and yet ending up worth £7 0million.
Back in 2007, Shaun Pulfrey left the Den with no investments after his prototype awkwardly broke in his hand.
James Caan branded the whole thing a ‘waste of time’.
And yet you’ll be surprised to know that Pulfrey is the guy behind the very well known Tangle Teezer brand.
Yep, you know, those brushes that every other girl and your mum seems to use. Even celebrities love them.
BBC
But during the Dragons’ Den pitch, an unimpressed Deborah Meaden told the bloke the ‘horse brush’ wouldn’t be a success with Peter Jones calling it a ‘hair-brained’ pitch.
Duncan Bannatyne was also convinced the brushes ‘won’t make any money’.
Pulfrey had gone into the den hoping for a Dragon to take 15 percent of the business for £80,000 but left without it.
He’d already funnelled £98,000 of his savings and even re-mortgaged his London flat to fund Tangle Teezer
But as anyone whose ever been shopping for a hairbrush will know, it clearly worked out in the end.
BBC
It’s an absolute global sensation with celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and even the Princess of Wales being known to use a Tangle Teezer.
In the first year of the business, 35,000 of the items were sold by Boots and in 2016, the business was valued at a mega £200 million.
Proving the Dragons completely wrong, Pulfrey went on to sell the majority of his shares for a huge £70 million in 2021.
He told The Times: “I’m incredibly excited for the future and the new opportunities it will present for our iconic and much-loved brand, including continuing to bring even more new product innovation, which is the heartbeat of the brand.”
With the likes of Cara Delevinge, Salma Hayek and Kim Kardashian also known to use a Tangle Teezer, the business could be one of Dragons’ Den’s most successful ever rejects. Now that’s a title to have.Featured Image Credit: BBC
Topics: Business, Dragons Den, TV and Film, Money
Jess Battison
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Published 09:57 2 Mar 2024 GMT
Dragons shocked after Steven Bartlett get ‘put in his place’ by entrepreneur during Dragon’s Den pitch
The Dragons were left gobsmacked after one entrepreneur well and truly shut Steven Bartlett down
Dragons were recently left gobsmacked after one entrepreneur well and truly shut Steven Bartlett down during their pitch.
Dragon’s Den is known for courageous people stepping into the den where they really could have their entire business ripped apart by five or six experts in the field.
But rarely do we see entrepreneurs biting back, and this woman put new Dragon Steven Bartlett right in his place.
Steven Bartlett ‘gets told’ on Dragon’s Den
Credit: TikTok/@bbc
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The entrepreneurial duo walked into the den to pitch their fitness recovery products, which consisted of massage guns, compression boots, cold water immersion ranges and much more.
Business partners Joe and Lottie were after £100,000 in return for a five percent stake in their company.
The pitch in its entirety went well, and the dragons seemed impressed – but Steven had some criticisms.
He said: “Honestly, I have seen all of this before. These massage guns, they send me this stuff all the time and it’s just piling up in my house.”
Well, this is when things got real.
BBC.
Lottie replied to the millionaire, saying: “With all due respect, you’re not our core customer to be honest with you.
“Our core customer isn’t getting sent free therabodys.
“They are people who love sport, they love running, they go to Parkrun, they sign up for 10k runs – we meet thousands and thousands of them.”
Mic drop.
The Diary of A CEO podcast host was left lost for words.
He later claimed he was ‘in love’ with the duo, but didn’t feel the same way about their business, and decided not to invest.
Despite this, they received four offers from different dragons, and opted to go into business with Gary Neville and Sara Davies, who were happy to work together.
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Gary offered a five percent stake for half of the money, and Sara offered all of the money for 10 percent, with a reduction down to five percent after a year if she made her money back.
But it was Lottie’s response to Steven that caused quite the stir on social media.
In response, one person on TikTok said: “When you have to remind rich people that normal people don’t receive PR.”
Another said: “The way he was absolutely seething, I love her,” and a third added: “His face at the end is too funny.”
People joked that he didn’t mention his brand Huel, with one saying: “Do they know Huel they’re talking to?”
Another added: “Wait until the Huel massage guns come out, it’ll be the best product he’s ever used.”Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@bbc
Topics: Dragons Den, BBC, Money, TV and Film
Mia Williams
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Published 13:52 3 Apr 2024 GMT+1
Dragons’ Den entrepreneur who was ‘humiliated’ by Dragons went on to make millions off business idea
Not everyone gets an investment but some still go on to be a roaring success.
An entrepreneur who went onto Dragons’ Den in the hopes of securing funding for his dog poop scoop claimed he was ‘humiliated’ by the investors during his time on the show.
Back in 2017, John Nicholls appeared on the show to try and get £45,000 of funding for a 15 percent stake in HandiScoop, which he said was ‘the world’s best poop scoop’.
Dragon’s Den lowest valued company
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However, he claimed that when he stepped out of the room with no investment Dragons’ Den host Evan Davis said he thought ‘they were quite hard on you’, though John said he didn’t regret going on the show.
In an interview with The Sun, he said that when things went against you on the show ‘the Dragons hunt like a pack’ and you really feel like it’s ‘five of them versus one of you’.
In particular, he called out long-time Dragons’ Den investor Peter Jones, claiming that the businessman’s behaviour put him off during his pitch which he said didn’t go so well as he was ‘very nervous’.
BBC
“When you’re pitching he’s messing around with things and it’s almost like he’s trying to put you off, which can be quite intimidating,” John claimed of trying to pitch his poop scoop to Jones.
“He had his hands in his face, he rolled his eyes and while everyone else was taking notes he was playing with a sample.”
During the episode, Jones told him he was ‘trying to wing an investment’ while Touker Suleyman called him ‘uninvestable’.
In the end, John left Dragons’ Den with none of the investment money he’d been looking for, but has since gone on to enjoy success with his HandiScoop product racking up £1.74 million in sales and him shifting over 100,000 of the things.
The poop scoop basically allows you to pick up your pet’s droppings and deposit them in a bag without having to put your hands onto the faeces themselves.
John also claimed that there were two exchanges between himself and Jones which apparently didn’t make it into the episode.
Instagram/@handiscoop
“He had a bit of a go at me. When I was struggling to remember something, I said ‘I’m sorry but I’m dyslexic’ and he said, ‘So am I’, John claimed of one of the interactions.
“Then he had another go and started criticising me. I was explaining how useful my device would be if you had to pick up sloppy poo.” he also claimed.
“I asked him how he would scoop it up with a normal bag, which can be messy and not pick it all up, and he shouted, ‘I’d just leave it’.
“I was surprised by his response, he was very aggressive. You don’t think that’s going to happen when you go to pitch.
“It made me realise he would be the last person in the world I would want to be in business with.”
Fortunately for John, he’s joined the ranks of entrepreneurs who walked away from Dragons’ Den empty-handed and still made a success of it.
LADbible have contacted Peter Jones’ representatives for comment.