‘We are out of the recession,’ says Jones

Serial entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor Peter Jones believes UK businesses have seen the worst of the economic crash

‘We are out of the recession,’ said Jones. ‘People will say that we remain in a recession over the next 12 to 18 months, but what we will be seeing from now on are just the consequences of hitting the bottom.’

Speaking at the BT Business Experience event in London, the Dragons’ Den star argued that if there was a better sense of entrepreneurship in the UK, then the recession would be ‘a lot more shallow’.

‘We lack a mindset of entrepreneurialism in this country. It requires forward thinking, clarity and self-belief, and these need to be encouraged,’ he said.

In contrast, Jones noted that the US has a deeply rooted culture of risk taking. ‘We need more of that entrepreneurial attitude in this country,’ he said.

Jones has seen an unprecedented level of interest from young people in starting their own business, but he suggests many of them never put their ideas into action because business skills are not taught in schools.

‘It’s all about education and that is why I set up the National Enterprise Academy,’ added the Dragon. The Academy was set up last year and helps 16 to 18 years olds to study entrepreneurship.