Three entrepreneurs who won investment for their business after appearing on the TV show Dragons Den have defied the recession to land a major deal with high street giant Argos.
Simone Salik, 67, Janice Dalton, 52 and Dominic Lawrence, 38, secured £40,000 from two of the multi-millionaires after pitching their instant window blind business on the show last September.
During tense negotiations the trio finally settled on giving away 50% of their business in return for investment from tycoons James Caan and Duncan Bannatyne.
The deal came after Simone, a former PR executive from Mill Hill, Janice an interior designer from Mill Hill, Janice an interior designer from Mill Hill and importer Dominic from Finchley, teamed up to set up their business Blindsinabox selling temporary blinds.
Since appearing on the show the company has been inundated with orders for the product, but the trio’s latest deal will see the blackout blinds being stocked at more than 700 Argos stores across Britain.
Simeone told the press: “If it does well its going to make a tremendous difference, especially given the economic climate. They have more than 700 hundred stores, so it’s a big thing. The Dragon’s Den aspect has definitely had a huge impact. They have a tremendous following, and in a sense if they invest in something it’s accredited because people look to them. The product is great – its inexpensive and perfect if you are refurbishing or moving into a place and need something for the interim. At the moment people don’t want to be spending a lot of money, so it’s a product for our time.”
