The founder of food and drink gift company IMP & MAKER says her business is thriving despite failing to secure investment on Dragons’ Den.
Millions of viewers watched Sarah Louise Fairburn (on 16th October) leave the Den empty-handed after seeking £100k for a 10 per cent stake in her business.
However, far from being despondent, the entrepreneur has gone on to raise £500k from an angel investor in a deal that valued IMP & MAKER at £2m, expand the company’s partnership with retail giant Costco, and is on track to report its first profit this year.
Fairburn, a single mum-of-four, said: “Appearing on Dragons’ Den was both the toughest and most rewarding experience of my life. You can’t put a price on the advice I received from some of the biggest names in UK business and it’s helped transform the company.
“I founded IMP & MAKER in 2020 to become the UK’s go-to business for food and drink gifting and now millions more people have heard of the brand. While the episode was being screened more than 10,000 people logged on to our website!”
Fairburn had less than a month’s notice to prepare for her appearance in the Den after being “phoned out of the blue” by Dragons’ Den.
“I thought it was a hoax call at first before I realised it was genuine,” she said. “I knew IMP & MAKER was far from the finished article at the time but I’ve always thought you regret the things you don’t do – so I said ‘yes’.
“I’ve grown up watching Dragons’ Den and I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to pitch to Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steve Bartlett, Touker Suleyman and Sara Davies.”
Fairburn said she’ll never forget the moment she walked into the Den when the episode was filmed in June, 2024. “My heart was beating out of my chest but I took a deep breath and went for it,” she said.
The regular panel was joined by guest Dragon Emma Grede and Fairburn described her 90-minute interrogation as “brutal, relentless and exhilarating – all rolled into one.”
She said: “I was very open about the financials. At the time IMP & MAKER was losing £800k a year; spending £90 per customer acquisition; and margins were as low as 4%.
“This year we’re on track to make a profit; the cost of customer acquisition is down to £24; and margins are up to 35%. We’ve also gone on to raise £500k from an angel investor in a deal that valued IMP & MAKER at £2m.”
Despite not investing, Dragon Steven Bartlett praised her resilience and determination. Fairburn said: “I took the advice from the Dragons onboard and IMP & MAKER is now five years old and in the best shape it’s ever been as we approach the busy Christmas and New Year period.
“We’re a much leaner business than when I appeared on Dragons’ Den. We’ve got the right infrastructure and team in place to take IMP & MAKER to the next level.”
