Teams of media students at the City of Bath College have stepped into the Dragons’ Den to share their best entrepreneurial ideas.
More than 25 college students showed they had nerves of steel when they came face-to-face with Bath’s industry experts.
They had just ten minutes to impress a panel of seven ‘dragons’ with their business brains.
The innovative all-day competition, based on the popular BBC TV series, is an annual event to encourage the development of employability skills.
The judges included Caroline Tarbuck, the Young Enterprise charity’s West of England manager, Anita Jaynes, director of the Business Exchange South West, and Frank Hutton from recruitment consultancy Hutton & Co.
Students Bianca Valentine, Matt Smith and Sophie McDaid pitched their idea of interactive educational books for children.
Matt said: “It’s all about making learning more interesting for children. We want to use augmented reality to help bring stories off the page.
“We think children will find it easier to learn through interactivity so it will be helping them to reach their true potential.”
Other student ideas included a film location company, a monthly student magazine and a music-themed coffee shop.
The judges gave constructive criticism on how they could promote their ideas, carry our market research and consider the financial implications of new businesses. They also shared some top tips on presentation styles and discussed the importance of body language.
Media Lecturer Kathryn O’Brien said the competition had helped to reveal the talents and creativity of students.
She said: “The competition was a great way for students to learn about creating, planning and running their own businesses.
“They had drawn up business plans in advance and the passion they had for their ideas could really be seen in their presentations.
“The skills they learnt and the feedback from judges will prepare them well for their future careers.”
