Dragons meet in business den …

I’m often referred to as ‘the old dragon’ by my nearest and dearest.  So when the opportunity arose to listen to another ‘Dragon’, James Caan, of Dragon’s Den fame, I signed up for my ticket through Sussex Enterprise.  James was a keynote speaker on 14 October at the Business Conference 2008 at the Brighton Centre.  This year’s theme was ‘Expanding your Horizons’.

I and 700 other visitors wished to benefit from James Caan’s words of wisdom (in my opinion, he’s the most humane, polite, fair and reasonable of the Dragons).  His words were reassuring and mirrored what many of the conference delegates were thinking to judge from the applause he received:

• markets go up as well as down (obviously!)
• bankers and financiers who lend to the ‘wrong’ people (those without the funds to finance a mortgage/purchase) should be answerable for their deeds
• companies need to look at ‘value’ propositions
• many UK institutions have a ‘herd’ mentality
• business is not about a product - it’s about people who create success
• it’s cool to be an entrepreneur

James has worked hard since the age of 16 to make his place in the world of business; he’s taken risks to make his mark, and he’s also seen opportunities. 

Were you at the conference - what was your impression of my favourite Dragon?  Do you agree with his key points? Write and tell me.