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Butlers aiming to muscle in on prize
The naked ambition of one Portsmouth entrepreneur was unveiled for all to see in the third round of Mentor Magic.
The Dragons' Den-style competition gave four start-ups the chance to lay their business plans bare in front of a panel of seasoned experts, with the most promising one chosen for the grand final, where they can win free consultancy from Deloitte.
Organised by the Chamber of Commerce, the latest round at the University of Portsmouth's Business School featured the most eye-widening proposition yet – a semi-naked butler-for-hire business, Butlers2Go, run by former Saxon Shore Infant School teacher Gill Vigus.
The Havant-based business was established in February, and offers partially-nude male models to greet guests and serve drinks at everything from hen parties to corporate events.
They already have 20 butlers serving clients across the UK, but Mrs Vigus told attendees they currently needed around 100 butlers to cope with demand.
Judge Nicola Youern, chief executive of third-sector business Southern Focus Trust, told her: 'I think it's a very simple business model. It's very effective, and very profitable if I've done the sums right.
'I racked my brains over how you could improve recruitment, and instead of talking about interviewing candidates, I think you should be offering "auditions" at places like student gyms.'
Nigel Taylor, managing director of Taylor Made solutions, said: 'My wife and, worse still, my son caught me looking at your website, which got me into some trouble.
'But the site isn't sleazy, and I think you should write a lot more about how nice your butlers are as people, because a lot of potential customers may be quite timid.'
Mrs Vigus was vying with three other businesses – glow-in-the-dark house number firm NiteNumbers, home automation service E-Lifestyle Ltd, and HR consultancy Computer Assets Ltd – for the top spot.
Following 10-minute presentations from each, the judging panel took 20 minutes to deliver a unanimous verdict: Butlers2Go served up the best business plan.
Mrs Vigus, along with previous winners will now go through to the final, which will be held at 5.30pm on November 13 at Fratton Park.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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