BBC in search for Britain’s best entrepreneurs for new series of Dragons’ Den.
The BBC has announced an eight series of its popular television show Dragons' Den. The company is currently searching for Britain's best entrepreneurs and will be auditioning throughout the coming months.

The BBC is looking for business ideas, inventions or products with serious business potential that are investment ready and looking for funding.

Although a challenging place to pitch, the programme's makers are keen to stress that it is also a genuine business opportunity to secure investment. In the most recent series, 15 entrepreneurs accepted offers of investment in the Den and plenty more have gone on to find success even without the backing of the Dragons.

Success stories of DIY and housewares products that have appeared on the programme include the Choc Box, the Takker, the Safe-T-Light, Ethos' Magic Pizza Cooking Disc, the Wheelie Bin Lid Lifter from CAT Enterprises, the BarbeSkew and Planit Products' Toastabag.

The rules are simple - entrepreneurs ask for a cash investment in return for equity in their business. However, they must get at least the amount they ask for or they will walk away with nothing. The Dragons are prepared to listen to a pitch for any kind of business but they must be convinced that it will make money.

According to the BBC, ideas, businesses and products that meet some or all of the following criteria stand a good chance of securing the Dragons' interest:

· A Unique Selling Point: a product that serves a need like nothing else.
· Scalability: something that can be up scaled to make real money.
· Route to Market: the clear way the product can be sold and marketed.
· Mutually Beneficial Arrangement: just what will the Dragons get out of it?
· Exit Strategy: a plan of how the entrepreneur/Dragon will exit and make money.

If you are interested in pitching to the Dragons and would like an application form, email dragonsden@bbc.co.uk or visit www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden