The 2000s brought us a sometimes beautiful concept called reality television. At its worst we simply watched other people going about their lives. Not all reality shows were made equal though as it covered so many interest groups. When we covered TV shows for entrepreneurs we focused heavily on fictional shows abe after some pondering I thought a look at reality.tv shows for entrepreneurs would be really useful. Do not be fooled by the fact that a lot of these shows are old, the lessons they contain are still useful many years and will continue to be. As always it’s a good idea to pick what resonates with you most.

The Profit

In this show, a billionaire with a proven track record of successful businesses is brought into family and small businesses to see if he can boost and spruce them up. In some cases, he actually buys into the business which makes his involvement and recommendations personal. In many episodes, I’ve watched the billionaire reveals many tips to boost the businesses but often has to battle with the mentalities of the business owners who tend to be stuck in their ways.

The apprentice

There are many versions of this show including the pioneering one with current United States President Donald Trump. There is also a Martha Stewart and English version with Lord Alan Sugar. I’d say watch all of them. The Apprentice pits a group of contestants into 2 groups who take on entrepreneurial challenges set by the boss. Week by week a member is fired from the show until one emerges as the apprentice and is given an opportunity to work on one of the boss’s projects. Awesome because the challenges these groups take on tend to be 24 to 48-hour tasks and it teaches you a lot about leadership and ingenuity.

Shark tank

Shark tank is one of the premium pitch competitions to come to the world. It simply puts an entrepreneur with an idea in front of a group experienced individuals with varying expertise in business. The challenge is for the entrepreneur to sell their idea and attract funding from the sharks who can buy into the idea and acquire part stakes at a price they negotiate. I recommend shark tank because it teaches a few lessons chief amongst which is getting the product is not all you need to succeed. You need to be able to sell your product and negotiate well to make it in life.

Dragon’s den

Similar to shark tank tye names of these shows should tell you the nature of them. They are all about putting entrepreneurs under immense pressure to sell their products and attract investment. No different from shark tank at all in make up but the personalities of the Sharks or Dragons make the difference as they have their own interesting perspectives to ideas. Like Shark tank, it teaches you to be much more critical of business ideas.

Undercover boss

This might be my favourite. Much like The Profit a successful business person with a proven track record is brought into a business to see how to improve it. What differs here is firstly, the undercover boss is usually a young person brought into a business run by older people. Secondly and most importantly they are brought in as a lowly assistant to observe the business without the knowledge of the owners of their actual purpose. This gives the advantage of seeing the business as it really is. You can learn a lot from this show especially how adding one or two new tricks can change business forever.

Beyond the tank

The best part of “Shark Tank” happens after the credits roll. In “Beyond the Tank,” the sharks mentor the entrepreneurs they’re backing and teach them how to run a successful business. But there’s always the chance that the sharks will find they made an unwise investment.

Restaurant Stakeout

In the Food Network series “Restaurant Stakeout,” Willie Degel, owner of Uncle Jack’s Steakhouse, takes a hidden camera into a restaurant to see firsthand the problems they’re experiencing. The show focuses on the restaurant staff, as opposed to the food they’re serving, and Willie works to retrain them with more successful techniques.