Mark Champins
Oi – You with the funny face and no hair! Weren’t you on Harry Hill or Dragons Den or something. Oh Yeah – It was Dragons Den – How was that then?
“Going into Dragons Den was a really nerve wracking experience, but in fact, the worst part was the waiting around. All the “contestants” had to sit in a room waiting to be called for – like being at the Dentist. In many ways I think I would rather have been waiting to have my teeth pulled out. I was there for about six hours before I got called in.
When I was eventually summoned, I didn’t have a great deal of time to compose myself, and before I knew it, I was in the middle of the pitch.
Fortunately I didn’t lose the ability to talk, and I remembered my two minute presentation and fielded most of the questions OK.
Four of the Dragons started to show signs that they wouldn’t invest and duly dropped out. I didn’t feel bad because I didn’t think they had really grasped the point of the products, and to perfectly honest, didn’t seem to be listening too carefully. They were very complimentary though. Finally I was left with Peter Jones, who, it was revealed had been waiting for the others to drop out to make it easier for him to negotiate!!
When he said he wanted 40% I decided I would walk if he didn’t move on the percentage. 40% is too much – and I was confident I could get the money elsewhere. However, after a little negotiation I managed to get a 5% claw back if I make £250K profit. We shook on the deal, and I left the Den.
Apart from playing the “wacky inventor” a bit too much, I was reasonably happy with what happened. I now look forward to developing Concentrate into a dynamic business and I aim to produce a whole range of clever products designed to have a beneficial impact on the way kids learn.”
How has that experience helped you with your business?
The whole experience of Dragons Den was quite hard work, but like doing anything that is hard, I think you learn lots from it. Subjecting my business to the scrutiny of the Dragons, and listening to what they had to say to take onboard their criticism and suggestions has been particularly helpful.
What’s it like working with Peter Jones?
Peter Jones is a shrewd character. He is quick to spot opportunities and I think he is a genuinely nice person. He has a good team around him who help to develop the companies he invests in, and a great set of contacts to help make things happen. I have learnt lots from him! He’s also ridiculously tall.
Dear Mark,
Congratulations! You have a very good product angle and I have a modification I would like to see in your sandwich box. Who am I? A research scientist working on stem cells, born in Barcelona, raised in UK, Post doc 10 years in Denmark, now working in Italy…so I guess I fit the description of witty European. I found myself looking for the world’s best lunch box and came across your product in ebay. Here are a few thoughts. At last, after having rubber band frustrations with lunch boxes that didn’t quite shut around the fruit for years, I see your product. The banana bend edge is also an excellent idea, where form meets function. I saw a lot of that with “dansk design”. Here in Italy, people are used to packing pasta as well as sandwiches for lunch, so I was wondering whether you could make a small insert tub that also holds pasta or rice. The small tubs you have shown holding nuts or fruit could also presumaby be used to hold a pasta sauce or something to add to rice. So I’m talking about a “Bento pimp” to your box. Any chance of such a thing? Academics and other “grown up” children would also embrace the concentrate logo… you might be able to expand your market with a “saddlebag” lunch box holder to piggy back onto laptop cases… you see one wants a sleek elegant case to carry the computer and cases with pockets big enough for lunch boxes soon look ungainly. People would be happy to not have to spend as much for a whole new case, rather just add a “lunch module”.
One other idea. My son won a “design a mobile phone case” competition in Denmark… free cinema tickets! What about having a competition among schools for a drawing to have printed on one side of the sandwich box holder. The subject? My favourite lunch! Who knows? It might bring more than publicity…perhaps fuel for your next great idea! All the best, Jorge.
jorge.burns@unimore.it