Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne have been Dragons on the show since it started. Deborah Meaden joined in 2006

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ragons’ Den is a UK TV series, with similar versions in many different countries. In the UK programme, contestants have three minutes to present their business ideas to five very successful business people. These people are nicknamed the ‘Dragons’ and the intimidating room where they meet the contestants is the ‘Den’ (the dragons’home). The Dragons who are often multi-millionaires, are prepared to invest money in any business that they believe might be a success. In return, they take a share in the profits. The contestants are usually young entrepreneurs, product designers, or people with a new idea for a service. After the contestants have made their presentations, the Dragons ask them questions about the product and its possible market and then say if they are prepared to invest or not. If they are not convinced by the presentation, they say the dreaded words ‘I’m out’.

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o far, the Dragons have agreed to invest in 110 businesses. They were very pleased with their investment in Levi Roots, the Rastafarian singer who had the idea for Reggae Reggae Sauce. He came into the Den with a guitar, a couple of bottles of sauce he had made in his kitchen- and nothing else. But the Dragons sensed an opportunity in the charismatic Levi, and two of them agreed to invest in his product Two months later the sauce was on the shelves of one of Britain’s biggest supermarket chains. And Levi is now running an impressive and profitable company.

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aul Simpson wanted the dragons to invest in his handmade coffee tables. They have a wooden base, which look like 14 th-century castles, and a glass top. Nobody was enthusiastic, and the Dragons rejected his idea. But Paul hasn’t given up. Now he is making a new table, this time replica of Windsor Castle, which he thinks might be popular with tourists. And that is what makes a real entrepreneur – they never give up. If the dragons invest in them, there is a good chance they will be successful. But if they leave the Den empty-handed, the determination to make it on their own is as great as ever.

And of course the Dragons don’t always get it right. Inventor Rob Law’s product, a suitcase for children which they can also ride on, was rejected as ‘worthless’. One Dragon thought it was not strong enough. And another dragon who runs a holiday company, said she didn’t think there was a market for the product. A third Dragon simply said ‘I meet people like you all the time. You think you have something, but you don’t’. However, today Trunki cases are best-sellers, and are sold in 22 different countries.

Do something different and get a super salary!

Would you like your friends to be impressed by your job? Do you want to earn a better salary/ here are some of the strangest jobs around that pay over $ 1000,000 per year.

 Ethnical hacker

What they do

A hacker doesn’t usually have permission to enter a company’s computer system. But an ethical hacker is actually employed by a company to look after the system. Ethical hackers have to protect a company’s IT network from real hackers. Their job is to stop professional criminals from entering the company’s system to steal confidential information.

How to get a job

After taking a degree in IT, you have to work in computers for a few years until you have enough experience in programming. After that, you need to get a special qualification called the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certificate, which lets you work as an ethical hacker. Salaries start between $ 100,000, depending on your experience and where you work.

Golf-ball diver

What they do

Not all of the golf balls on a golf course end up in the hole on the green. In fact, golfers hit a surprisingly high number of them into the lake. Golf-ball divers do exactly what the job title suggests: they dive into the lake to collect the balls. Professional divers only work during the day. They have to wear special diving equipment, as well as a pair of thick waterproof gloves to stop their hands getting cold.

How to get a job

To be golf-ball diver, you need an advanced certificate in scuba diving. Once you have the right qualifications, you can choose to work for a company or to work for yourself. If you work for a company, the company will organize your schedule for you, whereas if you’re self-employed, you have to contact the golf courses yourself. Golf-ball divers are paid between seven and 12 cents per ball, and on an average day, they can collect about 4,000 balls. If you work from 7 a.m. to midday four days a week, you can earn up to $ 100,000 per year.

 

Forensic dentist

What they do

Forensic dentists spend most of their time identifying dead bodies. When a body is found, the dentist looks at the teeth and checks the records of other dentists to try and discover who the person was. If they don’t find any information to match the dead person’s teeth, the forensic dentist has to build up a profile about them. This profile contains information such as their sex, age, height, weight, and diet. Forensic dentists often work closely with the police and they sometimes have to give evidence in court.

How to get a job

First, you need to do a degree in dentistry and after that, you can do a postgraduate course to become a forensic dentist, You have to work in a laboratory for many years until you are promoted to Head of department. The starting salary is between $ 69,000 to $ 146, 000 per year, but forensic dentists who go to court can earn up to $ 180,000.

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