So you think you need an investor?

So you think you need an investor?

As we are on the cusp of shooting Shark Tank Series 3, I thought it was time to reflect on an important topic: ‘sometimes an investment deal, in reality, is not the best thing for a business’. It has been reported that there is marked gender differences in...

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It’s a ‘devil’ of a job growing a business

It’s a ‘devil’ of a job growing a business

When you start a #business you are full of #positivity and #possibility – you are so driven by #passion that anything seems achievable – you operate on sheer energy. As you grow your business you begin to employ people, and you ‘hope’ that they are as passionate as...

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Where do ideas come from

Where do ideas come from

RedBalloon was not the first business idea I had – but as I look back now I realise that of all the ideas I had, it was the one that inspired me, that I was passionate about, that I could see myself making a difference with. As I learned later when I did a Harvard...

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"Inspiring the business world"

"Inspiring the business world"

When I was approached by The CEO magazine, to be the feature story in the September edition, my initial reaction was – ‘but I’m not a CEO!’ (Nick Baker has been the RedBalloon CEO for some years now.) Whilst I am an executive director at...

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What it takes to be ‘unbeatable’

What it takes to be ‘unbeatable’

Madeleine Albright famously said ‘There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.’ Perhaps there is a special place in hell for those who don’t help others… no matter the gender. When asked why Andrew Banks was a Shark on Channel...

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How to add $100,000 to your bottom line

How to add $100,000 to your bottom line

We have never lived in a more ‘abundant’ time – despite the fact that there are more than 7 billion people on the planet – we have ‘more’ now than ever before in history. We are at the beginning of incredible social changes such as  ‘dematerialization’ and...

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Shark Tank S2 Episode Thirteen on TEN

Shark Tank S2 Episode Thirteen on TEN

Perhaps the producers have saved the best until last – each one of the businesses in this episode has been built for scale. They have significant revenue and are out of the start up phase. All of them have come to seek Shark experience to truly Scale their...

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