BBC APPRENTICE- RECAP ON WEEK 10

SPOILER ALERT- WEEK 10

Ok, so we’re preparing for week 11 of the Apprentice, but I’ve just gathered my thoughts from week 10. So each week I’ll write a blog about the previous week. Do chime in with your thoughts in the comments!

Click here for the week 1 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 2 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 3 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 4 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 5 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 6 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 7 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 8 blog if you want to go back and read it.

Click here for the week 9 blog if you want to go back and read it.

The task of the baby food… and preparing for the final 5.

Here are a few of my reflections…

1.??????First time foodies. This reminds me of the task where they missed the ‘c’ in arctic. The branding was so far out, it read ‘first time dies’. You can’t imagine a more embarrassing muck up on a baby product. I’m not sure how they didn’t pick it up, and I’m not sure how they thought other’s might not. I genuinely thought this could have been the end of the road for Stephanie, but I think ultimately Lord Sugar made the right decisions this week. No one was safe, but we’ll come back to that later.

2.??????The product and packaging both matter. If a baby food product tastes awful, it doesn’t have potential to make money, it won’t be a viable business. If the packaging hints danger in the brand name (for example), or just doesn’t meet industry standards and professional expectations, people won’t even buy it once to try it, even if it’s a great product. So both matter hugely. Neither should be an after thought. It doesn’t matter if the product is physical or an experience, or even if you are the product in a creative industry. You need to get your product to be great. Equally, it doesn’t matter if it’s physical packaging around a product, or your branding, you need your ‘packaging’ to be great. Take the time that both require to get them right before you start trying to sell. On this topic, I’ve been seeing more and more students recently who throw their CV out to every shop in Canterbury, then come to us for help afterwards, when they wonder why they’re not getting jobs. PLEASE come to us beforehand – let us help you get the right packaging – your CV. We know the industry standards and expectations, and we can look over it like a recruiter might. It’s such a shame pointing out immediate spelling mistakes to a CV that’s already done the rounds. Get it right first, then distribute the new, wonderful (and individually tailored) versions.

3.??????I might be wrong, but I think it’s a record. Neither Apprentice team scored a single order, with either of the two pitches they did to different people. This is a low point, but it’s a learning point. One had better packaging, the other had a better product. Both probably needed tweaks, but had they all then gone on to work together, developing the best bit of their brand or recipe, this could have been a successful business (eventually!). Low points are often learning points. What’s not working with a system, product, offer, etc? Low points will happen, but if you make them learning points they’ll happen a lot less regularly than if you don’t. At the low point, make sure you have the (honest, sometimes brutal if required) feedback to start on the up. Don’t just surround yourself with friends and family who’ll support you unconditionally, even if you it’s rubbish. Make sure you have an industry mentor, or people around you who can constructively critique what’s not working, and maybe even a coach to help you ascertain what you need to unpick, and how to get going on a better path.

4.??????Ok, so we had a double firing. Actually, before we get to that, I’ve got to just add in some fact for a moment; The Apprentice now doesn’t find an apprentice, it finds a business partner, so that’s not technically correct. This is also meant to be a selection process, which means as yet they’re not hired, which means they can’t be fired. Minor frustrations to the inaccuracies there, but hey, we’ll go with it, I just wanted to ensure there was clarity in the madness of the language!

Back to that double firing… there were two losing teams, so one from each team needed to be fired. Aaron unfortunately appeared to panic with the food, and didn’t consider nutritional value or taste, and being the most experienced (by way of having children himself), it was a shame but it was right for it to be the end of the road for him. Akeem has been subject of Lord Sugars confusion for weeks; with highlights being given to his indecisive leadership and there being a lack of evidence as to his contributions, so it was right for it to be the end of the road for him too. However, that means…

5.??????We have a final four, not a final five as usual, and they’re all women! I think even when the Apprentice started back in 2005, an all-women final would have been entirely revolutionary. Now, it shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s a definite win. If you’re interesting about understanding more about the plight of women in the workplace, I hugely recommend following Mother Pukka and her #flexappeal campaign. She’s an extraordinary character, with a huge fight for fairness on her hands, and an inspirational ‘one to watch’ in this scope.

I can’t wait for tonight’s episode. The interviews are one of my favourite parts of this show; I feel nervous for them, but in the interview episode it feels like good business sense wins; no longer does shouty leadership and bitchy backstabbing triumph. Now, it’s all about making sure you’ve told the truth, and integrity and honesty and resilience and strong traits… how will they fair? Also, we get an insight to their business plans. Who has been a great candidate, but ultimately has an entirely flawed plan? The interviewers do some wonderful research and detective work, and they always uncover something to give us a gasp. Here’s hoping tonight they won’t let us down…!