W
henentrepreneurandcrafting
queenSaraDaviestoldhertwo
youngsonsshewouldbestarringin
BBC2’sDragons’Den, theycouldn’t
havebeenmoreexcited.
“Oneofthemdressedupinhis
dragoncostumeandsaid:‘Isthislikeyourcostumein
Dragons’Den, Mammy?”smilestheCo.Durham-born
businesswoman.“They’regoingtobedevastatedwhenthey
seemeonTVina spottydress.”
At35,Sarais theshow’syoungesteverDragon– a factshe
mentionsona “dailybasis”to
fellowDragonsDeborah
Meaden,PeterJones,Touker
SuleymanandTejLalvani.
It wasn’tthatlongagothat
Sara,wholaunchedher
companyCrafter’sCompanion
whena studentat York
University,dreamtofpitching
herownideastothebusiness
gurus.
“I usedtowatchDragon’s
DenwhenI wasa student.My
friendswouldsay:‘Hey,you
shouldgoonthatprogramme
withyourbusiness.’”
Sarawasinvitedbytheshow
topitch,butbythetimeshe
gotthephonecall,her
businesshadalreadytakenoff.
“ABBCresearcherphoned
meup.I said:‘I don’tneed
anymoney,butcouldI pitch
andgetsomeadvicefromthe
Dragons?’Theytoldmeit
doesn’tworklikethat.”
Shethinksherexperience
willstandheringoodsteadon
theshow.
“Beingabletoempathise
withtheentrepreneursis myUSP[uniquesellingpoint]
overtheotherDragons. For years I imagined myself as one
ofthesweaty-palmed entrepreneurs, so I make sure I’ve got
a bigsmileonmyface to put them at ease when they walk
throughthoseliftdoors.”
DOWN TO
BUSINESS
SARA DAVIES
Fromentrepreneur to the youngest
everDragon in the Den, the Crafter’s
Companion founder on why she’ll be
rootingfor the business hopefuls
‘Beingable to
empathisewith the
entrepreneursis my
USP...I makesure I’ve
gota bigsmileon my
faceto putthemat ease’
104