7 reality shows that can teach you business

1. Kitchen nightmares

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares

• Duration: 8 seasons.
• Year of manufacture: 2007.
• Country: USA.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay travels around America and visits restaurants that are on the verge of collapse. He has a week to observe what is happening, find errors that prevent the business from becoming successful, and help eliminate them.

The show is interesting in its own right: Ramsay is expressive and assertive, while the restaurant owners are stubborn and resistant to change. But for those involved in public catering, the project will help them see and eliminate shortcomings in their own establishment or avoid problems if the business is just starting up.

2. On knives

• Duration: 8 seasons.
• Year of release: 2016.
• Country Russia.

This show is the epitome of the meme: “Mom, I want Gordon Ramsay” – “But we have Gordon Ramsay at home.” Because the concept of “On Knives” is, plus or minus, the same as that of “Kitchen Nightmares.” Russian chef Konstantin Ivlev travels only to domestic establishments. On the consequences of the intervention of the project team among restaurateurs remained different impressions. Some, as soon as the cameras turned off, abandoned the new concept and returned everything as it was, while others had to close completely due to losses.

3. Now I’m the boss!

• Duration: 8 seasons.
• Year of release: 2018.
• Country Russia.

In each episode of reality, two businessmen working in the same industry meet. One of them is a successful, established entrepreneur, the second is a beginner. They switch places for a while. A start-up tries to manage a business empire, and a business shark again tries his hand at developing a small company.

The show highlights the problems of both small and large businesses and allows you to learn from your colleagues. Owners of coffee shops and wineries, cosmetics manufacturers, and builders appear in the issues, so any entrepreneur will have something to learn.

4. Candidate

The Apprentice

• Duration: 15 seasons.
• Year of manufacture: 2004.
• Country: USA.

This is a reality show in which contestants compete for a position in one of the companies owned by Donald Trump. In the last season, the host was replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is not only an actor, but also a politician and businessman, in case you forgot.

Participants are divided into two teams, each of which represents a corporation. They take turns becoming project managers for their corporation and solving various business problems. For example, they need to sell a product or create advertising for it. If a team loses, one person is eliminated. And so on until there is only one winner left.

The show provides an opportunity to observe the work of large teams and, most importantly, how professionals sort out their mistakes. By the way, the format was bought up by channels from other countries, so if the American version is not enough, then you can see how things are outside the United States.

5. Upgrade business

• Duration: 1 season.
• Year of release: 2021.
• Country Russia.

This is a reality show from RBC and Alfa Bank. Obviously, it was filmed primarily to advertise the bank’s services. However, the presence of integration does not mean that the information itself is useless.

In the show, experts help entrepreneurs improve their business: establish processes, grow sales, scale the company, develop corporate social networks and work with clients. They have six weeks to do all this. During the process, participants complete tasks and receive feedback – experts analyze the pain points of entrepreneurs and give practical advice.

6. Million dollar idea

• Duration: 1 season.
• Year of release: 2017.
• Country Russia.

Joint show of NTV and Vnesheconombank. In essence, this is pitching startups, which takes place in front of television viewers. Members of the jury from various government institutions – the Internet Initiatives Development Fund, the Skolkovo Foundation, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives – watch the presentations and ask the participants tricky questions. The most interesting and viable startups make it to the finals, among whom cash prizes are divided.

This show is interesting to watch from the point of view of the packaging of its ideas and their presentation. Because being able to justify and sell an idea to investors is sometimes more important than coming up with it.

7. Startup

Start-Up

• Duration: 4 seasons.
• Year of release: 2013.
• Country: USA.

Host and businessman Gary Bredow travels across America and talks with small and medium-sized business owners. Of course, the realities in which these entrepreneurs live differ from those in other countries. But there are questions and problems that are quite international: where to get start-up capital, how to decide to open your own business, how not to lose heart at the first failures and not fall into euphoria from the first successes. The show can be useful for everyone who is starting their own business, and for those who are just dreaming of doing it.