What it's like to be on Dragons' Den

Two shows, two very different experiences for the businesses taking part. Ling Valentine, owner of LingsCars, famously turned down Duncan Bannatyne twice on Dragons' Den in 2007. Dazzle Parker runs No.37 Old London Road, a business transformed by Mary Portas for an episode of Mary Queen of Shops broadcast in June 2010

On getting on business reality TV

Ling: "I didn't apply to go on Dragons' Den - the producers approached me. They simply don't tell the truth to viewers about how businesses are approached to go on TV. I went on simply for publicity for LingsCars. Fifteen minutes of BBC prime time would cost a fortune if you could buy it. I didn't want investment at all."

Dazzle: "Optomen (the TV production company behind Mary Queen of Shops) rang us and said they were looking for an independent furniture retailer that also did accessories, had been in business for at least six years and was struggling.

"They were having difficulty finding one in the Home Counties that was still in existence. It was two months from the phone call to the day they said they would actually film us."

The reality TV experience

Ling: "Business reality TV is just TV - it has little to do with business and very little to do with reality. It is simply entertainment and people who believe they are in any way 'real' are verging on stupid. The programmes are good at making some business points, but they are edited to a format that bears no relation to reality. I was filmed for three-and-a-half hours for my slot on Dragons' Den, most of that time with no Dragons present, answering questions fired by BBC staff. How real is that?"

Dazzle: "It's slow. They had a couple of other people on the go as well until they decided which shop to feature. We didn't meet Mary until the first day they filmed.
"We knew the programme had to tell a story, be dramatic and show Mary in a good light. So she came in and she was very rude. You're expecting a knock, but you don't expect the knock you get. But we were losing money and they had to pick on something to make it dramatic."

The benefits to my business

Ling: "I got massive publicity out of Dragons' Den. My website visits simply doubled overnight and have continued to grow. It was worth a lot of money, but mainly because of the publicity - and I had a website that could convert interest into sales. Many people overlook that."

Dazzle: "We used to sell modern furniture, quite quirky, and Mary changed us into a recycled furniture seller, which is a brand new business. We weren't really resistant. As Under the Moon we used to go to Paris and to Milan to buy furniture. But suddenly these things dried up and we lost our way.

"Mary refocused us. We're suddenly a 'destination' shop and it's an approach that's working. It's been all systems go since the programme went out. It's extraordinary the influence that TV has and I think it will have a lasting effect."

Taking advice from the business TV gurus

Ling: "The Dragons didn't say much, really. I simply tried to turn it into an enjoyable experience. The things that were worth their weight in gold were the offers of investment, which I turned down twice - to Duncan Bannatyne's disbelief.

"Of course, businesses shouldn't listen to Bannatyne; they should talk to professional advisers, though that's not to say many of the so-called professionals don't talk rubbish, too. Duncan Bannatyne or anyone else who is semi-famous is not going to transform your business. Only you can do that."

Dazzle: "Mary's a very clever lady, and her team was good as well. She had Peter Cross, her partner in Yellowdoor, in the background and the TV company had retail experts who still keep in contact with us.

"Mary's approach was very much linked to us two. She recognised that we had particular skills: I was capable of upcycling the furniture and Denny used to be an art teacher, so she could put the finish on what I had done."

"We were thinking of closing down. Then Mary came along and changed all that. She's been in touch a couple of times since - she's very supportive."

"Reality" TV

Ling: "I can imagine there is just as much fakery involved in other business reality shows like Mary Queen of Shops and The Business Inspector. But it doesn't matter - the TV company gets an hour of cheap, popular programming, the 'victim' and the star get free publicity and the viewer gets entertained. Job done."

Dazzle: "I'm not sure about Dragons' Den. It's entertaining TV, but they only back surefire winners and they rip these people off for about 30-40 per cent of their company. There are other people out there who could help just as well.

"Mary Queen of Shops told our story fully and there were some very cringy things they could have put in but didn't."

Whether businesses should try to get onto business TV shows

Ling: "Small business owners should absolutely get on a show if they can. But make sure you can do something with the viewer response, such as have a website ready to convert visitors into customers. Far too many people go on these shows and think they work like magic. They don't. You have to get the audience to react, capture the reaction, then turn that into business. By the way, I'm available for the next series of Dragons' Den - as a Dragon!"

Dazzle: "The last thing we ever wanted was to try to be on TV. Our view was that you had to go through pain to get the gain. You get an hour on TV, which is something you can't buy for a million quid. You'd be a fool not to do it. You can't afford to buy that expertise."

More on business reality TV

• Take part in our forum discussion: Is business TV relevant to small firms?
• How I use publicity stunts to promote my online car leasing business 
• Eight things you can learn from business TV shows 
• I blame Simon Cowell