Dragons’ Den sets fire to Windsor

By Sean Previl

From computer bits to doggy bites, Windsorites are showing their city is more than just a factory town — it’s a place of innovation.

The popular CBC television show Dragons’ Den held auditions at the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce Jan. 23 for startup business owners wanting their first big break.

Canada’s version of Dragons’ Den started in 2006, based on the international franchise that started in Japan. The show gives participants the chance to pitch ideas to a panel of investors in hopes of securing financing to grow their business.

Jane Chupick, 28, a producer for CBC’s show said holding auditions in cities across Canada shows the range of talent the country has to offer and ideas the Dragons rarely see.

“You’re going to see something completely different in Windsor than you’re going to see in Saskatoon,” said Chupick. “The needs of Windsor compared to the needs of people in Saskatoon means that people are developing businesses that are completely different.”

One such person with a new idea is Joe Latouf, 54, who pitched his Context Ordered Replacement Algorithm method used to secure data on computers. Latouf said he came to the auditions because of what the Dragons could provide him with.

“I have the expertise and the concept and the product for data security,” said Latouf. “But going from that stage to having contracts with the global marketplace, that’s where they would come in.”

Shawn Amerlinck, 48, owner of My Pet’s Butler, said he believes his business can get on the show because of the professionalism they show. His business is a professional pet-sitting business that employs registered veterinary technicians.

“We’ve certainly raised the bar for pet-sitting,” said Amerlinck. “It’s a professional pet-sitting business. We’re always in uniform, the company vehicle is always with us. It’s strictly professional.”

Michael-John Knoblauch, 40, Amerlinck’s business partner, said the benefit of a show like Dragon’s Den is the possibility of gaining more expertise for their business from professionals in the field.

“We know the concept. We know it works. We just need help in franchising the business,” said Knoblauch.

Chupick said if anyone is thinking of auditioning for Dragon’s Den, it’s important to prepare properly. She said the Dragons are not looking for boring presentations and with television, it’s important to not just talk about the business but show it in an interesting way.

“They hear so many business pitches and so if you want to grab their attention, you’re going to have to really convince them that you’re excited about your business,” said Chupick.