The Wilbur Smith Discussion Forums

Does anyone else watch this programme on BBC2? Business guru/master Alan Sugar with 14 people trying to become 'the apprentice'. It's now in the 2nd series and the 1st episode last week was fantastic. Lots of stabbing in the back stuff from the contestants! For those who are outside the UK i think America have also made a similar programme but with Donald Trump.

I am sorry to say I have decided not to watch this program because of who is hiring and firing. I put the point across to the Mrs that this bloke had a business go bust and as such who the hell does he think he is making employment decisions when he has proved incapable of running a business effectively.

I guess if you want to watch the back biting human nature in reality tv shows then this is a good aside from Big Brother. Personally I find reality tv a real bore and I'd much rather read a Wilbur Smith Book.

I watched bits of the first series but got too annoyed with some of the contestants! I have problems with people with over inflated ego's...unfortunately this type of show seems to draw them in!

@ Yakumo....are you talking about Alan Sugar or someone else. If you are then you're actually quite wrong. I wouldn't say Mr. Sugar is incapable of running a business effectively. The guy started his own company at 16 and is now worth £800 Million! In my book that's effective running of a business.

As for the over sized ego's mat, this series is full of them! So i'd stay away if i were you. There are some real big headed shits in the programme who think they know it all, which makes it even funnier when the get fired!

yakumo wrote:when he has proved incapable of running a business effectively

I'de love to run a business just as "incapably".

http://an.newbusiness.co.uk/cgi-bin/sho ... .pl?id=108

I'm not saying I like the fella, but he's a good business and has made a bucket load of cash - surely every entrepenuers ultimate goal?

I am old enough to have known Amstrad in the 90's when he laid off inumerable staff from his computing business.

At the time I was an impressionable young gent and listened to the news and hype at that time that dissed this man for investing unwisely in certain computing and electronics aspects.

His re rise to fame and apparent fortune do not assist those that suffered in his fall from favour in the 90's and his arrogance to suggest that he is giving things back seems to me to be rhetoric too little and too late.

Gosh am I really that opinionated. OMG.

Surely the mark of a good business "person" is to be able to recover from such bad periods?! Yes he made bad decisions, but I doubt there aren't many entrepeneurs/CEO's/Presidents that haven't. In order to be successful you need to take risks - some come off, some don't - that's life.

Laying off staff? Its the most effective way to cut costs. Yes it's not nice for those made redundant, you get bad press but you stay in business! If he hadn't laid off "X" amount of staff then the firm would of gone bust and "3X" of staff wouldn't have a job.

As I said earlier, I don't particularly like the guy, but to say he is "incapable" of running a business is absolute rubbish. £800 million says I'm right

Yeah I would agree with you mat, you've said it all there really. Cutting staff is sometimes essential to a firms survival. You don't make £800 Million for being 'nice'. He's no doubt as ruthless as the next Millionaire businessman who has gone from rags to riches.

I don't like reality type TV programmes either, the problem is they are so cheap to make and companies are no longer so prepared to spend higher on their budget, and as a consequence the sort of 'escapist' type programmes that i like are no longer taken up or else discontinued.