Second Series of The Business Class with James Caan will debut
on 7th October
LONDON, 2 October 2013 – CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, today announced that James Caan is to host a second series of The Business Class, which will air from 7th October.
The programme returns with a focus to help small and medium-sized businesses grow and prosper. Each 30-minute episode will see Caan joined by experts from a cross-section of industries, to give strategic business advice to six of the UK's most innovative SMEs and help them improve their business model and boost profits.
The seven-part series will air every other week from 7th October at 10.00pm (UK). The series is sponsored by Bizcrowd, the free online community for UK businesses, powered by RBS and NatWest.
The six featured UK companies face different challenges in their business cycle and are taken from a variety of sectors including technology, financial services, manufacturing, retail and professional services.
With Caan's impressive track record of creating and managing successful companies, he uses his first-hand experience to discuss the challenges faced by SMEs and to offer advice. In each episode, a guest entrepreneur will join James to provide their own candid insight and tips for growth.
"With some fresh signs of economic recovery in the UK, there is no better time to grow a small business," says James Caan. "This new series will take a look at some dynamic companies that have the scope to grow and compete nationally and internationally. Each has its own unique set of challenges and with an industry expert, I hope to give each SME some valuable advice."
John Casey, Vice President, News & Programming, CNBC International said, "Building on the success of our first series, The Business Class will help a new set of SMEs understand what is holding their business back and provide them with some practical advice to help them achieve success. If you're running an SME or thinking about starting a new business, then it's time to join The Business Class."
The first episode features London based Blippar, a revolutionary mobile platform which turns physical imagery, print or products into instantaneous, interactive digital experiences.
Launched in August 2011 by Ambarish Mitra and Omar Tayeb, Bilppar faces two key challenges: how to allocate their marketing resources and how to educate consumers and change behaviour to a scale where 'Blipp' becomes an everyday word. Joining James Caan on the first episode will be Lisa Thomas, CEO, M&C Saatchi Group.
The other companies featured in future episodes include:
- Crowdcube which gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to take control of funding raising
- Pai Skincare is a London company with a premium organic range of sensitive skincare products
- Morphsuits distributes branded all-in-one spandex costumes
- Notgoingtouni is an online guide that offers advice on apprenticeships, distance learning, foundation degrees, gap years and voluntary work as well as ways to get a sponsored degree
The Business Class debuts on 7th October at 10.00pm and will repeat at the weekend at 9.30pm (UK time). CNBC can be seen on Sky channel 505, Virgin 613 and Freesat 210.
Visit the series' dedicated website at businessclass.cnbc.com (which launches at the end of September) or follow the show on Twitter at #CNBCBizClass. Use the hashtag to ask James Caan a question to help your SME.
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For more information, or photography, please contact:
Hugo Foulds, Director of Communications, EMEA
hugo.foulds@cnbc.com
D: 44(0)20 7653 9398
About CNBC
CNBC is the leading global broadcaster of live business and financial news and information, reporting directly from the major financial markets around the globe with three regional networks including CNBC in Asia, CNBC in EMEA and CNBC in the US. CNBC.com is the preeminent financial news source on the web, featuring an unprecedented amount of video, real-time market analysis, web-exclusive live video and analytical financial tools. CNBC is dedicated to CEOs, senior corporate executives; the financial services industry and private investors. The channel is available in more than 395 million homes worldwide. CNBC is a division of NBCUniversal. www.cnbc.com
About James Caan
James Caan is one of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs. He made his fortune in the recruitment industry, which included the global success of his companies Alexander Mann and Humana International. In 2004 he founded private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw, which now has a portfolio of over 30 companies. As well as The Business Class, James is best known for joining the hit BBC show Dragons'Den, where he invested over £1m across 14 companies. He has received various prestigious awards including 'BT Enterprise of the Year', PricewaterhouseCoopers 'Entrepreneur of the Year' and Chairman of the Year at the 2013 International Business Awards. A passionate supporter of small businesses, James is Chairman of the Government's Start Up Loans scheme, which provides funding and mentoring to young entrepreneurs. To date the scheme has backed over 7000 entrepreneurs. James has released three best-selling books – his autobiography The Real Deal, Get the Job You Really Want, and more recently Start Your Business in 7 Days,as well as a highly acclaimed free app, James Caan Business Secrets.