Mystic Mug

In June 2009 (30 months ago) serial entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor Peter Jones suggested that UK businesses had seen the worst of the economic crash.

In a presentation to the BT Experience 2009 conference Jones said: ‘We are out of the recession. People will say we remain in a recession over the next 12 to 18 months but what we will be seeing from now on are just the consequences of hitting the bottom of the recession.’

I wonder what he thinks now. Hardly a day goes by when we hear about more staff being made redundant and it is not helpful when pseudo-celebrities like Jones try and avoid the inevitable; UK business is in a mess and desperately needs help.

Jones went onto suggest: ‘We lack the mindset of entrepreneurialism in this country. It requires forward thinking, clarity and self-belief and these [skills] need to be encouraged.’

I assume he means by supporting them, guiding them and backing them. Something he would do well to practice on Dragons’ Den.

Gareth Osborne, APA