How Rachel Lowe survived a Dragons' Den mauling

Despite a humbling experience on national television, entrepreneur Rachel Lowe of RTL Games went on to make a success of her taxi driving-inspired board game.

As a single mother and a law student, you'd think Rachel Lowe wouldn't need the added stress of a job driving cabs. But with the bailiffs knocking, the 22-year-old had little choice. "I never had more money coming in than I had going out. I was in constant debt. It really was an awful time." She eventually dropped out of her course in 2000 and started driving full time. It brought her enough money to keep her head above water, and one day, the idea for a business too a boardgame based on driving a cab.

Stuck at traffic lights in Portsmouth, "I was irritated that I'd been stopped. Then something in my head said Red light miss a turn'. That thought triggered the idea for the game," she says. "I imagined my taxi being a playing piece on a board." A small business loan of £10,000 and a further £3,000 won in two design competitions helped her to do the market research, source production in India, and even find a launch platform in Hamleys. "I thought I'd done OK."

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Jody Clarke

Jody studied at the University of Limerick and was a senior writer for MoneyWeek. Jody is experienced in interviewing, for example digging into the lives of an ex-M15 agent and quirky business owners who have made millions. Jody’s other areas of expertise include advice on funds, stocks and house prices.