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Private Notes
Alf Onnie's interiors shop, specialising in fabric and curtains, has been going in East London since it was set up in 1920. It's approaching its centenary but the recession and house market slump have hit curtain sales hard.
Run by three brothers, both they and the shop are stuck in a time warp, almost as far back as the shop's beginning. And what's more they are paralysed by indecision about how to move the business forward.
Alex tries to drag them into the 21st century with lessons in modern window dressing, a contemporary photo shoot and with a trip to the exclusive Brown's hotel in London, where they get the chance to meet her mum who runs it as part of their family owned hotel chain.
But disaster strikes when they discover they are plagued by London's biggest and vilest pest, rats! As they rip the shop apart to deal with them, it provides the perfect opportunity to launch a makeover but youngest brother Jeremy seems bent on derailing the plans as his quest for perfection drives everyone to distraction
When mum Andy beat a life-threatening illness she saw it as the inspiration to follow her dream and set up a portrait studio with her three daughters, but a struggle to find customers and pay the rent has turned the dream into a nightmare, as they must deal with the realities of their lack of business knowledge and expertise. The business depends on mum's savings and if it folds she will be left with nothing and no money for her retirement.
Alex attempts to turn them around by giving them the chance to work with a celebrity photographer who has worked with a huge range of A listers including Keira Knightley, Lindsay Lohan and Angelina Jolie. But when Alex tries to expand their client base by introducing them to commercial photography, the girls' failure to put any effort in leaves Alex frustrated and doubting that their mum is up to being their boss.
A decision to move to new premises does not go to plan and could leave them with nowhere to run their business. With Andy's life savings constantly dwindling, will this gamble pay off?
Dad David set up funeral directors Holmes and Sons five years ago and he has struggled to make any money from it. He is desperate to make it work so he can pass his business on to his two young sons, but neither of them are sure they even want to work there.
What's more he has employed an office manager, Sheena, who is convinced they aren't doing anything wrong and refuses to change.
Alex discovers that the funeral industry is an incredibly tricky world to run a business with all the ethical consideration you need to make. But David is taking it too far - letting his ethics and caring nature get in the way of charging for his services. Much less forgivable however, it's David's leadership that is leaving his sons uncommitted and lethargic. It proves incredibly difficult to navigate a path through the minefield of what is essentially making money out of people's loss.
Alex tries to reinvent their business model and encourage them to connect with the community so the local people can see the family as the caring folk they are. But with both David and Sheena resistant to change, and two boys who are keener on facebook than funerals, will this undertaking business end up six feet under?
Alex takes on Martinis, a struggling salon in Essex set to close in six months if things do not improve. She is forced to tackle a family at loggerheads, and even draws on the expertise of Britain's most famous entrepreneur, Richard Branson, to help steer things in the right direction.
Setting up this business had always been Asti's dream and she has invested her life savings in it. Now she stands to lose everything. She runs it with her mother and younger sister Dee Dee but the sisters' constant division is crippling the business. What's worse, Alex quickly discovers that the place itself is a mess and when she sends in leading industry experts undercover she also learns the service is nowhere near up to scratch.
She sends them for training with leading talent including Daniel Galvin, Vidal Sasson and even Virgin Atlantic where they get advice from Richard Branson. But Dee Dee proves unreliable at a key event, almost derailing it completely. Will Alex's efforts restore their passion and turn around their fortunes or are this business and family beyond repair?
Pisces fish and chip shop was set up in the 1940s by the parents of the current owner Kipper. But lunchtime trade has fallen off a cliff, and Kipper and wife Julia can't agree on how to move the business forward. Their constant arguments have put a real strain on their relationship. They've drafted in daughter Juki to take over as manager, but neither of them are supporting her and the business is in a total mess. Can Alex get the parents to sort out the infighting and bring the daughter up to speed?
Visits to the youngest Michelin-starred chefs in the country, learning the lessons of trendy pop-up restaurants from the Wahaca restaurant chain, and learning the importance of consistency from Pizza Express aim to help them transform their product and the way they do business. But with all the family pulling in different directions, will they ever be able to agree on a plan for the future?
The show sees third generation hotelier of the internationally-renowned, Forte family dynasty and successful businesswomen, Alex Polizzi, turn her attention to family firms that have reached breaking point. She tackles both their financial failures and domestic dramas and tries to guide them back on to the path to success.
Established 30 years ago, Oak garden centre withered under the battering of last year's freezing winter and the poor financial management of dad David. It was forced into liquidation, leaving David and his wife Lynn distraught and in tears.
Son, Ross, stepped into relaunch the business but with no money to play with he is only keeping it afloat by maxing out his credit card. What's more, David is finding it impossible to let his son take the reins and the father and son's relationship is on the verge of total breakdown. The business can't move forward until their resentments are laid to rest.
Alex takes them to a stunning and successful National Trust property to understand how to turn themselves into a destination and calls in a leading retail expert to transform the site. But the real challenge is whether she can get father and son to work together rather than pulling the family apart. When Ross threatens to walk away from the business, can Alex find a way to give this family firm a future?
