Entrepreneurial hopefuls got the opportunity to pitch their ideas in Edmonton yesterday for a chance to enter the Dragons’ Den.
The hit CBC reality show held auditions in the city yesterday as part of its cross-Canada tour. It follows Canadian entrepreneurs as they present their new concepts, products or services to five wealthy and established potential investors, known as “dragons.”
Around 20 people signed up for auditions, with ideas such as radiant heat seats, ladder safety devices and even a board game.
“We’re looking for everything,” said Molly Duignan, a producer for the show. “Green is good, recession busting is good and just something we’ve never seen before. It’s crazy, you never know what you’re going to get.”
Duignan hopes that viewers will learn that there still are business opportunities, even despite the recession.
“I think the show really shows that with passion and commitment, you can do it,” she said. “There are still ways to make money in this country.”
For five years, Alan Clouston has been looking for a way to solve an irritating problem faced by most beachgoers. He presented Duignan with “Beach Buddy Pegs,” a $10 plastic peg that can be stuck in the sand and then clamped onto a towel to hold it in place.
He got the idea while on vacation in Hawaii after watching a man chase his towel down the beach.
“(Duignan) thought it was awesome because she’s been to the beach,” said Clouston. “Everybody that goes to the beach recognizes the problem.”
