Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice encourage entrepreneurs

SUCCESSFUL TV shows such as Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice are helping to persuade more people to consider a career as their own boss, new research has concluded.

The Impact of Media on Entrepreneurial Intentions and Actions report published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), supports the view that media portrayals of enterprise are promoting a more positive image of entrepreneurship.

It said one in five non-entrepreneurs being motivated to start their own business had at some stage watched one of shows.

Nearly nine out of 10 established entrepreneurs surveyed said they believed the programmes were making people think more positively about entrepreneurs and the same proportion said they felt they made people want to start their own business.

Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said: “The media has such an important role to play in creating a positive image around entrepreneurship and starting your own business. It is very encouraging to see such a dramatic shift in recent years. And I hope this trend continues.”

He said the report overlapped the Government’s policy of supporting growth across the economy by encouraging more entrepreneurs and start-up businesses.

“We need to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, showing them the ambitions they can realise in business. The media can play a crucial role in this,” he added.

The report also found around half the sample of non-entrepreneurs thought more positively about entrepreneurs in general (58%) and were made more aware of a career as an entrepreneur (51%) through the media.

Almost two-thirds (63%) of all non-entrepreneurs had come across the use of the word ‘entrepreneur’ or ‘entrepreneurship’ and of that said they had, just over half (54%) said TV was where they had most often heard the term.

Almost half (45%) of non-entrepreneurs also said they had watched television programmes in the last 12 months which showed how to start or run a business.

The research also found an educational role being played by media portrayals, with two-fifths (40%) saying programmes had shown them the practical steps to start a new business.
The study was commissioned by BIS to gain insight into what effect the media’s portrayal of entrepreneurs was having on entrepreneurial attitudes, aspirations and activity.