Canadian television stars might soon roll into a town near you as producers of the CBC’s latest reality television show search for business owners to feature in a spin-off of the popular Dragons’ Den series.
Dragons will visit established businesses across the country in need of some help, coach the owners, and make The Big Decision -- as the show is called -- on whether or not to invest their money in further developing each business.
“Instead of (entrepreneurs) coming into the den and doing more of an elevator pitch, we’re actually going to be travelling to the businesses and communities to learn more about the businesses,” said Katie Cumby, associate producer for The Big Decision.
The other big difference from Dragons’ Den: “These are more established companies, companies that were making more money – or at least were during their peak,” Cumby said.
To apply, companies must have been in operation for at least three years, have more than five employees, and gross an average of $500,000 per year.
A large part of the show involves an investor from Dragons’ Den deciding how they can improve each business, rolling up their sleeves and giving advice to the owners. “We’re interested in businesses that can’t fail – for personal reasons or reasons of the community,” she added.
nnorth@saanichnews.com