Dragons oil the wheels
EMMA from Berkshire looks nervous. She’s about to step into the DRAGONS’ DEN (BBC1, 8pm) and ask them for a sizeable investment. She admits she’s “completely out of her comfort zone”. But she also believes wholeheartedly in her product. Whatever that product turns out to be. She hasn’t actually told us yet. Her first hint as to its identity? “I have a huge passion for everything that’s organic.”
Hmm, intriguing. Might it be manure? Let’s be honest, some of the Dragons have invested in worse. But no, Emma hasn’t come to sell them manure. I didn’t think so. She doesn’t look like the manure type.
No, the product she’s hoping the Dragons will invest in is her premium skincare range. It’s certified organic, she’s keen to stress. It’s also vegan friendly (manure rarely seems to pass that test), made in the UK, cruelty-free and, well, oodles of other stuff, all of it good.
Oh, and it’s waterless in formulation. Apparently, that’s really important. I’ve no idea why. When it comes to premium skincare, I’m afraid that I’m an absolute thicky.
Any way, Emma would like £75,000 in exchange for five per cent equity in this business of hers. And a very promising business it appears to be.
Retailers through which I can already purchase her lovely facial oil, it turns out, include home delivery specialists Ocado, although, knowing my luck, it would be out of stock on delivery day and they’d send me Spry Crisp’ n ’Dry instead.
Also on the show we havea Crufts champion, no less, a beautiful French bulldog called Opie. He, too, would like the Dragons to invest in a product that’s healthy and organic and natural. Or rather his owner would. Opie looks like he’d settle for a chunk of cheese.
His owner Dom, a crazy dog lady (her words, not mine), runs a natural pet product business called Opie’s Emporium and believes she has a natural product range the Dragons are going to love. But this natural product isn’t the kind you wipe on your face (although I guess there’d be nothing to stop you). It’s a range of air-dried natural dog treats that Dom has been producing herself.
She’s brought along some samples.The Liver Snaps look particularly scrummy. So do the Lamby Lunks (“100 per cent lamb lung and nothing else”). But what will the Dragons think?
Dom admits she knows nothing about business. But she feels sure she’s onto something good. She’d like a Dragon as a mentor. For £50,000 she’s offering 10 per cent of her business.
Will she need to dangle a bigger carrot? Or will one of them be happy with a lovely piece of tripe?