Three courageous Business Level 3 Advanced Technical Award Extended Diploma students from Southern Regional College entered the Dragon’s Den on Wednesday 7th May to pitch their business proposition to five judges, both internal and external, representing a cross section of business expertise.
Facing the Dragons were students from across the College’s Armagh, Portadown and Newry campuses, who had all previously faced first round competition activity on their respective College campuses.
The final round, brought together top students from the Armagh, Portadown, and Newry campuses, all of whom had advanced through earlier rounds of campus-based competition. Each finalist had just 10 minutes to present their idea, justify their strategy, and convince the judges that their micro-business had real potential.
Representing the Newry campus was Tiernan Patterson McKnight from Banbridge whose business plan consisted of a home organisation and decluttering service. From the Portadown campus was Sophie Vernon from Craigavon who planned to set up a yoga and Pilates studio, and from the Armagh campus Clodagh Tennyson from Annaghmore. Building on the current sustainability movement Clodagh pitched a sustainable fashion business aimed at reviving thrifting and challenging fast fashion culture.
The entrepreneurs were rigorously questioned on every aspect of their business plans to ensure they had fully considered the current business environment. This included who their competitors were, competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and where the current market niche existed to enable their business to succeed.
Judges went into minute detail examining and questioning the entrepreneurs on their pricing structures, sales forecasts, cash flow position and anticipated income and expenditure analysis with no detail left to spare. The entrepreneurs were challenged on how they planned to market their businesses and succeed in an often-crowded competitive online sphere, with questions flowing on marketing businesses to succeed.
In a close contest, Sophie Vernon emerged as the overall winner. Drawing from her experience as a qualified gymnastics coach, she outlined a business model focused on delivering inclusive and enjoyable movement-based classes, including yoga, Pilates, and baby gymnastics. Her detailed presentation, which included identified premises and staffing plans, impressed the panel with its depth and clarity. Tiernan and Clodagh were both commended for their compelling ideas and finished in joint second place.
Commenting on Sophie’s win, Louise Groves, Lecturer at Southern Regional College, said:
“Sophie delivered a passionate and inspirational presentation. She was exceptionally well prepared and demonstrated outstanding verbal and non-verbal communication skills. The panel was fully engaged and captivated by her delivery from start to finish.”
All three students undertook the Dragon’s Den competition as part of their Business Level 3 Advanced Technical Award Extended Diploma assessment on pitching a business. All students are advancing to higher education courses at the College.