VENT: Lord Sugar - Easy to start a business

moneyuser

This post refers to The Apprentice and Lord Sugar who is moaning that it's easy to start a business. http://www.businesszone.co.uk/topic/business-trends/lord-sugar-apprentice-shake-will-show-its-easy-start-business/34747

Personally I think this is rubbish and it annoys me that he is saying stuff like this. Take the first task they did for example. Spend £250 on fruit and veg and make as much as possible.

What they fail to mention is

1. Travel expenses. To get the goods and go to market place
2. Hire of the kitchen and equipment.
3. Purchasing of containers/packaging. No mention of this in their "£250 budget".
4. Pitch/stall hire
5. The fact there are 8 people producing/selling. The girls made the most, £350 profit. Ignoring the other points above you are going to have to pay these people, which works out at about NMW and takes any profit. Considering 8 people couldn't even do it then a one man band has no chance.
6. Market licence. Not free I imagine
7. Plus probably a whole lot of other costs associated with running a business

So complete nonsense from Lord Sugar about starting off with £250.

Lord Sugar. You're Fired!

Outpost

moneyuser wrote: »

What they fail to mention is

1. Travel expenses. To get the goods and go to market place
2. Hire of the kitchen and equipment.
3. Purchasing of containers/packaging. No mention of this in their "£250 budget".
4. Pitch/stall hire
5. The fact there are 8 people producing/selling. The girls made the most, £350 profit. Ignoring the other points above you are going to have to pay these people, which works out at about NMW and takes any profit. Considering 8 people couldn't even do it then a one man band has no chance.
6. Market licence. Not free I imagine
7. Plus probably a whole lot of other costs associated with running a business

All very good points.

paddyrg

You are absolutely right, it is disingenious.

TV lies pathalogically. It can't help it. TV will tell you lies dawn to dusk and feel no guilt or even realise it is wrong! Even factual programming and news have editorial choices made which change the messages that come across. Same scene, one with happy music, one with sad, and the whole tone changes. TV lies pathalogically.

The 'board room' for The Apprentice is a studio set. For the early series they even used the laughable Amstrad email phones on the receptionists desk. All made up...

Outpost

In saying that though, for all the assertions made that it is a hardcore business interview 'process', this is a television program made for entertainment purposes. Fundamentally it is no different to audition-shows like the X Factor or Britain's Got Talent.

It all needs to be taken with a pinch of salt I think.

DCFC79

moneyuser wrote: »

This post refers to The Apprentice and Lord Sugar who is moaning that it's easy to start a business. http://www.businesszone.co.uk/topic/business-trends/lord-sugar-apprentice-shake-will-show-its-easy-start-business/34747

Personally I think this is rubbish and it annoys me that he is saying stuff like this. Take the first task they did for example. Spend £250 on fruit and veg and make as much as possible.

What they fail to mention is

1. Travel expenses. To get the goods and go to market place
2. Hire of the kitchen and equipment.
3. Purchasing of containers/packaging. No mention of this in their "£250 budget".
4. Pitch/stall hire
5. The fact there are 8 people producing/selling. The girls made the most, £350 profit. Ignoring the other points above you are going to have to pay these people, which works out at about NMW and takes any profit. Considering 8 people couldn't even do it then a one man band has no chance.
6. Market licence. Not free I imagine
7. Plus probably a whole lot of other costs associated with running a business

So complete nonsense from Lord Sugar about starting off with £250.

Lord Sugar. You're Fired!

thinking about it now yes i agree them points are valid, im surprised the cost of the packaging wasnt up to the contestants to buy

spike7451

I'm trying to set up my own business,using the experience I gained as a service engineer for NTL/VM & then as an Sky/Aerial installer for one of Sky's contractors,to go out on my own fitting areials & sky kit.With the Digital Switchover in progress,the will be a demand for the services.
So I did the 'Go For It' startup course,business plan in place but I need around £3,000 to start up,for stock,insurance & the larger expensive tools like battery drill (around £600) Satalite meter (around £800) ect.
In this current economic climate the is no way I'm going to approach a bank ect for a grant/loan in case the business fails.
Even tho I like the Apprentice,I still think 'Sur Alun' is a ....

vyle

I noticed that. It's like when he says "all you need is a good idea, look how easy it is to get to the big retailers."

BULL****

They have experts make their prototypes and then he gets his apprentices a meeting with the companies, giving them free exposure on a big tv program, and as their purchases are all theoretical it's not like any money is at risk.

It's nowhere near as simple as he makes out.

System

You can dispute his claims all you like but was this not how he started out? I admit the show is dumbed down TV e.g. "If the sky's the limit then why are there footprints on the moon". I think the girls made a profit of about £400 you do that 5 days a week that is over £100K a year. I believe you can easily cover the above mentioned costs and walk away with a respectable profit.

Outpost

Agreed, the idea that any random member of the public can ring up a major retailer like B&Q or Mothercare and have a meeting with someone high up in their purchasing department is at best unrealistic, and at worst ludicrous.

Enfieldian

Nasty little bearded spiv that got lucky building crap in his shed.

Nearly destroyed my football team as well.

brambram

Agree with all the points above, and add to the fact when he started out business expenses were no were near the level they are today.