Like anything in life anything worth having never came easy, so I'm expecting
to be grilled.
Hopefully at the end of it we'll be walking away with a dragon and some
investment.
Hello dragons, my name is Craig Hale and I'm the owner of landscapes for learning
limited. I'm here today to ask for your investment of 50,000 pounds in return
for a 15% share of my company. Landscapes for learning design, manufacture and source
outdoor educational resources and consult with primary schools with
regards to develop an outdoor learning spaces. We're increasingly living in a society
where children spend a large proportion of their time staring at a screen. My
goal as a former teacher and father of three is to get children outside
exploring the world around them and experience life firsthand whilst
facilitating learning through play. We've been working hard to develop a product
range often in collaboration with teachers, that have educational benefits.
Starting with our very first mud kitchen just 17 months ago, we now offer over 90
different learning resources and were continuously developing new and exciting
pieces of equipment to add to our product range. I believe that together we
can grow landscapes for learning to become a sound investment in our
children's future development. Thank you for listening to me you're welcome to
come up and have a play on the sea saw or build a sandcastle and I look forward
to any questions you might have.
It's a slick pitch from Craig Hill who's offering 15% of his business that
produces outdoor educational playsets in exchange for 50,000 pounds.
This is the first - never seen dragons so
interested. To chalk up success in the den Craig will have to face the
toughest test of all, interrogation by the dragons.
Now playtime's over I'll get on with some questions. First up Deborah Medan.
Right, hi Craig. Hello. So just so I'm clear is it you you or is it you and
people in a workshop. We spent the first 12 months working out of a garage at
the end of my garden. That's me on my own. It's me and one other now and we build
from scratch say 95% of the products we sell. I offer to a certain degree a
bespoke service to schools. Can you tell me what your average order value is per
school? Yeah absolutely we tend to get orders between 2,000 and 5,000 pounds. So
what's the process you contact the schools. No I haven't
contacted any schools. You haven't contacted any schools? All the
schools have contacted me through recommendations or referrals.
That's pretty impressive - and what's the success rate per visit? By the
time I'm in the school they've spent the money with me.
The notion that Craig's products sell themselves has got all of the Dragons
attention but Deborah Medan wants to know if that means business really is
booming. Craig when did your year end? Tomorrow. Oh great
time to ask you what your turnover is for the year then. Since 2017 we've
turned over 185,000 which is operating around a 49% gross profit margin. Okay
I'm presuming you haven't taken a salary out of this. Yes I do
it's a thousand pound a month. Are you taking dividends out. Yes I left teaching
after a period of depression, I couldn't continue in there so as mines the only
source of income we acquired quite a lot of debt. So I
spent the last 12 months basically paying off my debt by taking dividends
and I'm making sure that I get rid of my personal debt, that was a priority
for me yes. Just talk to me about you, what happened? Yeah okay so um I mean I
grew up on what was the largest council estate in Europe at the time. I qualified
as an art teacher and then I worked in special educational needs and
my daughter had an accident where - sorry she fell into a fire. She
sort of ran at me on flames I had to put her out and both my hands caught fire. So
It just ruined me I couldn't cope with it. So it was - it was about either carrying
on and being useless at the job or making the decision to be with my family
and I made the second decision. I can't imagine what that felt like. It's pretty tough.
Sorry guys. You don't need to apologize. She's in good shape now you know she bounced back.
She takes pride in her scars you know. There's a real touch of the
educational piece here and I can see with your background why you've - why
you're doing what you're doing. Where could you go in terms of scaling this?
What's your dream? Where I'd like to be is the go-to company - that right we need
outdoor educational resources who do we go to? Landscapes for learning.
It should roll off the tongue.
Kraig's turned a catastrophic event into the driving force behind his business
and it looks like his ambitious plans for the future have gone down well with
Touka Suleiman. I want to congratulate you for reinventing yourself.
You are a great salesman and in a way you be in the
carpenter and building it is a waste. What concerns me is how could a
dragon help you. You can do it on your own. I wish I wish - like for you
that's your bread and butter, for me to take it from a company is quite Kraig
centric to become in a company where there's there's reps and there's
national distribution network. If you had two extra carpenters and you could go
out on the sell, what would you turn ever be? I think I could probably get a four
hundred thousand next year with a net of maybe 180.
Craig you said you're looking for a dragon to understand the potential of
the business but the numbers itself shows you the potential of the business.
The schools are coming to you so really it's about your time being put more
effectively and just getting the manufacturing sorted out.
I'd love help with that. Why don't you build up to a million pound business and then
try and look for investment. I've never built up a million pound business. Well I mean you're on
the way to doing it right, I mean I think in about three years
you could be there. I don't know if I've made this sound easier then it is. You've proved
the model. A lot of times businesses come into the den to have to prove a business
model that actually works. What I would say is that I think what I'm looking for
is somebody to recognize this potential and just point me in the right direction.
Craig I'll tell you where I'm at I actually don't think you need a dragon
but you know I feel like I want to help you. You're doing a really good thing here.
so I'm just gonna give you an offer out there. I'm willing to share the fifty
thousand in any proportion with other dragons but for 25 percent okay.
A bid from tazed Levani who's looking for a joint investment at 25% equity
rather than the 15 originally on offer. To seal a deal Craig will need at least
one other dragon to come on board, is anybody willing to play ball? Okay I'll
do the other half I can't let this pass for your future. Legend.
Between touka Suleyman and Tazz Levani Craig now has a full offer of 50,000
pounds. All beard for 10% more equity than he was willing to give away. Will
Deborah Medan want to join the party or make a rival bid. I'm gonna tell you
where I am. You present really well and you are inspirational to pick yourself
up and to do this is blinken inspiring and I tell you what that also tells me
that my goodness you're resilient. You would do whatever it takes to get a
business going -
but when I sit in this chair I'm a dragon and I think it's a good business
but I don't think it's going to be a huge business I won't be investing so I
wish you all the best but I'm out. Thank You. Craig.
My worry would be if we all went in then you'd probably go yes I'll have all of
you and then that would be a disaster because you probably wouldn't get the
right focus and it wouldn't be the right thing at all.
So with respect and with all my best wishes I'm out. Deborah Medan and Jenny
Campbell bow out of the deal leaving just one more dragon to declare his hand.
Is Peter Jones in or out? Craig the products that you've created I think are
great. I mean a mud kitchen I think is brilliant, a chalkboard to create an
outdoor table it's clever. I'm sitting here trying to debate. You have an offer
and how much do I really believe in the business that actually the money that I
invest not only am I going to get that back because I'm an investor at the end
of the day, but also how much of me and my time and that actually will help you
drive and make a different business.
I've made my decision now and I'm going to say to you that I'm gonna make you an
offer.
And I'm gonna offer you all of the money
but I want 30% of the business.
Okay thank you. Do you want to go think about it.
Ah yes okay. Cheers.
Peter Jones muddies the waters by asking for 5% more than Tej Lalvani and touka
Suleiman's joint offer of 25%. The expertise of two dragons or the wisdom
of just one. It's a tough choice for Craig.
I really appreciate everybody's offers.
It's a big decision to make it is a life-changing thing.
I think it might be worth the 30% Peter
so if it's okay I'd like to accept your offer.
Wow, look, thank you.
Thanks very much. Yes thank you. Craig ops to give away more equity to successfully
secure a deal with his dragon of choice.
I'm so pleased he walked out of here with the deal. Do you know what? Sometimes
you have to hit rock bottom to know - he's more than an entrepreneur in waiting.
He's gonna make it. I'm dead chuffed. I was overwhelmed with their belief in
what we could achieve. Capitalism with a heart isn't a bad thing.