rachelprice started this topic @ 21:00 on 11/09/2006
I was interested to read about Rachel Lowe's article about Dragons Den. I am being shown on Thursday 14th September with my garden gopher workstation. I think Dragons Den is a good forum for new products. My product was already being made and sold when I was filmed so looking back I took a big risk....but thankfully they liked my product they just questioned my valuation of the company.
It was definitely an experience the footage will be on www.gardengopher.co.uk if you miss it on Thursday. I valued my business at 4 times the profit I forecasted in the first year. I have distributors in four countries and have proven sales.
The only negative point I have about Dragons Den is that the investors have no background to you, your product, your business plan or your cash flow forecasts.
There are lots of ways to get your business up and running rather than give away 40 or 50% of your business.
RE: Dragons Den
Jonny | 11/09/2006 10:05 PM
Welcome to the forum!
Fantastic to have the first hand experience of dragon's den here!
Personally - having seen your site I think your product is fabulous. I am a very keen gardener as well as part time eco-warrior and it ticks all the boxes for me!! I have no doubt you're already doing very well and will continue onwards and upwards.
I'm really looking forward to seeing you in action later this week.
J
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RE: Dragons Den
Mattley23 | 11/09/2006 10:05 PM
Hi Rachel,
I love Dragons Den so will be watching with interest to see how you get on!
Did you get the funding you were looking for???
Like you site too, however the 'reviews' page doesnt layout well in Firefox so i'd look into that imediately as many people are now moving away from IE and switching to other browsers
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RE: Dragons Den
danielb | 11/09/2006 11:05 PM
Love that programme, will watch it with interest 
RE: RE: Dragons Den
willba | 12/09/2006 10:51 PM
Hi Rachel
It was definitely an experience the footage will be on www.gardengopher.co.uk if you miss it on Thursday. I valued my business at 4 times the profit I forecasted in the first year. I have distributors in four countries and have proven sales.
I've got a product that I am interest in getting distributed overseas, how did you find your oversears distributors?
Thanks
Will
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RE: Dragons Den
wealthwizard | 13/09/2006 12:44 AM
I Love Dragons Den and can't to see you on the show
Sounds like you got an offer but had to turn them down
I'll have to wait and see
Mark
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RE: Dragons Den
cmrule | 13/09/2006 10:46 AM
Very nice website and an excellent looking product. I think I might buy one.
I tried to read the reviews section of the website but I couldn't - all the text is overlapped. This could just be because I'm using firefox instead of explorer.... but then again a lot of people do these days.
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RE: Dragons Den
Goose | 13/09/2006 11:32 AM
I like the product too - I bet you'll sell truck loads at Christmas!
Good luck!
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RE: Dragons Den
brighthorizon | 14/09/2006 01:24 PM
Nice site and great product!
We love Dragons Den, but I sometimes think the Dragons are a bit quick to dismiss people with good ideas just because they can't guarantee massive returns within 12 months, which sometimes seems a bit short-sighted.
We've just - yesterday - launched our website (www.mytravelcompanion.com) and would love to have the exposure of something like the Den, but they usually seem quite averse to very new businesses with minimal (i.e. 0) trading figures... particularly if they're internet-based businesses.
Anyway, congratulations on the great product, it's good to hear about successes like yours... it gives the rest of us something to aim at!
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RE: Dragons Den
overseasinvestments | 14/09/2006 05:13 PM
I love the product, especially the demo video on your website - very impressive. I watch the show every week and am looking forward to tonights episode even more now. I've recently moved to central London, so no longer have a garden - or I think I would have bought one! Your website looks good too, if I'd have already made my first million - I'd would back you!! Good luck!
Richard
www.overseasinvest.net
RE: Dragons Den
BrettUK | 14/09/2006 09:28 PM
Rachel
Just watched the show and even though you did not accept the offer of 50% of your company well done for holding your own. I am not into gardening, I looked at my garden and said to my wife lets patio the whole thing and she nearly swung for me after seeing your product she was most impressed and said as soon as we get our new house with the bigger garden she will be buying one......Well done and good luck!!!!
Brett
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RE: RE: Dragons Den
Mattley23 | 14/09/2006 10:01 PM
Well done Rachel, thought you handled yourself very well against the Dragons!! I too wouldnt have accepted the offer with the sole reason of not wanting to loose 50% equity of my business.
I love the product, especially the add on products your looking to launch along side it. I think you'll have alot of positive reactions which in turn will bring in alot of sales.
Good luck
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RE: Dragons Den
brighthorizon | 15/09/2006 08:44 AM
Rachel, I watched the show lasted night and you came across very well. Asking for 50% of the company (after you've done all the work of developing and marketing a great product) was typical of the Dragons and it was no real surprise that you turned them down.
Congratulations on a successful showing and good luck with your future promotion and product development.
Gavin
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RE: RE: Dragons Den
ultimatehandymanLTD | 15/09/2006 04:05 PM
Well done Rachel!
I was on 2-10 shift yesterday but taped it and watched it before the Apprentice came on.
The dragons ar a funny bunch- " we can't inderstand why you are here?".
Erm, " I am here because I missed the auditions for the X factor !"
Well I can't understand why the dragons are there, all they do is ask a few questions and give people an hard time. It's not like £50,000 or £200,000 is a lot of money to them, it is like me betting £1000
They then invested in the device that is designed to help children in cars so that the seat belt will not injure them in an acident, despite a law just being passed that says you must have a booster seat for children under a certain age and size, there is no mention of any other device as far as I am aware. They could of invested in a real Lemon here, I never heard them ask if it was patented and something like that is easy to incorporate into the vehicle design to begin with.
The guy with the Ball on a spring seemed like he had been let out for the day
" I have an order for 10,000".
" really, can I see the order form?"
" I forgot it!"
" How many are on order again?"
"2500"
I think he would be lucky to sell 25 worldwide!
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RE: RE: Dragons Den
john b | 18/09/2006 01:48 AM
fair play racheal,
i think the dragons have got very arrogant this series and i think you did the right thing. it seems to me that they are all getting very high and mighty sitting there with all their money and business experience, i think they forget they had to start somewhere once themselves and have forgotten what it is like.they only seem to offer anybody money now if they are prepared to give half their business away, seems more like daylight robbery. the only one i would have time for now would be richard farleigh, hes the only one who seems genuine.
RE: RE: Dragons Den
yooneeq | 18/09/2006 01:49 PM
Well done Rachel. Good presentation. I'm sure your product will do very well.
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