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Dragons' Den, which finishes its sixth season tonight, isn't just an entertaining television reality show, it's also an educational institution. In living rooms all across the country, millions of Canadians become armchair investors as they try to determine which... Read More »
Posted on Apr 5, 2012 6:00:00 AM
Pitching to any investor involves two very important processes: The first is, of course, attracting the investor's attention so strongly that he or she wants in on the deal. But the second - and probably far more important in the... Read More »
Posted on Mar 22, 2012 6:00:00 AM
If you're going to pitch investors on your idea, make sure you research them before you talk to them. It's important to have all the facts so you know what they expect to hear when you pitch. It will also... Read More »
Posted on Mar 15, 2012 6:00:00 AM
Probably the most important part of pitching - to the Dragons or any other investor - is timing. Unfortunately, it's also the part that most would-be entrepreneurs get wrong. Timing can be a delicate task and takes in many... Read More »
Posted on Mar 8, 2012 7:00:00 AM
After hearing hundreds, perhaps a thousand pitches, investors have a pretty good sense of what kind of business will work and what won't. Generally they're right on with their assessments, but they're not always right -- there will always be... Read More »
Posted on Mar 1, 2012 11:32:35 AM
High valuations are a common technique pitchers use to lure investors into backing their ventures. Sometimes these pitchers are simply greedy, but other times they believe that a high ask combined with a low percentage of the company, or... Read More »
Posted on Feb 9, 2012 6:00:00 AM
Countless entrepreneurs have a good idea, but are unable to thrive because they don't understand what it takes to turn an idea into a viable business. Their businesses show promise, but they don't know what to do next to make... Read More »
Posted on Dec 8, 2011 6:00:00 AM
Sometimes inventors or entrepreneurs can become so fixated on developing their product or business, they fail to see the path ahead or behind them. This means they become obsessed with the journey involving their inventions and are blinded to... Read More »
Posted on Dec 1, 2011 6:00:00 AM
As a fellow flax advocate, I had no choice but to examine Brent Larson's pitch for OmegaCrunch flax products on last night's Dragons' Den episode. Turns out the pitcher not only knew his flax facts, he wasn't so bad at... Read More »
Posted on Nov 10, 2011 6:00:00 AM
"Hi, I'm from "Hali-flax," said Brent, the pitcher of 0megaCrunch Flax, a health food. By using this corny joke to open his pitch, Brent gave a quick insight into how five years of partnering with him could feel, and the... Read More »
Posted on Nov 10, 2011 6:00:00 AM
Most entrepreneurs believe a great product is all it takes to shake loose some money out of investors. Certainly, there are cases where a product is so good that investors will buy into it no matter who's pitching it. But... Read More »
Posted on Nov 3, 2011 6:00:00 AM
It's a rare occurrence in the Den, but every now and then entrepreneurs will find themselves in a situation where they receive competing offers from different Dragons. For many, this is a dream scenario, but this can present a challenging... Read More »
Posted on Nov 3, 2011 6:00:00 AM
Imagine meeting a young Bill Gates at high school with his first software program that counted traffic. If we had a hot-tub time machine, what would the Dragons have made of that young entrepreneur with a bad haircut? Would Kevin... Read More »
Posted on Oct 27, 2011 10:52:04 AM
While their elders fret about slowing economies and the need for job creation programs and other traditional measures, it's clear that many of today's youngsters are already preparing for their futures - as entrepreneurs. As the Dragons' Den special student... Read More »
Posted on Oct 27, 2011 10:44:20 AM
When approaching potential financiers, many entrepreneurs like to demonstrate their products in the hopes that it will engage investor interest and swing a decision their way. Obviously, entrepreneurs who appear on a televised investment show like Dragon's Den are going... Read More »
Posted on Oct 13, 2011 11:18:02 AM
Almost all entrepreneurs who want to finance their ideas struggle with the issue of valuation --- what their businesses or companies are worth. They're often used to lending criteria -- we'll lend you so much on the basis of the... Read More »
Posted on Oct 6, 2011 6:00:00 AM
It is rare, but every now and then in the messy and oft-cringy world of Dragons' Den we see entrepreneurs who make pitching for money look easy. This week, Bottle Bin was one of those case-study-perfect pitches. From start... Read More »
Posted on Oct 6, 2011 6:00:00 AM
If you have faithfully been watching Dragon's Den for any length of time, you may have noticed by now that some would-be entrepreneurs are woefully unprepared to face the dragons. An example is the brother and sister act in... Read More »
Posted on Sep 29, 2011 6:00:00 AM
Every investor watching Dragons' Den stood up and cheered when Dianne Buckner reminded the viewers it is the Dragons' own cash going into the show's businesses they do deals with. It is easy to forget. As a test, take... Read More »
Posted on Sep 29, 2011 6:00:00 AM
Kevin O'Leary is whipping up competition on Twitter between his book, The Cold Hard Truth About Money, and Persuasion by Arlene Dickinson - good taglines describing their different investment styles. Not to be outdone, Robert Herjavec's book, Driven, was released... Read More »
Posted on Sep 22, 2011 6:00:00 AM
Art of any type strikes fear into the hearts of most investors. It's emotional, it's unpredictable, it requires vast amounts of startup capital, and too often it's a giant sinkhole for their money. While investors always look for passion... Read More »
Posted on Sep 22, 2011 6:00:00 AM
This was Kevin's pithy comment about pitcher Henry Tenby's business CashSender.com, which was quickly dismissed by the Dragons in Season Six's first episode. Kevin pointed out something that many entrepreneurs forget in the heady excitement of developing their product.... Read More »
Posted on Sep 15, 2011 8:00:00 AM
The first episode of Season 6 certainly did not disappoint. It opens with the much-anticipated introduction of the show's newest Den Dweller, Bruce Croxon. Bruce made his fortune by founding the renown dating website Lavalife, back when computers were the... Read More »
Posted on Sep 15, 2011 8:00:00 AM
