Presenting a pitch can be a nerve-wracking experience at the best of times. Doing it in front of television cameras and five of the UK's brightest (and toughest) businesspeople is downright terrifying.
However, such an experience can bring with it several benefits – particularly if you are successful and leave the Den with what you went in for.
Such success is perfectly demonstrated by Carol Savage and her family recipe website MyDish.co.uk which was recently the feature of a Telegraph article entitled 'The hell of facing down the Dragons in their Den'.
Carol's experience of the Den - a place where UK entrepreneurs go to pitch for investment - was ultimately successful – she left with £100,000 of Deborah Meaden's money in exchange for a 15 per cent stake in her company.
However, the success of MyDish has not stopped there, as the very existence of the Telegraph article points out. From the very moment Carol entered the Den, she had achieved that much sought-after aspect of business: publicity.
What's more, she's got it for free and in the national press of the country in which she is based.
With the Telegraph featuring a section of her blog, originally posted on her site MyDish.co.uk, her company will have recorded a surge in site hits, it can almost be guaranteed. Now that's fantastic business.
Essentially, what can really be learned from Carol's experience is that business men and women should not be fearful of 'going for it'.
It would be quite easy for UK entrepreneurs to watch the programme and get scared off by the plethora of rejections and humiliations inflicted by the cutting Dragons.
However, there are those that succeed. Carol is testament to this.
In order to advance a business, a lot of effort has to put in and giving it a go may not only secure some much needed funding but lead to directly related subsequent successes.
So how did Carol manage to win over the Dragons? She understood her business.
She said: "Everyone has always said to me how important it is to 'know your numbers'. I think that's nonsense. Learning your business figures parrot-fashion doesn't work.
"It's important to feel and understand your business perfectly, so however the questions go you can stand there and give a reasonable answer and defend your thoughts because you know what you are talking about."
Those looking to advance their business should take heed. Get to grips with the intricacies of your company and then get out there and go for it, you just don't know what might come about.
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