Deborah Meaden

I was never good at taking instructions. ”

Business doesn't cut you any slack because of your gender. You're either good at what you do or you're not. ”

If you're looking for investment you've got to think about what the investor gets from being involved with your business. A lot of people think about what they're getting from their point of view but not about what the investor gets out of a deal. ”

I won't get involved in businesses that I think cut across any kind of animal welfare issues. ”

It can be difficult to find investment for a new business, particularly one which is highly innovative or breaks new ground. ”

Running the country is like running one big business. ”

Dragons' Den' is about as close to real business as you can get on television. ”

I consider my position in the business world not as a woman but as a person. ”

When I concentrate, my face is deadpan and I can see there is a coldness there - when I'm making business decisions I know I can be quite dispassionate. ”

I have definitely learnt in business that when you have a smart, engaged entrepreneur with good judgement they can really drive even a mediocre business forward so to me the entrepreneur is very important. ”