The Apprentice Blog

Flea Market Tips

Check out these Flea Market Tips from Junkin' Hosts Val & Dave

Since they will be selling, some buyer dirty tricks to watch for - from the article mentioned above.

Dirty Trick #1: Show interest in the item, and then walk away. If the guy is desperate enough he'll stop you. (If not, hey we didn't need him! Right?)

Dirty Trick #2: Always have one dollar less than you need to fulfill their price. For example, if the price is three bones, Whoops! You only have two. Put two or three dollars in each pocket. That way you can prove that's all the money you have left.

Dirty Trick #3: If they won't budge on the price get them to throw in more stuff. Some people would rather loose a few things than to loose a few dollars off the price or loose you for that matter.

Last Dirty Trick: Break into tears.

Flea Market Mix up

Donald makes drastic changes that affect both teams. Plus, a flea market task gets one more person fired.

Planet Hollywood Shooter Girls

Hire me up a shooter girl, 'cause I needs me a CEO.

It was smart of the women to recognize that liquor sales was the biggest opportunity.
It was smart of the women to use sexuality to sell liquor - all those advertising campaigns can't be wrong.

But was it smart of them to use their own sexuality to sell liquor? Not so much.

The 4th man out - Bowie Hogg

The question is, with 5 men to pick from, why was Bowie the one who took the elevator to the Street not the Suite? (Are you as happy as I am that Trump has dumped that little catch phrase?)

The first 2 boardroom choices were clear. Kwame as PM was going. Nick "checked out" because of his teams unethical behaviour, and was an easy choice for 2nd.

Bill & Troy showed A+ effort. In my opinion Bill pretty much ran the show, with Kwame as a figure head - but that's another discussion... so Bowie came to the table.

Professionalism, Hand shakes and Ethics

With the women getting an official repremand for being overly sexual, and the message from Carolyn that this is not the kind of behaviour that will get them the job; and the men getting divided over a question of ethical sales tactics, this was certainly an interesting episode.

The challenge: manage Planet Hollywood for a 4pm-12am shift, and show the best percentage increase in revenue over the same date the year before.

So what are the factors that can be controlled in an 8 hour shift?
- increase the number of customers in the restaurant
- increase merchandise sales
- increase food sales
- increase liquor sales

Cost reduction isn't really a viable option - besides no one was looking at profits - just revenue

So what were the lessons?

Drinkin', Sex & Pranks

Sounds like a frat party to me. Certainly not a job interview.

Summary:

• Project Mgrs: Kwame - Versacorp, Katrina- Protégé
  
• Winners: Protégé
  
• 3 in Boardroom: Kwame, Bogie, Nick
  
• Fired: Bowie Hogg
  
• Reward: Golfing
  
• Gossip: Women got chastised for "relying on your sexuality to win"
  
• Gossip: Men used a sales technique which was questionable ethically - and caused 2 team members to take a stand against it.
  

There is a great summary of this episode at NBC's Official Site

Restaurant Rules

Click to see the Rules of the Game - Ep 4
Note

• This time it says "teams must pick a Project Manager" not "elect" like it said last week.
  
• $1500 seed money - well that could have been used more effectively

Restaurant Management Books

These might have helped them prepare for the Restaurant Management Challenge
The Restaurant Business Start-up Guide
-- Paul Daniels

Menu Design : 25 Keys to Profitable Success (Restaurant Manager's Pocket Handbook Series)
--David V. Pavesic

The Upstart Guide to Owning and Managing a Restaurant
-- Roy S. Alonzo

Restaurants That Work: Case Studies of the Best in the Industry
-- Martin E. Dorf

The Restaurant Managers Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate, and Manage a Financially Successful Food Service Operation
-- Douglas Robert Brown

Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Restaurant
-- Howard Cannon

Planet Hollywood - Sizzle or Steak

Okay, we've all seen the previews, likely many many times. (just like Episode 3.)

Sam's gone and the game continues...

Interview with David

My Interview with "The Apprentice" Cast-Off Extraordinaire: David Gould
by Beth Gottfried January 20, 2004

Not many gals out their get to interview their celebrity mini-crushes, so on behalf of all the women out there, this one’s for you…

I spoke with David Gould on a Friday evening not too long ago. Boston had just emerged from one of the coldest weeks in decades with record low temps. Jack frost was not only nipping at peoples’ toes, but any exposed extremity and somehow the frostbite didn’t conjure up any toasty sentiments. It was the sort of week that had me seriously questioning the market value of nose warmers.

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