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Digital Spy's Virtual Apprentice - Lord Stuart's Interview Thread


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Old 27-03-2013, 20:00
puppylove7
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I would sell them for £5 and I would employ a team of manufacturers to make the products. I included that I wished to make 100 of them on a trial period which would make me £500 which would help improve the product if I needed to.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:03
Stuart25
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I would sell them for £5 and I would employ a team of manufacturers to make the products. I included that I wished to make 100 of them on a trial period which would make me £500 which would help improve the product if I needed to.
You seem to be missing out costs. Selling 100 units wouldn't make you £500 at all, unless you have no labour or manufacturing costs, which you will.

Also, can you please describe the product. You mentioned that it will be sticky and carpeted, which? Sticky stuff and carpet don't go well together at all.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:05
puppylove7
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It would be sticky on the bottom to stick to the floor and carpeted on top so they are comfy for the dogs. I understands there would be costs but I believe I would get a big profit as all I need to make them are the materials.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:06
Stuart25
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I need to move on - I'd like to talk about your CV.

I'd like to applaud you on how well structured it is (compared to your business plan). However, it doesn't tell me anything about your business knowledge or any personal qualities at all.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:07
puppylove7
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Thank you. I hope it shows I am a team player and very hardworking which is good for starting a business with you. I have to get to places on time so have to be punctual and very reliable.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:08
Stuart25
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Thank you. I hope it shows I am a team player and very hardworking which is good for starting a business with you. I have to get to places on time so have to be punctual and very reliable.
It mentions that but does not state anything to do with business. Considering you were applying to win Virtual Apprentice, this is very disappointing.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:09
puppylove7
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I'm sorry. I hope my attributes holds me in good stead though and I hope you consider me.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:10
Stuart25
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Eliza, you seem like a promising individual but failed to show me your determination in your business plan and CV.

Please make your way to your final interview.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:11
puppylove7
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Thank you Lord Stuart. Bye.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:11
george.millman
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Good evening, Lord Stuart.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:12
Stuart25
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Good evening, Lord Stuart.
Please don't speak to me like that.

I've been reading your business plan, which is very well structured and very formal. Congratulations.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:13
george.millman
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Please don't speak to me like that.

I've been reading your business plan, which is very well structured and very formal. Congratulations.
Thank you so much, that means a lot.

May I ask how you did not wish me to speak to you? I thought I was quite polite. Was it the fact that I used a smiley? If it was, I apologise.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:13
Stuart25
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I picked up that you said that the "staff" will decide what to invest in.

Isn't this quite risky?
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:14
Stuart25
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Thank you so much, that means a lot.

May I ask how you did not wish me to speak to you? I thought I was quite polite. Was it the fact that I used a smiley? If it was, I apologise.
I would like to speak with a formal tone, not a friendly one.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:15
george.millman
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I picked up that you said that the "staff" will decide what to invest in.

Isn't this quite risky?
When looking for people to employ, I will make sure that I take on people who have the business experience to be able to make those decisions. I myself do not have that experience, so overall if I'm employing people who I can trust to know what is a good business plan and what isn't, I think that's less risky than doing it myself.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:17
Stuart25
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When looking for people to employ, I will make sure that I take on people who have the business experience to be able to make those decisions. I myself do not have that experience, so overall if I'm employing people who I can trust to know what is a good business plan and what isn't, I think that's less risky than doing it myself.
Speaking of having no experience, I have been reading your CV and there is no mention about business at all. It seems that you thought you were applying for a job at a drama school, not to win Virtual Apprentice, which, of course, is about business.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:20
george.millman
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Speaking of having no experience, I have been reading your CV and there is no mention about business at all. It seems that you thought you were applying for a job at a drama school, not to win Virtual Apprentice, which, of course, is about business.
You're right. I'm not very experienced in business, and it's not what I want to do with the rest of my life. Perhaps that is a weakness of mine which the other candidates don't have. I thought it was better to be honest than to try to make myself look more experienced in business than I actually am. I just have to hope that my business plan and my performance on the tasks is enough to convince you that I would be a worthy winner.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:21
Stuart25
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You're right. I'm not very experienced in business, and it's not what I want to do with the rest of my life. Perhaps that is a weakness of mine which the other candidates don't have. I thought it was better to be honest than to try to make myself look more experienced in business than I actually am. I just have to hope that my business plan and my performance on the tasks is enough to convince you that I would be a worthy winner.
Hmm, we'll have to see.

Talking about weaknesses, you've made it clear from the start you are very bad with numbers. However, do you not think it would have been just slightly clever to have included them in your business plan at all?

I saw nothing about investments/costs/salaries/charges.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:22
Stuart25
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Obviously figures are VERY important in a business plan.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:24
george.millman
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Talking about weaknesses, you've made it clear from the start you are very bad with numbers. However, do you not think it would have been just slightly clever to have included them in your business plan at all?

I saw nothing about investments/costs/salaries/charges.
Yes, I'm sure it would have been better, but I wasn't in a position to be able to do that. Firstly, it's a difficult kind of business to estimate figures for in the first place, and secondly I've only been working on this for the last few days since you asked me to. If I'd been working on this for a bit longer and possibly taken on a teammate who was good with figures it would probably look very different, but in the situation I was in, any figures that I had put in would have been blind guesswork. I thought a business plan that explained everything I am intending for and everything that I know would look more credible than one filled with obvious inaccuracies, which is what I know it would have become.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:24
Stuart25
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You are being very slow with responses.

Moving on - isn't your business idea slightly risky? I applaud you for taking the risk, but it could go bust very easily.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:25
Stuart25
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Yes, I'm sure it would have been better, but I wasn't in a position to be able to do that. Firstly, it's a difficult kind of business to estimate figures for in the first place, and secondly I've only been working on this for the last few days since you asked me to. If I'd been working on this for a bit longer and possibly taken on a teammate who was good with figures it would probably look very different, but in the situation I was in, any figures that I had put in would have been blind guesswork. I thought a business plan that explained everything I am intending for and everything that I know would look more credible than one filled with obvious inaccuracies, which is what I know it would have become.
I think a bad attempt is better than no attempt.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:26
george.millman
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You are being very slow with responses.

Moving on - isn't your business idea slightly risky? I applaud you for taking the risk, but it could go bust very easily.
Sorry, I'm going as fast as I can.

I think when you asked us to come up with a business plan, what I wanted to do was create something that I can imagine people using and most importantly, that I would use myself. My business plan contains an anecdote of a time that I would have used Juvenis. The way I saw it, if I wouldn't use it, how can I say that anyone would?
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:28
Stuart25
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Sorry, I'm going as fast as I can.

I think when you asked us to come up with a business plan, what I wanted to do was create something that I can imagine people using and most importantly, that I would use myself. My business plan contains an anecdote of a time that I would have used Juvenis. The way I saw it, if I wouldn't use it, how can I say that anyone would?
Anyway.

Reading your CV, you said you have the ability to "think outside the box". This quality clearly didn't help you in the television show task, which you majorly screwed up on.
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Old 27-03-2013, 20:30
george.millman
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Anyway.

Reading your CV, you said you have the ability to "think outside the box". This quality clearly didn't help you in the television show task, which you majorly screwed up on.
I know I messed up that task, but I think I have demonstrated that ability on other tasks. The airline meal task, for example. I was the one who suggested meat pie, because I knew that was unusual on airlines. If I hadn't done that, we would have had lasagne, which is a lot more of a cliche.
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