RAF veteran and Dragons' Den winner shares secrets to starting successful business

A Royal Air Force veteran who impressed Dragons' Den entrepreneurs Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett so much on the BBC show that, together, they invested £60,000 into her business, has some useful advice for veterans wishing to become self-employed on civvy street. 

Entrepreneur Hannah Saunders, who served for nine years as an RAF personnel officer and left the Armed Forces five years ago to pursue her dream of starting a business, is the founder and CEO of Toddle Born Wild, natural skin care products for children. 

Speaking with Jess Bracey, a BFBS the Forces Station broadcaster, the veteran-turned-businesswoman explained why veterans have an advantage when setting up a business, saying: "You've probably dealt with quite difficult things and I think that stands you in really good stead and I think you're probably more able to start a business than a normal member of society because we have that resilience and just that ability to be flexible." 

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On Dragons' Den, entrepreneurs are given the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to five multimillionaires who are willing to invest their own cash in return for a percentage of the company.

Hannah's pitch, which left Steven Bartlett "a little bit emotional" and, according to businessman Touker Suleyman, mesmerized the Dragons, saw millionaires Deborah Meaden and Bartlett joining forces to invest in Toddle Born Wild. 

As part of her pitch, Hannah stated very clearly that she takes the investment side of growing her business very seriously, saying: "I want to be a £10-20m company instead of a £1-2m company. 

"I'm not doing this as a lifestyle business." 

Hannah's dream of owning a business began in 2017 thanks to the help of organisation X Forces which offers training, funding and support for veterans and their families who wish to set up their own business. 

The RAF veteran says that, with X Forces' help, she found the pathway to starting up Toddle Born Wild quite straightforward, saying: "They broke everything down into bite-sized chunks so, actually, it never felt too overwhelming or daunting. 

"I actually never questioned my decision to leave which I thought I would." 

Toddle Born Wild now has 14 products sold by companies such as Virgin Atlantic and Friends of Joules, and there are plans to expand into the American market. 

The journey to success started with one lip balm she made in her kitchen to protect her son's skin when they would go exploring as a family. 

She said: "Like many military families, we're quite outdoorsy, quite adventurous, we love to ski, canoe and so on, and [my son] would end up crying, not wanting to go out, because his skin hurt, so I looked around the market, nothing really suitable for under-threes at the time, started making it in my kitchen." 

The range now includes two world firsts – a probiotic hand gel and dribble-proof lip balm, both designed with children in mind. 

What advice does Hannah have for veterans wanting to start a business? 

Practice makes perfect 

The entrepreneur says she didn't feel too nervous while pitching to the Dragons because she had prepared a lot. 

She said: "I practised my final pitch about 200/300 times once I'd learnt it, which is probably a bit overkill, but by the time I delivered my pitch I knew it so very well that even if I was nervous I could deliver it." 

Many entrepreneurs find pitching to the Dragons quite a daunting task but Hannah says her military career gave her the upper hand. 

Remember, you've done this before 

During her time in the RAF, Hannah had briefed many senior officers who, without smiling or giving non-verbal cues, expected to hear a thorough plan with different courses of action and all delivered within a certain timeframe. 

Hannah's experience with the Dragons was incredibly different, she said. "When I walked into the den, they were all smiling at me and actually... were quite friendly. 

"I think because I was very respectful, I had really done my homework, I wasn't in there blagging it, so it was a really nice exchange." 

Get your running shoes on 

Another piece of advice Hannah has for veterans is that, if you ever speak in public, make sure you go for a run to get rid of all your excess energy. 

She said: "[Before the pitch] I went for a 5km run. 

"In fact, I ran to the studio... and I walked in feeling sort of quite confident. 

"I'm only 5ft tall but you know, stood tall so... I didn't feel so bad actually and I attribute that to my military background, to be honest." 

Rely on your ability to be flexible and resilient 

Service personnel are often faced with difficult decisions or having to push through when faced with obstacles, both physical and mental. 

Hannah believes that veterans are probably more capable of starting a business than normal members of society because they have "resilience" and an ability to be "flexible". 

She said: "Plans always change in the military. 

"Resilience is the only reason I'm still sat here today with my business. 

"We've dealt with some really tricky stuff – manufacturing going wrong, we've run out of money at times and the ability to pick myself back up and just try something else is the reason that I have the business."