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YYYooouuu CCCaaannn GGGeeettt IIIttt

IIIfff YYYooouuu RRReeeaaallllllyyy WWWaaannnttt Start your business, transform your life

Levi Roots

“I’ve often said that business is the new rock and roll, and if so the Levi Roots is

Elvis Presley!” Peter Jones

Levi Roots is a man of many talents: entrepreneur, musician

and cook. He gained fame after appearing on the BBC TV

series Dragons’ Den seeking funding for his Reggae Reggae

Sauce, which has now sold over 2 million bottles. Levi is also

the author of three successful cookbooks: his Reggae Reggae

Cookbook; Caribbean Food Made Easy (which was also a TV

tie-in for the prime-time BBC2 series of the same name); and

Levi Roots’ Food for Friends.

Following his incredible success, Levi reveals how he made it

and how others can do the same in his inspirational and upbeat

business book, You Can Get It If You Really Want. From

humble beginnings and a stint in jail, Levi has now reached

celebrity status and is a hugely successful business man. He

proves that if you want your dream enough, you can achieve it.

In this exclusive extract Levi explains how to make both

yourself and your business stand out from the crowd.

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CONTENT Foreword by Peter Jones CBE 6 GET READY TO GET STARTED 8 Feature : Levi’s Business Journey

1 WORKING OUT WHAT YOU WANT 24

Roots of success 1: Feel the power of the p-word – passion

2 WHAT’S STOPPING YOU GETTING STARTED? 42

Roots of success 2: Know your market – and never stop networking Feature : Providing the Right Support to Make Things Happen – Nadia Jones

3 WHAT’S IN A PLAN? 78

Roots of success 3: The plan is your key to success Feature : Levi’s Original Business Plan for Reggae Reggae Sauce

4 STARTING UP 98

Roots of success 4: Find yourself a mentor Feature : From An Investor’s Perspective

5 STANDING OUT – HOW TO MAKE YOUR MARK 130

Roots of success 5: Make yourself and your business special Feature : A Brand-New Dimension – Shah Khan

6 RISKY BUSINESS 160

Roots of success 6: Never be afraid to make mistakes Feature : How to Create Your Own Luck in Business –

Teja Picton Howell

7 THE TEAM – WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT 198

Roots of success 7: Surround yourself with like-minded people Feature : A Strong Team Makes a Successful Business –

Zaion Graham

8 ON THE MONEY 218

Roots of success 8: Focus on finance Feature : Making Everything Add Up –

Andrew Subramaniam

9 KNOW YOUR VALUE 246

Roots of success 9: Stay true to your values

10 BE IN IT FOR THE LONG TERM 258

Roots of success 10: Be in it for the long term Feature : Remember the Roots of Success

Further reading 274 Further resources 275

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***

Chapter 5 - Extract

Standing Out –

How To Make Your Mark

Roots of success 5: Make yourself and your business special

“It’s so nice I had to name it twice.

I called it Reggae Reggae Sauce.”

Levi Roots

Marketing a product or service is all about telling a story and telling it at the right time.

This involves getting a message across, engaging with people, and helping them to

understand clearly what you are telling them and why. Every time I talk about

Reggae Reggae Sauce or any of the other products in my brand range, I link it to my

Dragons’ Den story because many people felt a part of that experience, which makes

the brand more personal.

You can do this with your own brand, too. Explain it in a way that will draw other

people in and make them understand how it is relevant to them and their lives.

Whether you are opening a shop, developing a service, or manufacturing a product,

there is always a story and there is always something that will make you stand out

and make your business special. Building a brand is about building a lasting

relationship with those you do business with (your business partners or customers),

as well as your customers or end users. This chapter covers how to build a brand

and how to make your pitch, and offers broader guidance on how to use marketing to

make yourself and your business special.

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BUSINESS IS A TRUE PERFORMANCE

In Jamaica we talk about “fixing up your shop”, which means making the best of

yourself. No matter how humble your beginnings, there is no excuse for not

appearing clean and fresh and smartly turned out. This is especially true for one-man

bands and people who are operating on a small scale. All you have to represent your

company is yourself and your brand. You have to make that shine.

Every time you go out and represent your company, you must be ready to give your

best, even if you‟re not feeling particularly on form. You have to present at 100 per

cent always because you‟re always on show.

You are your brand or products. People invest in people. Whatever you are trying to

sell, you have to sell yourself with it. The ways you dress, speak, communicate with

other people, and so on, portray a message. Every time you choose what to wear or

open your mouth to say something, you are representing your business and your

brand. It is important to remember that. Even when you are relaxing, you are still on

show. Who knows who you might meet on the train or when you are socializing that

could open up a whole new strand of business opportunities? Make sure that

whomever you meet will want to be associated with you and what you have to offer.

You have to stay true to your best self at all times.

As mentioned earlier, your foot always has to be on the accelerator. There is a bright

and positive reason for this. If you‟re at your best, it means that you will already

be prepared and ready for the next opportunity when it presents itself. You won‟t

have to stop to think about it.

‘Lively up yourself’

On Dragons’ Den, my pal Peter Jones has a pet hate. He gets profoundly irritated by

people who come on the show dressed casually or in jeans. He feels so strongly

about this that if some guy is not wearing a tie Peter won‟t invest in a perfectly good

business opportunity worth millions of pounds. “Come on!” you might say, “What is

that about?” It‟s about Peter‟s personal values and his business identity. Because it

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won‟t be Peter who has blown the opportunity – it will be the guy who didn‟t think

about what Peter is looking for. Peter Jones wants everyone and everything

associated with his brand to be a good representation of his company, and he will

look to reinforce that with every investment. His investments have to reflect him –

and that‟s why he will invest. He‟ll want you to be a brand ambassador for his name.

Wherever I go, I represent Peter. I am an extension of him and the group of

companies he has worked so hard and for so long to build up. The opposite applies,

too: he is doing that for me. When he talks about the Reggae Reggae companies, it

has to be in the same way as I would talk about them. The core message about the

sunshine flavours of the Caribbean and putting music in your food has to be the

same, whether he says it or I do. You have to be consistent. The way you speak and

the way you represent the brand are very important.

MAKING YOUR PITCH

That brings me on to making your pitch. The day I met the Dragons with my guitar

and my song, I put on a performance of a lifetime. Everything I had ever learned

during my musical career came together for me at that moment. When I walked up

those stairs, I wasn‟t performing to Peter Jones and his Dragon colleagues – in my

mind I was performing to a packed crowd at Wembley stadium. I knew that I needed

to put on an Oscar-winning performance to win them over. No performance before or

since has ever been as nerve-racking – but I know that every performance in a

business meeting is just as important. I treat all business people with the same

amount of respect as I did the Dragons. I prepare more thoroughly these days as well

because my figures very nearly let me down that day.

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Preparation and planning

One of the reasons that so many people fail when they go on Dragons’ Den is

because they haven‟t fully prepared. I didn‟t really know the format of the show, but

believe me when I say that I thought my pitch had been well rehearsed. I had written

my song at the same time as my business plan; I had been cooking up a business in

my kitchen long before the day I tried to win over those hard-nosed business

tycoons; and I had pitched for funding more times than I can remember. But I nearly

blew it – because I hadn‟t learned my numbers off by heart.

When I asked for the investment of £50,000 in exchange for 20 per cent of my

business, I backed that up by telling them that I had got a very nice order from a

meat company in Yorkshire for 2½ million litres of sauce. I had taken the confirmation

letter with me, too, as part of the „due diligence‟ process.

Dragon number one, Deborah Meaden, wanted to know about my plans for the

investment and whether I had taken advice on how to produce the sauce in the

volume.

I was talking about. I told her that I would rent premises for £25,000 and hire the

necessary equipment. She didn‟t agree with the strategy, and so I knew that she

would be out.

Dragon number two, Duncan Bannatyne, hadn‟t even tried the sauce, so I didn‟t hold

out much hope there.

But Richard Farleigh had been tapping his toes to my song, and as Dragons go,

number three looked friendly – though I will never forget the cold feeling around my

heart when I heard him say, “There is something I don‟t understand… You‟ve got an

order for 2½ thousand kilos of sauce. That is not 2½ million litres, that is 2½

thousand litres.”

I got very confused. “That‟s 250,000 litres isn‟t it?” But it wasn‟t. It was 2,500 litres. 1

kilo = 1 litre. Oh dear.

Then they said, “You‟re getting £6.50 per litre?”

I confirmed that I was. That was about £130,000 per year.

A big difference from what I had suggested. Deborah and Duncan were out.

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Theo Paphitis‟s next words cut through me like a knife: “That letter is not an order –

and it is a hugely difficult and complicated business to get into major supermarkets…

you’ve got very little hope.” Dragon number four went fast.

At that moment I thought it was all over. I could see my spirit hovering above my

body, slain by Dragons and lying on the floor of the television studio.

But Peter had reread the letter and noticed that 2,500 litres was the initial

requirement. Thereafter there was a potential order for 500 kilos per week. The dawn

was breaking. Richard noted that was a potential 25,000 kilos a year – which was a

turnover of more than £160,000.

“You would probably admit that your business skills need a little bit of help,” said

Richard. Well, that was certainly true. Fortunately for me, he was starting to see a

spark of potential.

Then Peter spoke up. “To try and range one product is nearly impossible,” he said,

pausing dramatically. “But I like impossible challenges! I don‟t know whether it‟s the

sauce that I have just taken, or what I am about to say…” What was he about to say?

“I will offer you half the money – for 20 per cent.” Peter‟s promise to call the CEO of

Sainsbury‟s, clinched the deal and made up Richard‟s mind. Richard put up the rest

of the money for another 20 per cent.

I took a little moment at the back of the hall to consider my options. I had come into

the Den to bargain with 20 per cent of my business for £50,000. They wanted to give

me the money – but they wanted 40 per cent of the business, which was more than I

wanted to give away. Always be careful when you negotiate terms – because the

other person will always want more than you are willing to give. Know what your high

and low points are – before you begin to bargain.

While I stood there, weighing up my options, something that my mother had said to

me came back to me: “It‟s better to have less of a business that is going somewhere

fast than to have 100 per cent of something that is going nowhere.” Sixty per cent of

something backed by two millionaire investors could turn into quite a lot. It became

an easy decision to make. Money could not buy the worth of the expertise that Peter

has given to the business since then. Money couldn‟t have paid for the value of

Richard saying, “Yes, I am going to invest” on national TV. The extra 20 per cent that

I had to give away bought me an extra Dragon – and overnight recognition for my

brand.

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In spite of all that, when I watched the episode back at home with my family the next

day, we were still not sure whether I would win the deal!

Peter Jones said something else to me that day: “I like you, Levi, and I think that your

sauce is great, too. I wouldn‟t buy [it] if it wasn‟t you selling it to me.” That was quite

something to hear because it was a reminder that people (even Dragons) always buy

from people. So brush off your charisma and polish up your likeability factor.

Remember that you are your brand – and anything is possible.

I‟S T]

OP TIPS FOR MAKING A WINNING PITC

Levi’s Top Tips For Making A Winning Pitch

• Know your USP.

• Practise getting your core message across clearly in less than one minute.

• Know your numbers and learn the lingo. If you are asked questions, you

need to be able to answer them knowledgeably.

• Think about what you may be asked, and be prepared.

• Look smart.

• Breathe and relax.

• Speak slowly – and pause between points – to give people time to absorb

what you are saying.

• If you lose your way, stop and ask a question to give yourself thinking time.

• Invite questions and listen carefully to what people have to say.

• Give yourself time to think before you answer.

• Stay calm and polite at all times. Avoid becoming challenging or defensive.

• Know what deal you will agree to before the negotiation begins.

• Be honest.

• Be true to yourself.

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Check details ahead of time

These days, my team and I will go over every detail before we pitch to a customer,

and we send the paperwork in advance, so that if there are any queries they can be

raised ahead of the main meeting. You can be sure that I make sure I know

the figures – and I will take someone with me who is better versed in maths than I will

ever be.

Get everything together in advance. This is a day for paying attention to the details

and being prepared. Don‟t leave anything to chance.

• Be sharp-suited with polished shoes. You don‟t need to be wearing designer

labels to make a good impression, but you need to make sure there is not a

crease out of place.

• Get your hair trimmed if you need to. Now is not the time for the holiday look.

• If you are travelling any distance, book your travel tickets or taxi in advance,

or plan your driving route.

• Take the name, address, contact number, and a map with you. You don‟t

want to risk being late because you headed the wrong way down the road.

• Give yourself plenty of time. If you know that you leave things to the last

minute or that you are always rushing, add an hour to your journey time. And

leave on time.

• Get everything ready the night before. Have your presentation materials

ready and in a folder, make sure your clothes are sharp, and put everything

from your keys to your mobile phone together so that you don‟t forget

anything.

• Make sure you know your figures inside out – you will need to be able to

answer questions quickly and without rustling lots of papers.

***

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YYYooouuu CCCaaannn GGGeeettt IIIttt

IIIfff YYYooouuu RRReeeaaallllllyyy WWWaaannnttt

Start your business, transform your life

Levi Roots

Buy now from