The Dragons Are In Awe Of This Van Conversion Business | Dragons' Den

[Music] next into the den is Jason gled Hill from Hampshire so I've been in the Leisure industry since I was 20 uh and in 2015 I started my own company I've enjoyed it and it's building up something for myself for my family I think they're going to be uh proud sorry Jason can be forgiven for feeling a little emotional especially given what lies ahead I'm excited to go into the den and nerv at the same time getting more more nervous as as we get [Music] closer hello dragons my name is Jason Gledhill and I'm owner founder and director of redcot leisure limited I'm looking for £100,000 investment for 10% of my company red cot Leisure manufacturers and retails micro campers micro camper conversions and awnings and accessories for micro campers this is our vario layout and it's in the sleeping setup as a at the moment so what is a micro camper it's a van dve car such as a Citron Bingo or a perso partner and our conversions retain the five traveling seats so it can be used every day as your everyday vehicle or as a camper van or dayam my plan is to open more branches across the UK and then eventually open more in Europe um thank you for time if you'd like to come and have a look at the microcamper please do if you have any questions please let me know micro campers as well as micro camper conversion kits and accessories are the offering from Jason Gladhill I want to see Peter in that micro yeah oh go for it Peter party for one Jason is seeking £100,000 in return for a 10% share in his business I just want to see if it's long enough can we shut the boot on it bye Mr Jones night see you in the morning night legum doesn't appear to be an issue even for the Den's tallest Dragon but now Peter Jones wants to size up Jason's business so Jason um I have to say it was very comfortable so what vehicles does this fit any V drive cars so um anything that's based on a van so they'll all have sliding doors on them and they all have good head height but you can park it anywhere you can park in the multi story car park and how many have you sold so far what the vehicles or the order what the two conversions so what's the difference so for instance this vehicle you can buy the complete vehicle as it is with a new M and it's 11 10905 and it's all done £1,000 yeah that's mad good mad bad mad really good mad especially when you know a motor home with the same age as this will probably cost you 35,000 so how much does it cost to this package now a full conversion which includes electricity fridge uh blackout blinds cooker and a kettle is 2,000 for for the majority of vehicles you charged 2,000 to do all of that yeah when someone buys a conversion they order online and they can either have it sent directly to them or they can go to one of our branches and we install it for them okay and what's been the turnover the last 12 months 88,000 gross margin gross margin uh 374 and the net margin uh 224 well you've done really well thank you comparative affordability plus healthy profits equals praise from Peter Jones she is better known for crafting than camping so will SAR Davies be sold on Jason's plans to open up the Great Outdoors I absolutely love this sort of stuff my dad built me a camper van last summer I mean we just the kids love it we absolutely love it and obviously you've massively benefited from the huge bz in this market since lockdown yeah but but the great thing is I don't think that shows any sign of slowing down normally you need a lot of money to buy a motor home and this opens the door to people uh to get a motor home you know for for relatively cheap money and it's their everyday car so it's just one vehicle that's doing a bit of everything I think it's absolutely brilliant so you want to scale up and what's the plan for spend with the 100 Grand couple of things we've done very little advertising and also um purchasing more expensive vehicles um and increasing the stock level we have what is your stock at the moment probably about 350,000 and cash in the bank 75 so you don't really need the 100 Grand from us no I've done all this on my own I've not had a mentor uh and that's that's what what I need I think to take it to the next level one man baned Jason feels a dragon's backing could make his business really sing but a marketing mind minded Deborah miden has a pressing [Music] question Jason what's the brand a red cot Leisure [Music] yeah I was wondering the same thing you know what I'm going to say next that's the name of your company yeah what's your brand um good question isn't it it is a good question yes because I can see you know this is the type of community that that will be wandering over and saying cool that's cool where did you get that from but they're not going to say I need to get a red car limited red cot Leisure are you really wedded to that brand no the only thing I know about marketing is you want something that is not sort of a more unique word so it's easier to you know there's no point you need it it does what it says on the tin type name yeah what about Camp car I know why you're in marketing but youve got a lot more competition when you do that so obviously we I think he was joking there is no way in this world anybody is ever going to name that camp car no Steven bartlet's Camp car seems to have stalled on the starting grid yet given his lack of a clear brand identity is Peter Jones still prepared to Green Light Jason's onward Journey what a great business you've created in a very short space of time um and what I believe this business is is that I think you are a micro camper van dealer right as opposed to looking at this as in a a camper box yeah and creating a brand like Campa box and selling that to multiple dealerships all over the the world it's a bit like Ikea in a box for camper ban people that for me would have been actually more interesting as a business but what you've done is you've created a great business for yourself but you are ultimately a camper van dealer I don't want to be involved in a one-man dealership selling camper van as a as a complete solution I don't think that will give you the future success that an investor would look for and for that reason I'm sorry but I'm out the trade in secondhand Vehicles has failed to get Peter Jones's motor running will Deborah Meen be any more prepared to do deals involving [Music] Wheels first of all congratulations thank you you've come up with a great idea and you've done it you're making money you're making good money it's the car bit that worries me cuz at the moment half of your business is in the vehicles yeah you know and and I that's not a business I particularly want to get into no so I'm having a bit of an internal battle to be perfectly honest um oh do you know something I've learned in life if I can't go yes I shouldn't do it I don't think I'm going going to do it but if you've learned anything today get yourself a brand um I'm really sorry I won't be investing I'm out you have a great business however when I make investments in the den it's not just because it's a great business it's because like I have a passion for the problem Tuka doesn't get out of bed for 1% I don't get out of bed if I'm not passionate about it and in this case I have both by the way sorry I have to be passionate okay I thought it was just one % um I live by Passion that's fascinating um so in this case although I think you're great I'm personally not passionate enough about this business and this industry to be the right investor for you so for that reason I'm out right Jason I was going to sit here you and try and play it really cool um and I kind of cuz I just feel fit to burst with it honestly cuz I love the business I love the industry and I think you're absolutely brilliant and as excited as I am about this business I can tell you who's going to be even more excited my dad is going to have kittens when I tell him about this he'll think this is wonderful and my dad is the one that I learned a lot of my business skills from so what I'd like to propose is that I would offer you all of the money 100,000 in return for 15% of the business and that's because I plan to make the investment for my 10% and then I plan to involve my dad in the business as well and give him 5% of the business and he will be the Hands-On Mentor with you every day of the week if you need him and I will take responsibility for helping you put a marketing strategy together and also in scaling the business CU I think we get the marketing right it's going to scale a lot faster than what you're thinking thank you and offer for Jason from fellow fresh air fiend Sara Davies who in a highly unusual move has thrown her dad into the bargain Tuka siman has been keeping mom but it appears he's ready to show his hand Jason I've heard a lot and in my view you've done a great job at this stage but I can I can see this really taken to another level I'm involved in a property project which does a very sort of modular system very upm market and one could pick up a lot of ideas in what they've done in very small spaces yeah little just little things you think oh I didn't think of that I love all this stuff manufacturing design product so um I'm going to make you an offer I'll offer you all of the money but I I also want 15% of the business is is there any way we can get nearer to the the 10% so I think that's a fair valuation so from my end Jason the idea was I was I would put the the 100,000 in for 10% and then I was going to give my dad the 5% to come on board as like a a support mentoring what I would be prepared to do would be to drop my stake to 5% which would make your overall 10% if you return my money in 18 months and I would match them of course he would you made a decision I have yet I'd like to accept the office ARA thank you excellent can't wait to work together Jason this is possibly the most excited I've been doing an investment while I've sat in this chair excellent I'm glad to have you about that thank you much be in touch s Jason has done it he leaves the den with £100,000 and the backing of Dragon whose enthusiasm for his business appears to know no bounds I was having that one I didn't care what any of you said I would have fought your tooth and there Zara had more passion not only have I got a a dragon I've also got a dragon's dad which is it's amazing

Channel: Dragons' Den

Views: 945,580

Keywords: Dragons' Den, Dragons' Den cast, Dragons' Den episode 10, Dragons' Den investors, Redcote Leisure company, business competition, business deal, business innovation, business negotiation, business opportunity, entrepreneur opportunity show, entrepreneur showcase, entrepreneurial pitch, entrepreneurs' pitch, innovative business idea, innovative solutions, investment opportunity, investor panel show, investor pitch, investor pitch show, pitch presentation

Id: DUXkW--7dQQ

Length: 14min 0sec (840 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 08 2024