Advice from the top

"Common sense is not common" were the words of wisdom spoken by Theo Paphitis, star of the BBC TV series Dragons' Den, at the Newark Beacon business innovation centre launch recently

Theo wowed the audience with the story of his success, right back to how he ran a tuck shop at his local school, through to the dizzy heights of becoming the multi-millionaire that he is today.

He kept the audience amused with tales of how he is a fully trained bra fitter! - a skill he learnt when he purchased La Senza and Contessa lingerie chains. He also told of how, when buying a business at a knock-down price, he 'found' a million pounds that was part of an insurance bond!

Being dyslexic, Theo left school with no real qualifications and, when he started in business, his first office was a very small room with a shower in the corner. But Theo is living proof that with hard work and determination, anyone can achieve. He is an established entrepreneur, specialising in buying and turning around ailing companies, but is better known as one of the dragons' on Dragons' Den which is currently in its fifth series.

Theo re-enacted this role in the form of 'Hornets' Nest', a competition run by the Newark Advertiser and Newark & Sherwood District Council. The three people with the 'best' business propositions presented their ideas to Theo at the launch. They were Alison Brothwell from Staythorpe, who presented the Rotacover - an eco-friendly waterproof cover for a rotary clothes dryer. Sarah Jane Jones from Balderton, presented an adjustable cup size bra, and Phillip Simkins from Aslockton presented Select-a-Pos - a 'mix and match' electronic point of sale (EPOS) scanning system.