Dragons Den - Ireland 09/04/09

[jsweb]

Ah Dragons Den... What amazes me is when these business entrepreneurs arrive in front of the panel and say

"I am looking for xxx investment with a x return; this is to help me enhanced the business and SET UP A WEBSITE"!

I mean come on, one of the first tasks of setting up a business is to have a website (be it CMS to just advertise yourself or more so now an eCommerce store to sell online) up and running!!

Last night I saw a presentation by the Business owner for TAKKER -- now check out his websites:

1st: takker.co.uk = This site is temporarly down. (Spelt wrong!)

2nd: takker.com/ = Okay at least it loaded and displayed his product, but doesn't allow you to order one! Nor does his email address even work!!!!

Then I read more about the Dragon Den team (investors) -- In particular "Niall O'Farrell, one of Ireland's most successful entrepreneurs - the man behind men's outfitter Black Tie".

I'm off to a Black Tie wedding soon to I thought I'll check out that website.

Then take yourself to Blacktie.ie (after 10mins of loading on the launch page) I eventually managed to find a contact page blacktie.ie/opening.html --- a list of branches and I then have to pick up the phone as no contact form was even available!!

Ah the world of website for those entrepreneurs is just amazing...lol

 

[louie]

I was watching that last night as well and to be honest I though none of the businesses presented were worthwhile...

I was LMAO at the "floating" shelves... but I liked the attitude from the women itself (what was her name?...)

 

[Tom]

The Blacktie website loaded in about 1min here (3mb dl) and I see a contact us page with form and details.

 

[jsweb]

Yes, those two ladies - at least they were right behind their business..

..but what did they say about Google and their website?

 

[tomed]

Completely agree with you jsweb, a lot of people said i need x to get a website. If it's a serious business (and not web based) surely they'd have some sort of online presence.

I was watching that last night as well and to be honest I though none of the businesses presented were worthwhile...

I thought the series as a whole was pretty poor. If this is a platform for Ireland's finest entrepreneurs, I worry for our future.

I was LMAO at the "floating" shelves... but I liked the attitude from the women itself (what was her name?...)

Sarah Newman.... I have to say I thought she was an arrogant so and so. She didn't even have the decency to look at the product close up like everyone else. Why should he have addressed her when she showed no interest in his product whatsoever. If she wants to be arrogant, so be it.

She said she liked the idea, but just didn't like him... what does that tell you?

Her true colours showed at the end and she lost out because of it.

Yes, those two ladies - at least they were right behind their business..

..but what did they say about Google and their website?

They said that people weren't going to google it because people don't know about it. Before the show, I would have agreed with them, after the show... they should have made sure they can be found!

 

[jsweb]

Good post tomed.

Have any of the other businesses (in previous episodes) taken off?

Has anyone on this forum (as web providers) been asked to build their websites?

 

[mneylon]

Has anyone on this forum (as web providers) been asked to build their websites?

We host quite a few of the entrants either directly or indirectly ...

Most of the sites that I saw weren't that amazing though some of them were quite attractive and / or functional

 

[jsweb]

We host quite a few of the entrants either directly or indirectly ...

People have to host somewhere so it is nice to hear they have chosen you.

..but have any web businesses on this forum been contacted by these entrepreneurs businesses from the outset, to help them design and build a website for thier business launch?

For instance, we specialise in designing/building eCommerce websites. The 80/20 rule is that most businesses we support already have a website (often very basic which they setup themselves) and now want to move that forward to allow online selling.

I wonder if there is a feel that setting up an eCommerce fulling working site is going to be expensive and that is funding they don't want to invest in case it doesn't work.

..of course eCommerce doesn't have to be expensive at all.

I wonder what message these startup organisations e.g. enterprise-ireland.com, Dublin City Enterprise Board etc are communicating to new startup companies.

If anyone has been through a startup using these support agencies do share your experiences.

Thanks

 

[link8r]

..but have any web businesses on this forum been contacted by these entrepreneurs businesses from the outset, to help them design and build a website for thier business launch?


I wonder if there is a feel that setting up an eCommerce fulling working site is going to be expensive and that is funding they don't want to invest in case it doesn't work.

..of course eCommerce doesn't have to be expensive at all.

I wonder what message these startup organisations e.g. enterprise-ireland.com, Dublin City Enterprise Board etc are communicating to new startup companies.

If anyone has been through a startup using these support agencies do share your experiences.

CEB's and E-I generally - largely - leave it to the grant applicant to find their own providers - generally getting quotes from at least 3 companies that they have to find on their own. As long as the company hasn't been an issue before, they get to pick their own supplier.

Occasionally they run seminars with a local or regional "expert" as a free or paid event for entrepeneurs in things like online marketing.

e-Commerce costs, I guess form €500 upwards, maybe less but - thats the cheapest. Like, it's possible to fly from €20 upwards - you can go bungee jumping and opt-out of having the cord attached to you - but it doesn't mean you * should *!

You have to factor in having money for cash to run the business. Advertising and marketing are expensive, even if you use SEO/Twitter to augment it - and that is part of the cost of "ecommerce".

 

[SARAH KELLY]

Just watching dragons den on rte and the host totally made me sit up and listen.

CAN SOMEONE TELL THE "HOST" THE WORD entrepreneur IS NOT PRONOUNCED ENTRAP - PEN - NEUR....MADE ME THROW MY REMOTE AT THE SCREEN