“You’ve Maligned Every Man Who Does Building Work” | Dragons’ Den

Hafida Sarachi started her business HandyGirl after she had had enough of broken promises from incompetent tradesmen who did lousy work on her own home. Hafida seeks an investment of £84,000 in return for a 15% equity stake, but how will this be franchisable?
An international sensation, Dragon's Den features entrepreneurs pitching for investment in the Den from our Dragons, five venture capitalists willing to invest their own money in exchange for equity.
#DragonsDen #HandyGirl

[@Anna.T.]

‘Men don’t keep promises’ is an equivalent to ‘All Spanish are dishonest’ from the crazy olive lady.

[@3umphbywill313]

@Anna T. Yeah I agree with you Anna! I saw that episode!

[@ashleybrooke2087]

It also implies women do keep promises & I don't need that pressure on me

[@Anna.T.]

@@ashleybrooke2087 LOL

[@Mogamishu]

But you are a man-hating feminist. Why are you being critical of her? Where is your girl power?

[@Mogamishu]

@@ashleybrooke2087 at least you keep your promise to love, adore and worship tall white men.

[@Voicist]

"I'm not maligning men, I'm just saying they are unsafe to be around, untidy, and untrustworthy" - a woman, asking for money from men.

[@Miltz69]

I know right LOL. Correct response "There's nothing wrong with men, I'm catering to a market that would prefer women specifically for x reason" Wrong response "well some men are untrustworthy, unreliable....." But please give me money........

[@wvrjl]

Yeah, that was a BAAAD answer, although bringing an unknown man into a single woman's house IS risky. It's a REAL, valid risk, and him pretending that it isn't tics me off. That being said, she was unqualified, ill prepared, and put the cart waaay before the horse.

[@wvrjl]

@@Miltz69 - Yes, "... but please give me money, panel of mostly men." Didn't think that one through. SMH.

[@Mogamishu]

@@wvrjl it is never risky if the man is tall and white.

[@m77ast]

Hahahaha - I’m not there yet. Is that what she said 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

[@ericageissman]

If men are intrinsically violent and untrustworthy, what's stopping a man from hiring this service for the primary purpose of having a woman alone in their home?

[@horrowwatcher]

Well the only thing i'll give this sexist lady is she did say th etarget demographic for the business was single moms,elderly (porbably 100% female) And another one i forgot. She was so forgettable lol.

[@KingStr0ng]

That's such a good point. Her logic is destroyed so quickly with that. Also, why is she going up to get investment from *a bunch of men!!?!?* Very *VERY* hypocritical. She has no principles and is only driven by greed. I would immediately be out.

[@pinoarias8601]

@@horrowwatcher I actually believe this to be a very good niche, if I was a small woman living alone, I would feel much more comfortsble having a woman be my plumber.

[@HaneeFannee]

They would probably refuse to provide a service to male customers. If it ever took off, it would be a law suit waiting to happen.

[@1ma4ighter]

didn't even think about this!

[@Tyrellbateman]

She could’ve spun this so differently. Like she literally said ‘one time a male came over to work and it made me uncomfortable’ but didn’t follow up on it. She shouldn’t have said ‘men are untrustworthy so hire us!’ She should’ve been like: “there’s an increase in single women living alone, these women more often than not don’t feel comfortable having an unknown male in their house to do handywork even when necessary. With our all female staff, we offer that demographic peace of mind while charging enough to make our business viable.”

[@HyperMario64]

That would have been a great value proposition

[@durkadinaydinliphotography]

Totally right there, well said.

[@moredots]

I think that business still would have fallen apart under scrutiny (where does your workforce come from? How are they certified? Is the market opportunity big enough to pay the overhead of managing this company? What is the benefit for the tradesperson?), but at least it would have been building on a clear value proposition and market need. As such I still don't know if she was proposing to do "handyman" work, or if it was just painting and decorating.

[@c.m.9369]

Yep. Completely agree! There was another pitch like this, where two ladies proposed a construction business with a higher than average number of female construction workers. Not necessarily a bad idea! There ARE legitimate reasons why some people might want to hire female workers! Deborah seems to get it. But in BOTH of these cases, these presenters come in and present the thing from an entirely sexist angle! It's such a dumb approach!

[@malbarlow4991]

@@c.m.9369 yeah! imagine a man doing that

[@mr.coolmug3181]

I love Duncan. He looks pissed off before the pitch has even finished.

[@dronespace]

😂

[@rscott2247]

I like how he confronts her right off the get go !

[@233kosta]

I think that's just his face

[@paweduda7467]

before it even started! :D

[@arthurmorgan8529]

Duncan can smell a crap investment a mile off tbf

[@rubikspixel]

She’s totally been through ‘evolution solutions’ and ‘evolve through training’s’ academies 😂

[@rickysmyth]

Yeah that's the entrepreneur who was out of breath climbing one staircase yet wanted women to do a physical job xD

[@wvrjl]

@@rickysmyth - I think a large part of that was nerves. Her voice was shaking the whole time.

[@chrisdawe3027]

Lol classic. ‘I’ve heard worse’ 🤣🤣🤣

[@simpleasliam657]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mimad4923]

Lmaoooooo

[@MrBrad12435]

She got thoroughly dismantled on every aspect of this pitch, damn.

[@Voicist]

The sad thing is, she's not qualified to put herself back together...

[@troo_story]

@Travel Crawl Bannatyne

[@badgasaurus4211]

@@troo_story no pantomime

[@TraXXXtar]

Dunkin Ball 'n' Thyme

[@MrBrad12435]

@@Voicist hahaha

[@dangraham3361]

Deborah is so well mannered and polite, but so brutally honest at the same time. Such a classy individual.

[@TehDawg]

I do agree she is in the modern episodes, peters much more pleasant and cool too, but honestly in the first few series Peter and Deborah were insufferable in my opinion, they’re totally different characters now.

[@sammyleet03]

I agree, Deborah is easily one of my favourite dragons

[@Mithos103]

She sounds like she's about to cry the whole time while being a sexist. Impressive

[@cashnelson2306]

when you definitely know what sexism is

[@horrowwatcher]

@@cashnelson2306 Sexism is discriminating/excluding against somebody for their gender. Just as she was doing by excluding men. Sexism. Simple really,since the term has been dumbed down by feminists with nothing better to do than hate on men. Y'know...those guys that keep everything running,and sewers clean,and emptying your trash,building your homes,bridges and roadways.

[@lucasc5622]

@@cashnelson2306 explain what sexism is

[@diddlenfiddle7311]

She just sounds like she's had a bad experience to me.

[@brentfu1119]

Impressive? I would say typical.

[@MrMakeDo]

I think there is a market for female tradespeople but she’s not selling it well. Maligning men is not the way to do it.

[@chinmayravindrashah]

Case in point: an old episode of two ladies who tried to start a “crusade” (Debra’s word) by “alienating” (Peter’s word) men in their construction training business. Not only did they suffer from fallacious approach, but they weren’t taken seriously because it didn’t matter to anyone on the panel.

[@felador5959]

Maybe "Handypeople" and advertise as a company for all that treats every man and woman equally. But then my thought is, this is just a bandage over a widespread problem. The best thing to do is to actually campaign for change across all handy-businesses.

[@rayjaymor8754]

@@chinmayravindrashah thing is, as awful as their pitch was: at least they were qualified tradespeople! This lady has nothing at all...

[@khalidazhar101]

Exactly 💯

[@IAmTheJayster]

She gave some decent reasons during her pitch why women are better sometimes, gets to the questioning and decides to abandon that reasoning

[@L.C.Sweeney]

She has literally no idea about painting and decorating. I've never seen a painter and decorator with a carpenter's tool belt and tools.

[@CubicSpline7713]

~Just props to make her look "professional"

[@ForbiddenFollyFollower]

@@CubicSpline7713 In the end the tool belt misrepresented what the work actually entailed and the "dragons" thought her business would have more legal problems than they actually would.

[@hansiesma16]

She wasn't presenting herself as a decorator'. A handyman is a Jack of all trades, and usually a master of none. Any trade can own a tool belt, and wear a bib n' braces.

[@L.C.Sweeney]

@@hansiesma16 she never mentioned any other work than painting and decorating. Her whole business relied on P&D and maybe the odd fix-up. I've worked as a P&D and have worked with very good ones and I can tell you that having a tool belt would be entirely pointless. And, that is a carpenter's tool belt. Why would she need a hammer clip for painting? And why would you use a tool belt for a wet brush? People would laugh at you on a site if you whipped out a tool belt to decorate.

[@hansiesma16]

@@L.C.Sweeney She’s calling herself a Handy Girl, not a painter and decorator. Her presentation was crap but use what knowledge you have to interpret what she does on a daily basis. Handiwork in the house or garden that doesn’t require professional expertise.

[@chinmayravindrashah]

Reminded me of those two ladies who wanted to disrupt the construction industry by training women for construction jobs. That one was too hilarious to be taken seriously even if the pitchers wanted everyone to.

[@lulugu3]

For sure! Jude and Chrissy! That has to be my favourite bad pitch of all time!! 😆

[@chinmayravindrashah]

@@lulugu3 haha absolutely. They went from struggling babies to woke crybabies in like 2 deep huffs.

[@tinderella2386]

There was also a business pitched on the den that was a female only moving company

[@TheMrsnikkisixx]

@@tinderella2386 Van Girls!! :D

[@cekojuna6930]

@@lulugu3 Tbf, Jude is fine and not part of the problem as she just pitched. Chrissy on the other hand brought the whole thing down herself and is part of the problem and just preached.

[@franklynpatterson3265]

I am surprised that they didn't sink teeth deeper into her lack of training/licensure issue. Having unqualified, untrained workers in people's homes is dumb and dangerous, and there is no insurance company that would touch her.

[@johnirwin2163]

Bet shes been dumped

[@Paul.V.24]

Is it just me or did she sound like she was on the verge of bursting into tears during each and every sentence that she spoke?

[@harissonjones2670]

Yeah me too😂. But that's just how she sounds. Tell you what , I would love to have a woman with a soft voice like that.

[@HomestarCrawler]

Definitely. I got used to it after a while, but at the beginning I thought she was crying.

[@shariqahmad3088]

@@harissonjones2670 it's not the sound that gets to you, it's the words

[@Pugetwitch]

@@harissonjones2670 I would have holes punched throughout every wall in the house if I had to live with that. I already have two toddlers, def don't need another one. Thank God my voice sounds like Lil Kim's!

[@finjakke]

@@harissonjones2670 Soft voice? Sounds like nails on a chalkboard.

[@matthewmbonu3159]

Imagine if she called her "advocate" and Chrissy walked out the lift lmao 🤣

[@malbarlow4991]

that would be worth watching lol

[@swededude1992]

There's nothing wrong with men! Next breath: Men don't stick to their promices.

[@anubusx]

lol!!!!

[@ForbiddenFollyFollower]

Gender stereotypes are sometimes good. I think the "dragons" were too anal about the equality logic because she right, women like women only spaces.

[@billybollockhead5628]

"Theres nothing wrong with women" "just dont to ask them to do anything a few days of each month"

[@sheo3394]

@@ForbiddenFollyFollower then don't expect men to invest in those spaces

[@pinkkfloydd]

@@ForbiddenFollyFollower There's a way to say some women would prefer to not be alone in a house with an unknown man than, "Men don't keep promises."

[@vanessac1721]

She was nicer than that other lady construction business (well, the one lady out of the duo was insane) which rubbed the Dragons the wrong way. Shame.

[@chinmayravindrashah]

Her (wrt duo episode) last words were “I have had worse” to which Duncan had replied “If you have had worse and keep hearing this every time, try going in without a chip on your shoulder.” It was brutally hilarious.

[@outerheaven1000]

i thought here we go again

[@rayjaymor8754]

If she had their qualifications (or if they had her personality) it would be a winning combo for sure.

[@simplybass9403]

“Well we are women aren’t we” 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@hiimjustin8826]

She was nicer but fell into the same pit.

[@Meekahel]

She could have put it differently, but saying men are unsafe and untrustworthy is just cringe and sexist. I love Duncan for pointing it out. Sexism isn't one way, it goes both way and both sexes are guilty of sexism. It reminds me of a local feminism leader (I have nothing against feminism when it is modest and fair). She claimed that all men are potential rapist... misandry is just as real as misogyny.

[@sploofmcsterra4786]

I see what you're saying, but also inviting someone into your home who is that much more powerful than you could be really uncomfortable for some women. We can't keep being so general in these discussions. But yeah I don't think she went the right way about it either.

[@shobhitgupta2738]

@@sploofmcsterra4786 ok then try solving problems on your own.

[@TheNatos]

@@sploofmcsterra4786 right, because its totally different than say, someone getting a "handygirl" to go to the home of someone bigger and more powerful than her. Or are you saying that only women will be allowed to use the service? Your logic is flawed either way.

[@dranzerjetli5126]

She isn't wrong. All people are potential criminals too. Potential being the key word

[@WobblesandBean]

There was nothing wrong with a service that offers clients the option of hiring a woman to do this work. I myself have been assaulted by a contractor, and I would feel much more comfortable if I knew I could hire a woman. If she'd said she offers a choice, I think it'd have gone over well. The dragons even said it was a good idea, but the execution was awful.

[@IAmTheJayster]

"Men don't keep promises" She gave reasons why women are better in certain situations during her pitch, why on earth did she come out with that?

[@carlhartwell7978]

Clearly because (despite her protestations to the contrary) she's a misandrist.

[@wvrjl]

IKR?!

[@troo_story]

@@carlhartwell7978 she's not. She just hates men.

[@carlhartwell7978]

@@troo_story I don't know what I was thinking, you're so right!

[@rossw2243]

I blame modern feminism for this

[@thanumgaming]

Being a tradesman for over 20 years, I found this highly entertaining! The Dragons nailed it as usual.

[@Praaggzz]

Haha see what you did there

[@3umphbywill313]

@Thanum Gaming...Ha ha ha ha! You said "nailed it ...!"🤭

[@troo_story]

@@3umphbywill313 🙄

[@jamesd5767]

@@3umphbywill313 why are you assuming all tradesnen use nails?

[@3umphbywill313]

@@jamesd5767 I don't know what tradesnen are however on any account, it was a play of words that I found funny.

[@timtam6442]

Duncan’s ex-wife shouting “you didn’t stick to your promises!’

[@HalfbreedTrini]

OOf😂

[@anubusx]

Damn!!!!

[@goalltheway-pm8xs]

Lucky for her, he didn't...cost him 100s off millions....

[@seancharlie8476]

What could go wrong??, Random women with no training or knowledge paying a big fee to this lady, then charging people to go and wreck their homes 🙄🤯🙈

[@shxnx3646]

Hahahahaha

[@Zerg435]

And when the job is botched, all she has to say is "He winked at me", and nobody dares to hold her accountable for her work.

[@braydenlinthicum373]

The funny thing is that this is where the world is heading....diversity hires just to make things diverse......very dangerous

[@HeliosX28]

@@Zerg435 they're not servicing men, so I would be like what man? You only service women... 😶

[@green_firefly]

I'm thoroughly confused by this. Here I see a woman in construction workers clothes, but she offers something else, like painting and styling. What does that have to do with construction? Also, if someone does construction work in my home, they really need to have done the appropriate apprenticeship for that. But, yet again, she offers only painting? Btw, painting also is quite the craft and needs to be learned well. And her ladies don't have any training? So, basically, they're advanced hobbyists which means that it'll cost me much more in the end than having gone directly to a professional. I really am confused by this pitch.

[@pinkfakecheez]

She accidentally did a sexism on herself by falling into the "women can't do work that's too physical and dirty, they can only do menial tasks and make things look pretty. If they actually did do all the things male builders do it would make them look less feminine and put our potential customers off... somehow... even though our target audience are people who wouldn't care about a woman doing "unwomanly" things, that's why they hired a woman" I still don't quite understand why she's trying to sell to elderly people either, they're probably more likely to find getting a woman in to be unthinkable. And I'm not even touching the fact that it sounds like there'd be no need for qualifications or certification, and she has no idea that she'd need to vet people before letting them represent her. Like there aren't thousands of cases every year where old people get robbed because they're too overly trusting of people who come to the door claiming to be a workman/from the council/etc. and take them at their word.

[@devcrom3]

Do you not paint with a hammer?

[@somemong989]

We're all confused.

[@kinga6606]

She believed in "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have" maybe hahaha :D

[@mixmastermaverick3336]

If I hear the word "ethos" one more time.

[@3umphbywill313]

@Mix Master Maverick...Dear lord! I said the same thing OUT LOUD! If she had said it ONE...MORE...TIME...my head would have exploded!🤯

[@AlphaCentauri24]

You are like, "Say 'ethos' one more time. I dare you. I double dare you!" 😂

[@markferguson3745]

One of those terms like " unpacking", where I immediately stop listening.A grifter word.

[@bastiaan19948]

@@markferguson3745 what about dialog? "We need to have the dialog about ....." I hate that sentence

[@danbaker5771]

Theo path ethos

[@eleshapimentel8389]

I know it's small, but I like how the dragons always introduce themselves before they speak. I think it's cool how they don't just expect people to know who they are because they're dragons.

[@g-stergaming4502]

well that's not true now is it to be fair, I mean its general curtsey and the dragons DO expect you to know them and backgrounds etc, its called business research

[@elobiretv]

it's crazy how many people haven't even looked them up before they arrive though

[@geraldineangelamurray3001]

Mostly they don't introduce themselves

[@friendlypiranha774]

"...the type of work we do, minor painting and decorating... " but has a hammer, screwdriver and tape measure in her apron

[@TheMrsnikkisixx]

and wearing a hard hat!!!

[@SamTheEnglishTeacher]

How would you hang a mirror or painting? With your hands?

[@Andrew-1828]

@@SamTheEnglishTeacher it’s more that certain tools aren’t required for certain tasks. I’ve had my house painted, and the men didn’t have hard hats on. Her pitch seems to be more focused on painting and such, so her equipment doesn’t fit the pitch. That’s my interpretation of the original comment

[@kinga6606]

The hammer is to fluff the pillows :P

[@elvickRULES]

Then later says that’s not all they do. But that’s all you said 😭

[@wildnfree101]

I like how Duncan, let her down gently before saying he is out!

[@carlhartwell7978]

Yeah, very balanced perspective from Duncan 😂

[@youremumgay710]

At least she’s a little more likeable than the evolution solutions duo

[@shockmaster1929]

lol , those women were a cluster

[@tombstonerforever9374]

Only one of them was unlikable, the other was bearable

[@halfsourlizard9319]

At least she didn't provide abundant evidence that she thinks that 5% of one thing + 15% of a completely different one = 20%

[@4farhan4]

10:25 "You've valued your company at four hundred and seventy six thousand pounds pre money raising. I value it at about four hundred and seventy six thousand pounds less than that--about nothing! So I'm out." My God. What a burn. LOL.

[@anneke06]

Oof. That was a train wreck. I believe had she rethought her pitch as a basis for women to enter a male dominated trades oppose to undermining the industry, she could had possibly gotten a better outcome than what was thrown at her. Also, her concept of a trades person was more of a decorator.

[@sploofmcsterra4786]

Yeah exactly. Putting it as a second option (which she did do later) is the way to go. It's risky as a business to be making controversial claims unless you have a strong movement backing you up.

[@petrosanagnostou1987]

I think her will to state that men are untrustworthy overpowered her will to start a business.

[@ogolthorp]

@@benjamins8641 there legitimately are women who are victims of abuse and feel more comfortable with strangers in their home being women. But that group of people is too small to be a market for a business.

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

She literally has amateurs working for her, she even admitted it

[@vault2277]

Gosh, this was difficult to watch. She got torn apart. Didn't do herself any favours by maligning most men though.

[@vanessac1721]

Yeah, she should have just focused on the security/fear/comfort aspect. E.g. saying victims of trauma might be less keen on strangers in their homes and females might make them more comfortable.

[@tinderella2386]

@Vanessa Clouston even still you Do realise that’s incredibly insulting to the majority of men who are good men. You do know what collective group punishment is don’t you. Imagine men in your life you do care about like your father, brothers, uncles, grandads, boyfriend, and then missing out on work because women felt more comfortable not employing them just because they’re men?

[@rohilthomson]

@@tinderella2386 I'm a dude but I disagree with you. A woman who has had trouble or trauma from men is well within her rights to not want a male stranger entering her house. This pitch could've gone way differently coz I understand where she's coming from but she screwed it up big time.

[@chrisg8321]

@@rohilthomson .... So you disagree that grpup punishment is a bad thing?... So its ok for people to treat you badly just due to your gender?... Perhaps try reading what you claim to disagree to.

[@rohilthomson]

@@chrisg8321 no it's not group punishment. A customer wanting a certain kind of service does not make it a punishment for people who are not offering that particular service. If you go to a Chinese restaurant tomorrow but don't go to the Indian restaurant opposite the street coz you don't like Indian food, are punishing the Indian restaurant? I don't think so.

[@nathanielperry2714]

ive been watching a bunch of dragons den recently, and ive seen so many dragons come and go over the years, but I dont think ive seen a single clip without Peter or Deborah, I feel like the show wouldn't be the same without them

[@sirspaceface]

Deborah wasn't there in the first season

[@nathanielperry2714]

@@sirspaceface thats why I specified I hadnt seen a clip without her and not that there wasnt clips without her

[@sirspaceface]

@@nathanielperry2714 I know I was just informing you haha

[@jasontownsend9460]

There was a spell in the last couple of years when Peter had to isolate so Theo came back to take his place.

[@AdamPembrey]

Peter, Deborah, Theo and Duncan were the shows golden years.

[@southernspartan9467]

I love these shows. It sounds like she’s definitely had a traumatic experience and decided to work on a business that will decreases the chances of aggressive and inappropriate while creating a safe environment. However she went about it the wrong way, not the worst way, she did let personal experience influence her pitch. She did better than the other two construction women or the Spanish-Xeno olive lady

[@TuberoseKisser]

Yeah but at the same time one shouldn't let a traumatic experience literally blind you to the fact that you are actively asking a group made up of by a majority of MEN for money. Her heart was in the right place but.... self awareness.

[@blakebutcher8443]

She outright discriminated against men and tradespeople, men for their uncontrollable inner rapists😂 and tradespeople for their unreliability and selfishness😂

[@Welshy]

@@blakebutcher8443 she discriminated against men and trades men. She has no issue with women in any capacity

[@another_day4783]

She was just sexist with what she said

[@braydenlinthicum373]

Its called a victim mentality....thats what she has....

[@davesmith2194]

Hasn’t this been tried before on dragons den setting up a solely female construction business.

[@outerheaven1000]

ya and that went down far worse, this lass had it far easier

[@nick777forde]

Yep, a couple of doris's in a pink hat went out of business.

[@outerheaven1000]

@@nick777forde ya got wind of that am not surprised really

[@williamdavies2375]

Both presentations started off badly. They should have got their husbands to come on tv while they cooked a nice dinner ready for when he arrived home👍

[@CubicSpline7713]

@@williamdavies2375 LOL

[@lizfritz6546]

Look, I would prefer a woman to come into my apartment since I live alone for any job. I think there is a market as she said for women who live alone, older people, etc. but she maligned men instead of promoting women. You need to be positive rather than negative, otherwise people will put up their defenses. Also not having certifications, etc. is also not good

[@chrismo3142]

You’re right, she thinks just because she has an idea and she’s a women - She has a business. She’s actually doing a disservice to fully qualified trades-women out there too. They have actually gone to the trouble to get qualified and actually do a good job rather than just talk a good job!

[@lawn.snacks.uk.]

Exactly i'm the same but she didn't need to drag men through the dirt.

[@angrylundy4862]

I only go to male only mekanics for sort of the same reason

[@treasureokuoka6843]

Exactly!

[@davidbrown5628]

"The majority of men don't stick to their promises" 🙄🙄🙄

[@moogleking]

lol

[@troo_story]

Well I'm a man and it's been my experience. 😬🤣

[@adhc8560]

"Passion. Brand awareness. We create the Wow Factor". Enough said.

[@Orochi_001]

The name sounds like some kind of on-call HJ service

[@williamdavies2375]

Theo almost turned into bricktop. Feed her to the pigs Errol!

[@anubusx]

He then knocked out Georgeous George.

[@ianlister7333]

she sets herself up with an impossible task here, the male dragons were basically right to say what they did. In the end, no other female handy people, would need the franchise, they can all market themselves in a similar way, without paying her any money.

[@ianlister7333]

@Travel Crawl it is an interesting pitch, where was says 1) its an investment in a brand, and then 2) its an investment in me. It has "works equally well alone, or in a team" vibes to me. As is pointed out later in the pitch, she is the brand.

[@samueljackson2257]

She just sounds like one of those brainless radical feminists on the internet that don’t even want equality, she wants female dominance.

[@ianlister7333]

@@samueljackson2257 no she sounds like a woman, who forgot who she was pitching to, and that her usual marketing speak, wont work in the Den.

[@littleripper312]

I think handy-people would have been a much better idea. Even as a female myself who likes the idea of a niche trades company that would give females opportunities, I really cringed at the attacks on men. Completely unnecessary and uncalled for. I have no tolerance for hating on any demographic like that.

[@russcoight1586]

@@littleripper312 Yeah, I'd agree! Really, I don't think there is anything wrong with offering a service that is female-based, especially in an industry where it is flooded with males anyway. If people want a choice of a male, it's not like it's hard to find.

[@jamesnoel5280]

I thought she was going to do plumbing and electric work

[@aggrogator4045]

If she does mostly painting and decorating, why tf did she feel the need to buy a brand new tool belt and hard hat for the pitch??? Good lord this pitch has to be the most absurd one I've seen yet. As a bonus, I'm pretty sure her shirt says "Why hire a man" 😂😂😂

[@chinmayravindrashah]

That’s what Bob the Builder has “taught” the woke ones. If you’re doing something related to buildings, you better have a belt and a hard hat.

[@hiimjustin8826]

I was sitting here watching like 'please be qualified please be qualified'

[@AFAndersen]

It says "Why hire a man when your home needs a woman's touch"

[@pinkfakecheez]

@@chinmayravindrashah ah yes Bob the builder, the foundational feminist text

[@sailormoon2548]

Probably doesn't want to get paint on her hair 😂

[@royalhero4608]

00:38 Theo was on to this from the off lol. Whilst Duncan is having PTSD from Jude and her crusade against men from an earlier series

[@fastbreak0822]

Anytime I watch Dragons Den or Shark Tank I look back over my business ventures as a younger man and say to myself....... “Man I had no business going into business” The best way to truly learn is the hard way. Failure after failure..... Living and learning from mistakes... Life in general can be painful. Owning your own business life can be downright hellacious.....

[@ProfNDKai]

You live & you learn that’s what life is about

[@rasilaherman4769]

What’s different about your company? Our company ethos. What do you do better than the other guys? Our company ethos.

[@snowingonmtfuji]

I remember there was a pitch almost identical to this a few years ago. They wanted to put a woman on every building site. The problem is you can't discriminate based on gender and that also applies to refusing to hire men on the basis that they're men

[@esuil]

@@mitchp85 That is different because it is not based on race/gender/status etc, it also has real world consequences that are scientifically proven, compared to superficial things like racism or sexism.

[@esuil]

@@mitchp85 Not all discrimination is bad. You HAVE to discriminate for some things in order for things to properly function. That is like saying that not hiring drunk drivers is bad and discrimination against people who drink. Same for filtering out people who are not qualified.

[@grylltheonion]

@@mitchp85 You really thought you were smart 😂

[@Mephil]

I have a hard time listening to someone saying that they are spirited and driven, while sounding like they are reading from a note with a trembling voice.

[@Cloud__ffvii]

1:11 “it’s about providing quality workmanship” 👀

[@yankochoynev652]

that would be workwomanship

[@live_monkey2485]

Silly woman. The infrastructure of civilisation was built from the sweat and blood of men. She's probably just got daddy issues.

[@legionofAlexander]

I really think Duncan is my favorite dragon/shark. His honesty and quick to the point arguments(Not that the others dont) are so refreshing.

[@GodotOfficial]

Yet another example of misandrist double standards, imagine if a man pitched a business with a USP based on maligning women

[@tinderella2386]

Even better, anyone white pitching a white person only business. For when you only feel comfortable having white people in your home. Absolutely Zero difference between that and this bulshit

[@rumourhats]

I can imagine this. The product in question was the FLESHLIGHT.

[@lulugu3]

@@tinderella2386 you are so right. Someone in the comments here said that if women have had "trouble/trauma" at the hands of men then this is a good idea. Surely it only makes the problem worse, by reinforcing to such women the idea that being male is the problem, and not being a bad person.

[@wvrjl]

There's a big, BIG difference here. A man faces practically no danger by having an unknown woman in his house (less danger in general, than having another man come in). A single woman having an unknown male in her house IS DANGEROUS for the reason that men can generally, and easily, overpower women. Pretending that isn't the case is extremely naive. Most men wouldn't do that. They just want to make a buck. But there ARE bad people out there (men and women). And if you DO get a bad person who also can easily overpower you, that's not good. Even worse, anyone can put an add on Kijiji / Craig's list for a "handyman", and predators (serial killers / serial rapists) are always looking for a way to get a woman to let them in their house, without arousing suspicion from anyone outside/next door. That's why you need to be careful when you're selling things too. This is a very real, and very serious risk. Saying the reason is "because men can't be trusted" was nuts and foolish, but her opening reasons were valid. In addition, some women are very intimidated by men (especially type-A men), often because of past abuse. Most men don't feel that way about women. Those who do, can usually find a male option pretty easily.

[@wvrjl]

@@lulugu3 - No, it doesn't. There are much safer ways to increase dealings with men. Alone, in your house, is DEFINITELY NOT the way, largely because it's not just an imagined risk, it's a VERY REAL one. One that leaves you at the mercy of the much stronger individual. Usually, you'll be fine. Sometimes, you won't be. And, unfortunately, predators select women who already have low self-esteem and are unsure of themselves. I'm really bothered by the people who are choosing not to see the very real risks here.

[@Rizwaan122]

Could've easily just said "a lot of women would feel uncomfortable with an unfamiliar man in their home for extended periods" and she'd have a perfectly valid point. Instead she seemed to focus on this idea of "handy girl is superior because you get a woman"

[@scottyh8494]

Poor woman she is unfortunately deluded about what she is trying to do.

[@MikeBarbarossa]

No marketing plan but press release stuff No plan to get leads, no call to action availability it takes to get those leads No real plan to manage franchisee or explanation of why they even need her- once the handyperson gets leads and clientele, they can trade free of anything she's offering, therefore no need for her

[@davidadams421]

Absolutely unfuckingbelievable.

[@rachelstevens4701]

That smile between meadon and theo 6:26 is gold!

[@petrosanagnostou1987]

Yeah she thinks she can sell ethos... The dragon look states they realised they've been talking to a toddler.

[@getin3949]

I had a business years ago called "I'm Your Girl" I did well on my own but wouldn't have considered it being a franchise. There are too many other cleaning/handyman/girl businesses out there to even try to compete with all of them.

[@dougloremaster7413]

If a painter shows up (male or female) at my residence with a hard hat on...I'm arming myself. There is nothing trustworthy about that scenario.

[@Dessienewshoes]

Duncan Hammertime was bang at it 👏 👌

[@FlameFlickers]

It's people like her who give feminism a bad name. Feminism should be about rejecting misogyny and fighting for equality. It's not about replacing misogyny with misandry.

[@aaronbrown7217]

Or turning on themselves or other women because they freely made a choice which doesn't fit their narratives.

[@susanwaugh2383]

@Dibble Bibble Agreed

[@GolfingInParadise783]

No feminism has never rallied for ‘equal rights’ Name ONE issue that affects men that mainstream feminism has campaigned for? One we see a feminist rally fighting for men’s rights in divorce court, then we can all start sitting down and saying feminism is for equality

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

Unfortunately for that pie-in-the-sky dream it's always been about the latter, and never been about the former.

[@philjoseph3252]

There's a market out there for female construction workers, plumbers and mechanic because people generally feel safer with them. She should have capitalised on that factor instead of insulting men

[@kasvinimuniandy4178]

Yea. Provide a number for that market and work with existing industry experts, who are obviously men, to provide training.

[@ICEVALLEY100]

Hates men , doesn’t need men .. needs their money though ay?

[@JSSTyger]

*Undertrustworthy handy men everywhere:* Well played, Hafida...well played...

[@starfoxhound87]

A few photos of her work or a diagram of her business model would have provided some clarity. Also, is there any company that provides those services and were able to franchise? That answer would have told her either compare or don't do it. Suprised no one asked how she got that valuation.

[@jamesjohno1180]

“I painted my living room once I’ll make an amazing handy woman, look at me Barbra the builder I have a hammer in the drawer clearly I’ll be qualified for all these jobs”

[@True38]

Nice sales pitch; "Men don't keep their promises". 4 out of 5 Dragons are men... Good luck with that.

[@GolfingInParadise783]

Bit like Gillette’s woke advert…I think the phrase is ‘shitting on your own doorstep’

[@maszimz]

I want compensation from Peter and James for not being as appropriately harsh with her like Duncan and Theo

[@TehMagilla]

"The Handygirl managed to convince the dragons of her personal skill" - no, they just agreed with her so she'd shut up and listen.

[@MohammadQasim]

She messed up when she said men cant keep their promises, the idea of females to feel comfortable with females is *actually* a good idea. Unfortunately she couldnt put that idea more strongly.

[@Locutus]

I think if she did this *locally* and hired some female employees, she might have a nice business.

[@TuberoseKisser]

Even then she might face discrimination issues.

[@Locutus]

@@TuberoseKisser I agree. I do think that she might be able to fudge it in saying that it's 'positive' discrimination.

[@DemocracyManifest]

Yeah, *qualified female employees. I wouldn't let an unqualified tradesperson through the front door if i was hiring for a job.

[@xXZombieHunter0802Xx]

If I had a nickel for every time I saw a female-focused manual labor company on Dragon Den that burned their pitch down by being sexist, I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

[@Thepopcornator]

The idea of having a business like this based on the idea that some people feel more comfortable having a woman come into their home instead of a man is fine. The way she communicated this, though, is that men are the absolute worst scum of the earth, and that her explicitly-unqualified women should get jobs that people who've gone through schooling and apprenticeships should be getting. Like... damn, I'm a progressive, but she's like... a right-wing caricature of a progressive. -_-

[@mitchp85]

Because there is no violent women

[@Nashy119]

I think the main concern people have with random handymen is that they'll steal, and both genders do that, especially to the elderly.

[@mattlm64]

How many tradesmen commit violent crimes against women? I didn't realise that was a problem.

[@moredots]

Probably negligible to none, but that doesn't mean the perception isn't there. I could absolutely see a single woman being more comfortable with a female plumber coming in to fix their sink. There's definitely a market for that, but the lady from the video didn't propose any way to actually address that market in a way which is more efficient than looking up plumbers in the yellow pages until you find one with a female-sounding name. If she had posed it as a company which focused on developing teades apprenticeships for women, and then using that workforce to capitalize on the opportunity, she might have been on to something. But that would be a much bigger business idea.

[@drench1580]

@@moredots and racists might feel uncomfortable having people of different racists around their houses but that doesn’t mean you should be able to select the race of your tradesperson. We shouldn’t pander to sexists in the same way we don’t pander to racists.

[@jessbarnes8521]

She sounds sooo nervous and about to burst into tears.

[@DisneyPrincess92]

I think it’s not right that she isn’t qualified. I wouldn’t want someone to come into my house to do building work who wasn’t qualified

[@lord_scrubington]

This pitch is essentially just "I am handy with tools." *Let me build a global franchise*

[@CynicalScientist261]

She sounds very meek.

[@HK_Musician]

She painted her own living room and now thinks she's a qualified tradeswoman

[@piersgitface7210]

Hahahaha!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I bet she's not even insured. It's like when someone calls themselves a photographer just because they bought a camera.

[@Urban_archive]

Painter and decorater and she walks in with a tool belt with all the tools she doesn’t use 🤦‍♂️ she’s 1 big tool herself …

[@anovosedlik]

If you have a business where you're sending ONLY women in to houses, I'm pretty sure a lot of creeps are going to call and hire handywomen.

[@RyanBlackhawke]

Saying most men break promises and make women uncomfortable isn't a good look when asking a bunch of men for money.

[@m77ast]

There are many reasons why you would want a handywoman. Many men do not want to leave their precious cargo in the house with a strange man. But she didn’t sell the business well.

[@damien7151]

“What’s your gross profit for last year?” “Ethos”

[@bannjaxx]

"Look love, you need to stop talking and just listen." Theo P.

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

Duncan’s closing statements are phenomenal 😂

[@aquapony]

Somebody should have raised the point about employee safety. I'm a big single guy who lives in a remote house and next time I need a painter in I will definitely call Handy girl.

[@BenjaminGoose]

These notifications always come up so late. So we add a flow signal, it mimics the direction of the notifications.

[@lloydbyrne3440]

Her voice hurts my ears

[@mrsurprise2294]

Sounds like she bout to cry

[@devicebackup664]

She puts Vickie Guerro to shame

[@suckmybutt4224]

I think what she meant, is that she would like to see more women in this particular sector, as men are the predominant workers in this industry. ALSO, I think she wanted to help people suffering from a specific mental health where men can affect it (usually women, obviously), and so getting women workers will help that resolve that, in a way.

[@MADMAX7330]

She was so polite in dissing men, I ain't even mad!

[@eksdee2170]

So you’re ok with misandry?

[@James-wf8nu]

I'm not even notification squad I'm just binging everyday til lockdown ends lol

[@pimpozza]

Where are you, James to be in lockdown still?

[@Jamietheroadrunner]

@@pimpozza I think james .m might be in prison.

[@poojamukherjee9628]

She could have just discussed the safety factor. That's it.

[@cerealexperiments8189]

It's so satisfying to hear the Dragons call out this lady's sexism.

[@KneeDeepInTheDead81]

I think she approached that wrong. I used to work in basic maintenance and some of the places we worked at were womens refuges where the team were kept out of the way or told to be quiet. I'm sure a female team would make the service users more at ease

[@ninadeol9534]

Wow, I was cringing for her when Theo and Peter had their bit! Deborah was the nicest

[@YtheTie]

Its crazy someone would stand infront of investors and TV and say things like that.

[@deesee6009]

If the Dragons spoke to this female hero like this in 2023 they'd all be canceled and BBC would apologize and fire them all.

[@atomato5378]

Any handyman business could just hire a woman and send that woman specifically to another woman who requested a female worker. In fact, I'm pretty sure tons of business over here in the U.S. do that regularly, kinda like how most P.D.s usually have some little rule about keeping a female officer on the force

[@rwalker0130]

they kept giving her the benefit of the doubt like she actually does handyman work smh. All those tools and that tool belt looked brand new.

[@Dani-it5sy]

Don't worry people. We builders are not easily insulted. This is just hilarious 🤣

[@danieloconnor4865]

"No, you are an investor and I am looking forward to you coming on board" 😂

[@Heathen.Deity.]

Using her own logic with regards to training, qualifications and gender, I can’t design and build a nuclear power station as I’ve not got the training, but if I was a girl, I should give it a go anyway as I’ll stick to my promises.