Investment

Entrepreneur Derry Green has revealed his top 10 ten tips for securing offers from four of the Dragons in the latest episode of Dragons’ Den.

While most people entering the infamous Den are happy to walk away with one investment offer, the founder of The Secret Garden Glamping received offers from Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman.

All four of the fearsome Dragons offered the full £100,000 asking price in exchange for 5 per cent equity in the luxury glamping startup.

Steven Bartlett was the only member of the panel not to make an offer after Green’s pitch, which reduced a number of his fellow Dragons to tears.

A TV audience of millions watched the father-of-two reveal how the  business came about as he was looking for new and exciting ways to keep his children Noah, now aged nine, and 11-year-old Sophia, busy during the pandemic.

He decided to build a deck in his garden in Skelmersdale to camp on and kept adding to it until he had a glamping pod complete with hot tub, fire pit and TV.

The idea proved so popular he turned four acres of woodland at the back of his house into a glamping site which now has 12 pods and boasts 100 per cent occupancy.

Former Tesco trolley pusher nets Dragons’ Den investment

In 2022/23 The Secret Garden Glamping reported a turnover of £1.4m and a net profit of £440,000.

Green said the secret of the firm’s success has been their approach on social media, which now boasts one million followers on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

“Our USP is our use of social media,” he told BusinessCloud. “We have treated our social media and the glamping site as two separate businesses. The social media content drives bookings.

“We focused on what people wanted from our social media. They want to see the units lit up at night looking really pretty. It’s aspirational content.

“They want to see themselves sitting in the hot tub at night with a glass of champagne.”

The episode of Dragons’ Den was recorded in 2023 but following Deborah Meaden’s investment, the turnover is set to hit £2m in 2023/24 with plans to grow even faster.

Green revealed how producers of BBC’s Dragons’ Den approached him on Instagram to invite him to apply to appear in the 21st series of the hit BBC show.

Within seconds of starting his pitch for investment to allow him to open more sites across the UK, Peter Jones announced: “This is outstanding I love this. I’ve actually gone quite clammy. I almost don’t want to ask you anymore questions and go straight to an offer.”

Speaking to BusinessCloud, Green revealed his 10 top tips for success.

  1. Prepare

Green worked with business experts Nikki Hesford and Hayley Caine in readiness for his appearance on the Den. “Originally I was pitching my business but Nikki said ‘pitch what this business is going to be’. The Dragons want to know how you’re going to take it from a £1m-£2m business to £10m-£20m when their equity will be worth something.

  1. Practice makes perfect

Derry reckons he recited his three-minute pitch 20,000 times before stepping into the Den. “I’m not normally very good at speaking in front of people,” he said. “So I’d get up at 5am and walk to the woods and recite it.”

  1. Dress appropriately

“What to wear in the Den was a big one for me,” admitted Green. “I wanted to create a good first impression. I don’t normally wear a suit but I wanted to feel comfortable. In the end I wore a casual suit without a tie.”

  1. Have a story

“People invest in people,” said the entrepreneur. “A Dragon is investing in me as much as they’re investing in the business. You’re selling yourself as well as your business. My passion came through and that’s completely genuine.”

  1. Answer the questions

Many successful pitches on Dragons’ Den have quickly unravelled during the intense questioning by the Dragons but Green had no such problem. “After the pitch that part came a lot easier for me,” he said. “I know every part of the business so I was comfortable with any questions.”

Entrepreneur laughing after turning down BBC Dragons

  1. Know your numbers

From turnover to occupancy rates, Green knew all his numbers when questioned. “I’m better with numbers than words,” he admitted.

  1. Choose the right investor

The founder of The Secret Garden Glamping was in the enviable position of having offers for the full £100,000 from  Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Sara Davies and Touker Suleyman – before he opted for Meaden. “It’s not just about the money,” he said. “It’s about picking someone who can add value to your business or who you can work with. Deborah said things I say in my head. She got it instantly so I went with her.”

  1. Don’t be emotional over investment

Peter Jones was the first Dragon to make an immediate offer but Green wasn’t swayed by sentiment. “I would love to have worked with all the Dragons but you have to choose the right one for you,” he said. “Deborah has definitely proved to be the right one for us.”

  1. Withstand pressure

“Investors want to see you perform under pressure so it’s important to keep calm under pressure in the Den,” he said.

  1. Honesty is the best policy

“Honesty is the best policy,” is Green’s mantra. “If something isn’t working then change it. Investors don’t like surprises.”