A Dundee businessman has credited Dragons Den star Theo Paphitis for a surge in orders.
Gary Langlands runs Vision Sound & Light, which provides sound, staging, lighting and video services for events.
Inevitably the business has been hard hit as the events industry has been among the most impacted by Covid-19.
With restrictions easing, Gary has been working hard to raise the company’s profile again.
He caught the eye of multimillionaire Theo when he applied for his Small Business Sunday competition.
Six winners gain a retweet from the high profile businessman to almost half a million Twitter followers.
As a result the city business has seen a rise in orders, enquiries and followers.
‘Theo recognised our hard work’
Gary says: “Because of the pandemic and gatherings restrictions, much of our business has ground to a halt.
“It is great to have support from Theo because it’s been tough trying to raise our profile to get the business moving again.
“Theo has recognised our hard work and helped spread the word about what we do to his following.”
Theo Paphitis made most of his fortune in the retail sector, selling a stake in lingerie firm La Senza for around £100 million.
He is the owner of stationery chain Ryman and a former chairman of Millwall Football Club.
He was a dragon on the hit BBC series for nine years until 2012.
Wow, we are Theo Pahpitis #SBS winners this week. Congratulations to my fellow winners and thank you @TheoPaphitis, much appreciated after the 16 months we have had! https://t.co/qscJfsgeFs
— VSL Scotland LTD (@VSLLTD) July 19, 2021
But he made a surprise appearance on the Den this year to stand in for Peter Jones when he was self-isolating.
Theo’s hopes for Dundee firm
Theo started his Small Business Sunday initiative in 2010 and has since highlighted more than 3,000 firms.
He says: “We are thrilled to welcome new #SBS members every week and highlight just how important it is to support our small businesses here in the UK.
“My vision is that everyone who has ever won an #SBS re-tweet from me becomes part of a friendly club; like-minded individuals who can share successes and learnings.
“The website will also give a valuable profile to the winners chosen and I wish Vision Sound and Light every success.”