Viking Direct is part of Office Depot, one of the biggest suppliers of office products in the world.
Viking has been in the UK since 1990 and is the clear business leader within the direct mail office
supplies channel. In that time hundreds of thousands of small-and-medium sized businesses have
relied on them as a one-stop-shop for office products and business services. Their head office is
based in Leicester and they employ 2,600 people at sites all over the UK.
Viking customers receive a variety of catalogues and emails designed to keep them up to
date with new products and special offers. They can choose to place orders via telephone,
fax or online. And the service that Viking customers expect is built around what small
businesses need; a wide range of great value products, delivered quickly and
accurately by a friendly, knowledgeable team.
Viking Direct is proud to sponsor The Midas Touch and to help
new business ideas and innovations become reality.
Pitch Perfect
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
There are 24 pitch positions available over
Clearness, conciseness, succinctness... What are you offering? What do you
the two-day event. If you haven’t done so
want? Pitch in layman’s terms – not everyone will understand your idea as well as
already, we recommend that you register
you do, and using superfluous or technical terms could just add to the confusion.
your interest as early as you can,
• Forecasts and projections – your pitch could be redundant without them. Remain ambitious, but
at www.bstartup.com or
realistic.
www.midastouchlive.co.uk
• And on that note, make sure you know your finances inside-out. Nothing will infuriate investors
more than sloppy self-knowledge.
Or call free on 0800 328 0467. Tell us which
• Practice makes perfect: pitch to everyone who’s honest and can give you critical feedback.
part of which day you’d like to make your
• Keep it short and sweet. You only 5-minutes, and you cannot go overtime. Time yourself.., it’s
pitch, and give us brief details about your
better to be under than over, so by disciplined with what you want to include in your pitch.
business and what you’d like to pitch for.
• Are you unnecessarily repeating yourself, employing tautology, or just including inconsequential
Then start preparing. We’ll let you know
information? Then don’t!
before the event whether your application
• Pace yourself: it’s a balance between fast enough to maintain interest, but not so fast to be
has been successful.
indigestible.
• If you already have backs, let the panel know. On the day, you will have five minutes to
• A laptop, screen and microphone are available if needed. But! If you decide to use them, convince the panel, so make sure you
practice beforehand, especially if you unfamiliar with the equipment. practice your proposition. You can use props
• If you have other props or demos, make use of them. But make sure they enhance your pitch, and handouts but make sure they work as
not detract from it. hard as you do.
• Don’t jangle or fidget – it’s a common display of nerves and will tarnish your pitch.
• Don’t forget to smile – however daunting, it should be an enjoyable and educational experience.
The Business ’09 Competition Final
And don’t miss the much anticipated climax of the WinWeb
Business ’09 competition in association with Viking Direct.
Come and watch as the five finalists compete for the
grand prize of £10,000! Small businesses and fledgling
entrepreneurs have been battling for this cash-injection, and
the results come to you live, only on the Midas Touch stage!
Check out the finalists at 12.30 on Thursday
November 26, with the winner announced at
3.45 the same afternoon.

BUSINESS STARTUP In association with Visit us on Stand 310 and supported by Visit us on stand 304

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