Peter Jones is the most admired Dragon among Britain’s small business owners.
A poll of 500 entrepreneurs found that a third of small business owners view the Phones International boss as the most estimable panellist on Dragons’ Den, while James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne came second with 20% of the vote each. Deborah Meaden was left languishing at the bottom of the list with just 7% of the vote.
Christian Nellemann, CEO of XLN Telecom which conducted the poll, said the popularity of shows such as Dragons’ Den highlighted the UK as ‘a nation of entrepreneurs, comfortable to take on the risks associated with going it alone in return for the rewards of being your own boss’.
Of the entrepreneurs questioned, 64% said they would feel confident pitching their business to the Dragons, and listed healthy sales figures, good contacts and a solid five-year-plan as the best ways to attract investment.
A further fifth said they had spent less than £1000 to get their business up and running, while only 4% had received support from private investors at the start-up stage.
Nellemann continued: “Small businesses are invaluable to the economy in terms of the contribution they make to GDP and the jobs they create, employing almost half of the workforce. It is essential that this sector is given the respect it deserves as it is from today’s start-ups that tomorrow’s corporations will emerge.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2010