A struggling entrepreneur who was on the brink of bankruptcy could pocket millions thanks to the expert advice of a top businessman from Dragons’ Den.
Giles Bury, 46, of Alexandra Road in Kings Langley appeared on the online version of Dragons’ Den to ask for £49,000 for 20 per cent of his company Qwikgoals.com to help market his product – a pair of 6ft high portable goalposts.
Despite receiving the infamous ‘I’m out’ verdict from both of the show’s judges Mr Bury’s fortunes were to take a turn.
Mr Giles, a father-of-one, said: “During my pitch I was very nervous on my left was Shaf Rasul, worth £100 million and on my right, Julie Meyerthe head of an investment company. My mouth was so dry I could hardly speak.
“Shaf quickly worked out that my business was insolvent and it was only a matter of time before I was bankrupt. I was so keen to work with him because of his obvious business acumen that I even offered 90 per cent of my business to him for the £49,000 investment.”
He added: “I was devastated when he said no. After my pitch and filming had stopped, Shaf approached me and said ‘You’re in a mess aren’t you?’ He then gave me his number and said to me to call him on Monday and he would help me out. I couldn’t believe it!”
Mr Rasul quickly got to work on the doomed business establishing a new website, a promotion campaign and liaising with high profile retailers.
Scotland’s richest Asian said: “We have worked tirelessly since we met, thrashing out ideas and getting Giles’ business into the best shape of its life and as a result we are negotiating a licensing contract for a new product that Giles has developed.
“This contract is worth more than £1million. We have essentially turned Qwikgoals.com around in two weeks into a potentially multi-million pound business.”
Mr Bury said: “It’s a dream come true. I have lost count of the number of sleepless nights I’ve had since I launched the product.
“To say am delighted is a huge understatement. I was so grateful to Shaf that I offered to pay him but he refused to accept a single penny, even though he has been travelling all over the country on my behalf negotiating deals. He simply smiled at me and said ‘It’s all about doing the deal!’”
Associated Links: www.watfordobserver.co.uk
