This week marks the first in a 5 part series we will be doing on “The Canadian Dragons”. Dragon’s Den is one the most talked about TV shows among Entrepreneurs & Investors. 5 of Canada’s most savvy business minds form a panel of potential investors who are ready to share their cash and their knowledge with up and coming business people, from all walks of life!
Part 1 is my feature on Arlene Dickenson, the only female dragon currently on the panel.
Self-made successful Canadian entrepreneur Arlene Dickinson knows firsthand that being successful in any business takes perseverance, confidence and a bit of luck. “I think it’s really hard for entrepreneurs that are just starting out to get their idea in front of the right type of people. Any time as an entrepreneur, you can get in a room with experienced investors or entrepreneurs who have been very successful, I think that that’s an opportunity to test your own acumen and the validity of your idea, and you should take that opportunity.”
That’s exactly what Dickinson did when put in a position to test her innate talent for marketing. At the age of 19, Dickinson was married, caring for four young children and working to put her husband through college. A career was the farthest thing from her mind. With no college education, Dickinson worked various administrative jobs. But it was a job in public relations and media that uncovered her hidden talent in marketing and put her on the track to business success.
Dickinson continued to follow her talent, despite many obstacles, including a divorce, no formal education in the marketing field and a lack of funds. Numerous professionals discouraged her from starting a marketing communications firm because so many already existed. But Dickinson persevered and she and a partner founded Venture Communications in 1988 with a vision far different from all the other marketing firms.
Traditionally, corporations had viewed marketing as an expense. But Dickinson saw it as an integral part of a company’s bottom line. With the marketing industry cool to the ideas Dickinson envisioned, she set out to prove that marketing tactics could deliver measurable results and enhance profits, revenue, market share, shareholder equity and customer retention.
A pioneer of performance-based marketing strategies, Dickinson subscribes to the theory that a good idea that provides real value can translate into business success. “For the young entrepreneur, the most essential requirement is a good idea. That’s still all it takes to find business success. Don’t lose heart. A good business plan will make its way eventually.”
Dickinson became the sole owner of Venture Communications in 1998, with a goal of growing her business beyond Calgary, Canada. Once again, Dickinson ignored the critics and successfully established a national marketing communications firm, with offices in Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton. Today, Venture Communications is one of the largest independent marketing companies in Canada and Dickinson serves as its president and CEO.
From her experience in starting and growing a business, Dickinson knows full well how difficult it is for start-up companies to get funding. But she also believes that securing investors is not the sole factor to success. “I think that there are lots of times when investment will make a significant difference in a company. You need to know, as the entrepreneur of the company, whether you require those other resources whether they be financial or business advice resources.”
As I mentioned earlier, Dickinson is one of the Dragons on the hit Canadian television show Dragon’s Den, which provides budding entrepreneurs the avenue to pitch their business ideas before Arlene and the other panel members. She sees many aspiring business people with good vision, but emphasizes the secret to success. “A vision on its own is never enough. You need to have a vision that’s executed and the only way you can execute a vision is by having others help you and believe. You have to be visionary and practical. You have to be able to champion people to your point of view. You need to believe in yourself, but you really need somebody else to believe, to convince somebody else to believe with you or you’re not a good entrepreneur.”
What do you think of Arlene Dickinson? I would really love to hear your comments – Oh yeah, and just a quick mention – you can Follow Arlene Dickenson on Twitter !
Adam Toren
