In tonight's episode both Joseph and Vana were trying to figure out a logo and name for their company and seemed to be struggling. However why didn't they think about this and plan a logo / name / video clip idea after they found out they were in the finals or maybe even before they joined the show?

I know nothing about business so I can't really talk, but can't they just write down ideas on paper. They know what their business plan is about (unlike in tasks where they are told the task on the day, so have to think of a new name on the spot) so couldn't they plan ahead of this?

Joseph took 3 hours to sort out his name, logo and design, but couldn't he have sketched out some designs before he joined the process, or days earlier in his free time?

I was just curious about this

I had the same thoughts myself - particularly in Vana's case, because her original business plan was the one she presented in the final.

Asked the same question / made the same point a few hours back when I watched them spending time deciding on graphics etc. If you've entered a contest like this most things, if not all, should have been sorted out in your head well before they've actually started

Surely you'd have an idea of your company's name and logo, maybe 1 or 2 in reserve just in case, for example. It's like the plans were sprung on them at the last moment and they're scratching their heads when it comes to putting a presentation together. Baffles me.

Since there are so many rules that arent shown on screen, maybe the candidates were told they had to think up an original logo for the final and not one already described in their business plans.

Hence why I mentioned earlier have 1 or 2 (logos) in reserve and have an inkling of a name for their business.

If that was the case then they could easily think one up and not tell anyone beforehand.

Vana, especially, should have done her research well before.

They probably weren't allowed to. In all the other tasks they don't seem to be able to work on it in the evenings so it's probably one of the many unspoken rules.

It seemed like part of the task was to create a new name for the business, hence Vanna changing hers from Play Date ( clearly described in the interviews ) to Date Play. Play Date is a much better name Imo and seems a bit detrimental to the concept to have to change the name if you've got a good name to start with. It was all a bit of a waste of energy anyway though as later SA said names etc can be changed and it wasn't going to affect his decision making. I agree they would def have more ideas in their heads re colours, logos, branding etc ...

It does seem odd to me that people like Richard and Vana would not have watched previous series and have some understanding of the process.

Richard's business set up had some parallels with Jordan's car crash, and Vana must have known that having additional investors would have been contrary to the basic principle of 50/50 partnership.

Remember Solomon from last year - with one page of his business plan being nothing but versions of the logo - and Claude throwing him out of the interview for doing that ??

I can imagine having a logo at the interview stage would be a big - no-no this year.
"And how long did you spend doing that ??"

As far as names go - I can imagine the production team do not bother to do searches on existing names until they get to the final - they assume the candidates would do some rudimentary searches on proposed names - and the interiewers will find out if they have not.

However, it may be that they also need to do searches internationally - like in Vana's case - which may take time and money so they will only do as late in the process as possible.

I think Play Date was a terrible name, because it is a thing parents arrange for their children when they are too young to arrange it themselves. You do not want your dating agency associated with child sex, not even remotely. Someone may have pointed that out to her, and so she made the minimal change. She didn't spend long on it.

Joseph was in a different position because his original franchise idea was scuppered. He was clearly making up his business on the fly. He couldn't have pre-planned a logo that mentioned being ecological sustainable, because he'd only just decided to do that. (And then changed his mind when it was too late to change the logo.)