The company – based in Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate in North Tyneside – had already scored a level of success before Mr Robson went before the panel of millionaire investors, having landed a contract with supermarket chain Asda last May to see its product sold in almost 150 stores throughout the UK. Just when it seemed like everyone was about to deliver an “I’m out” to Dan Robson and his Newcastle upon Tyne-based eco-friendly gardening kit business, Sara Davies pounced on the opportunity to come on board. Launched in 2015, Grow Sow Simple creates and sells biodegradable seed kits that make growing your own veg more accessible. Another pitch that caught my eye was father and son duo, Shaye and Raj Sharma, with their match-winning board game, Football Billionaire. The 15-year-old Shaye adeptly explained the concept of the game: as you move around the board you compete to become the most successful football club owner. Though his new-found investors weren’t as proactive as you might expect. “The Dragons didn’t do a lot to help me,” he admits. “Peter Jones made one call – to Sainsbury’s chief, Justin King.” Roots left the kids at home making the sauce. He only had 67 bottles and hoped Justin wouldn’t ask for more than that. I think it's so popular because of the entrepreneurs. Even when you think you have seen it all, you haven't, something or someone amazing could walk through those lift doors at any moment!

This is the hardest question as there are so many. For the laughs it was watching Duncan Bannatyne trying out the “gym chair” and collapsing in giggles with the Inventor. For the surprises, the yellow submarine which we all got to climb into, for the crazy, the false fingernails for cats. For the fun, me driving a tank into the Den and scaring my fellow Dragons, for the music, listening to Tej Lalvani play the guitar...and I could go on and on…. I am more wary of ventures that are still proving their business model and where profitability is still far off. Doubling down on investing in the quality of the entrepreneur or management; their resilience and ability to turn adversity into opportunity is key. Grow Sow Simple was established in 2014 to 'get people growing' with products such as its biodegradable SeedCell that can be pushed straight into the soil, as well as Microgrow kits and children's 3D puzzle gardening sets.

Jenkins wanted to know more about this deal: “The question is how confident can you be about this business coming up? Lots of things can go wrong with supplying.” He asked to see the letter of intent from the European distributor, which Shah was able to produce but Jenkins said the letter of intent amounted to “nothing”: In two more days, the seeds should have started to grow. The white stuff around the seeds are roots (not mold). When he was given the opportunity by Sainsbury’s, he couldn’t turn it down. However, the sauce had to change because it had too many ingredients to scale it up. “Remember, every scotch bonnet is kissed, every onion cried with. Is my granny cussing me above telling me don’t change the recipe? Do I have it as close as I can get to the original? That was the best decisions that I ever made.” It’s fantastic to be part of a competition that embraces these values, and I can’t wait to see the ideas people come up with. Whether you have a plan to improve an existing product or have a unique idea that could be the answer to solving the most pressing environmental issues facing our society today through engineering, I urge you to enter.” For other forms of disinformation – beyond obvious hate speech and encouragement to suicide – automated identification is likely to be more problematic. This will doubtless lead to even greater foot-dragging from the social-media companies. Much of the problem is that judging harm is not just way beyond the power of algorithms, it's not all that easy for humans. Text, video and images are often difficult to classify. As US Supreme Court judge Potter Stewart remarked in a landmark case over a Louis Malle movie in 1964: "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"] and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it and the motion picture involved in this case is not that."

This, and other lessons about business life, were imparted through interviewing other entrepreneurs and business leaders. Though he imagined they’d be incredibly unique, he says he discovered that most of his guests are actually very similar. Starting a business can be pretty simple but it is rarely easy. Having a great idea is the start but being able to deliver on that idea is what turns it into a business. Some people think they want to start their own business but when they realise the risks involved or the personal attention it takes it just doesn’t suit .It is also about timing…a great idea at the wrong time will fail, or starting a business at the wrong time for you personally can also lead to failure BUT and here is the big but…turn that on its head…have that great idea, work out how to deliver on it and launch at the right time and it can be the most rewarding, satisfying thing you will ever ever do. You can also work with a trade mark attorney, such as the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, who can help with your searches and application.Suleyman followed Jenkins on the grounds that stove manufacturers could solve the problem more efficiently, while an uneager Jones said he would “rather eat salad for a year” than invest. Willingham didn't have much more enthusiasm for the product and also exited the deal. The funding announcement comes two months after the firm published its accounts for the year ended March 31 2019, revealing how growth had shifted up a gear.