How to showcase your business the Dragons’ Den way
Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sarah Willingham and Touker Suleyman are some of the best known entrepreneurs in the country. Together they make up four-fifths of the panel on Dragons’ Den, and each week they sit in judgment of other entrepreneur’s plans and dreams. The reward for those who succeed in the Den is not just a substantial investment from the Dragons, but also access to their expertise. But you don’t have to run the gauntlet in the Dragons’ Den learn from Meaden, Jones, Willingham and Suleyman. Let’s take a look at one of the most important lessons an aspiring business owner can learn from the four Dragons – the importance of a strong brand to a modern entrepreneur.
Setting an example to follow
Now, obviously not every business person can appear on TV once a week for nine weeks of the year as the Dragons do, but the Dragons make sure their personal branding extends beyond the BBC. In fact, by creating a personal website each, Meaden, Jones, Willingham and Suleyman have ensured that they’re in control of their online personal brand. We’re also proud to say that three of the four have chosen to register their domains with 123-reg.
Let’s take a look at each of these sites in turn and see what aspiring business owners can learn from them.
Deborah Meaden
Meaden reinforces her personal brand by positioning herself as an expert in business, investment and entrepreneurship. Not only is the site packed with examples of companies she has backed, there’s also useful advice for anyone looking to launch a business and anyone seeking investment for their business.
Why? Because by demonstrating her strong track record and expertise in these areas, she can show businesses looking for investment that she knows what she’s doing. This increases the chances that potentially successful businesses will come to her for a cash injection, increasing the chances that she’ll be able to generate a healthy profit from these budding enterprises.
What this means for small business owners
Use your website to show what you’re good at. If you can demonstrate your expertise, then you’re more likely to win business. People want to know that you can deliver what they need before they commit to handing over their cash.
Peter Jones
One of the key aspects of Jones’ website is an extensive “About Me” section, which he uses to ensure he projects the right image to people. Jones is able to showcase his talents and experience in a way that demonstrates his strengths. By controlling his personal brand in this way, Jones ensures anyone looking for more information about him gets to see what he wants them to see.
What this means for small business owners
Having your own website allows you to communicate with potential customers in the way you want. You can create a showcase for you and your business and reach people with a message you’ve crafted yourself.
Sarah Willingham
Willingham uses her site to put a strong emphasis on her charity work. It’s a great way to show that she’s interested in more than just making money for herself. It also helps communicate her personal values to people who may be interested in going into business with her in the future.
What this means for small business owners
A small business website is a great place to demonstrate your brand values. If you’re doing something special or giving something back to your community, then make sure you’re telling people about it on your website. People are attracted to businesses with strong values. You can learn more about branding in this presentation.
Touker Suleyman
One of the main purposes of Suleyman’s site is to showcase his portfolio of businesses. Anyone wanting to learn more about his business ventures can see at a glance the areas in which he specialises.
What this means for small business owners
Small businesses need to make sure they’re putting their work up front and centre. If you’re a designer that means a strong portfolio page where people can see the work you’ve done in the past. If you’re selling a range of goods, that means ensuring people can find the product they want with ease.
Nick Jenkins
Fans of Dragons’ Den may have noticed a name missing from this article. That of the fifth Dragon, Nick Jenkins. That’s because Jenkins stands alone among the Dragons in not having a personal website. That means anyone looking for further information about Jenkins will have to rely on third-party sites. Nick, if you’re reading this, we can help you get a site online quickly and easily.
What this means for small business owners
If you don’t have a website, then you and your business have no voice in the conversation. You can’t showcase your abilities, your brand values, your products or your expertise. Potential customers won’t be able to find you as easily, and they won’t be able to do business with you as easily.
Control your brand
Controlling your brand, either as a business or an individual, is vital if you want to succeed. If you don’t do this, you’re at the mercy of what others say about you – regardless of whether it’s good or bad, accurate or inaccurate. Registering a domain name and building a site is a lot easier than you think. Let us help you. You can register a domain name today. And you can start building your own website with our Website Builder here (Website Builder comes with a free domain name).
