Dragons’ Den entrepreneur speechless after Deborah Meaden ‘makes worst negotiating decision ever’

You don’t last 20 years on Dragons’ Den without learning a thing or two about negotiation. 

Yet despite that, Deborah Meaden has just admitted to making one of the worst negotiating decisions she’s ever made in the Den. 

So what caused the self-made millionaire to lose her senses? Well, she was so impressed by one entrepreneur she just couldn’t help herself. 

Specifically, she was dazzled by entrepreneur Sam, who was seeking a £10,000 investment for a 2 per cent stake in his fashion business, Yes Friends.

What separates Sam’s business from other fashion chains, though, is that Yes Friends wants to prove that ethical clothing doesn’t need to be expensive.’

‘We’re on a mission to make ethical clothing affordable and transform the fashion industry,’ Sam explained.

Sam then shared that he started his company in 2021 with a sustainable and ethically produced £7.99 T-shirt, of which he sold 4,000 in just one month. 

Since then, he claims the company has worked to dispel the myth that it’s too expensive to run a successful fashion business ethically. 

After his pitch, Peter Jones immediately began to interrogate him on the mission, asking, ‘Isn’t this what every modern clothing brand does?’

However, Sam immediately corrected him, claiming: ‘The vast majority of brands aren’t doing that… the majority of brands aren’t paying living wages.’

Sam then explained that while factories claim to pay fair wages, if you compare that to benchmarks provided by the Global Living Wage Coalition, it will show they’re not paying a living wage. 

Deborah was immediately struck by the quality of the product and was further impressed by the company’s ethical mission and Sam’s knowledge of his business. 

‘I love absolutely everything that you do,’ she said. ‘That’s why I was interested to understand how deeply you went into it. So it’s one thing handing over cash; it’s another to make sure it goes into the payslips of the people you want it to go to. 

‘I am your perfect dragon, I have the audience you’re talking to, and I really want to be your investor,’ she continued. 

[I’ve] never sat here and been that open ever; it’s like the worst negotiating stance a Dragon could possibly take. Do you know what else I’m going to do, which is very un-dragonlike? You asked for £10,000 for 2 per cent of the business. I’m gonna offer you £20,000 for two per cent of the business.’ 

Unsurprisingly, given this praise, a rather stunned Sam decided to go with Deborah, even turning down a £30,000 offer from Touker Suleyman, who asked for 25% of the business. 

As he left the Den, Sam said he was ‘amazed’  at the offer, while Deborah explained she didn’t want to take a huge chunk of the business; she just wanted to make an ‘ethical investment’.

Dragons’ Den airs on Thursday at 8pm on BBC One.

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