You’re Fired!

Love it or hate it,  what can we learn from The Apprentice?  Personally, I love the BBC version of “The Apprentice“.  While Donald Trump’s original version is slick and  features a fierce mob of “beautiful people” competing for one high powered job working with The Donald,  the BBC version is much less glamorous, and not quite so high-powered.

Trump declares himself to be the most recognizable person on Earth, but has anyone outside the UK ever even heard of Sir Alan Sugar?  Was Richard Branson unavailable?  The B-Team mentality also applies to the candidates.  Where do they find these low-potentials?    The miserable failings of these hot-shot, wanabees as they attempt to master the simplest of tasks are astounding, so this B-rated version of the show is actually more entertaining.

Why is it worth watching?  Because it goes Back to the Basics of Business!  The participants each bring their own unique background, education, experience, skill set, and in some cases, impressive job titles to the show.  But when asked to set up a business with the complexity level equivalent to a child’s lemonade stand, they inevitably struggle to earn even a few pence in profits.  There are valuable lessons to be learned by anyone contemplating a new business venture.  The Apprentice also serves as a reality check for Business School Students and an endorsement for paying your dues as an apprentice in real life to gain practical first hand experience.

What woud a Dutch version of Apprentice be like ?  They would definitely elect a work council in the first episode and, of course, no one could actually be fired!

The final episode airs this evening on BBC 1 at 10:00 CET.   Don’t miss the aftershow “You’re Fired” on BBC 2 at 11:00, which is more entertaining than the actual show.  The winner will be chosen from the remaining Final Four candidates and I honestly don’t have a favorite.  I would be hard pressed to hire any of the 4, how about you?

Filed under Entrepreneurship, Just for fun |