Zeeshaan Shah is a property developer based in London and Dubai. He notably appeared in series 9 of the hit BBC show, The Apprentice. Zeeshaan’s current enterprise is www.oneinvestments.co.uk, a property investment firm based in London. Here, he exclusively reviews the latest episode…

This week’s episode was the big daddy, the grand finale. Alan Sugar had finally cut the wheat from the chaff and it was down to two contestants; the ever-irrepressible (moustache-less) Joseph facing off against the slightly lucky but smart Vana.

This episode’s challenge saw all of the former contestants from this series come back to work together to put each finalist’s business plan in action. There was a lot of scope for drama and laughter as there were still quite a lot of vendettas left over from earlier episodes.

Different teams

I thought that Vana definitely had the stronger team. If I was going into this I would want Richard and Charleine on my side. However, Richard and Garry have worked very well together during this series, especially during the early episodes. I think that Garry’s corporate know-how added some sheen to Joseph’s instinctive selling ability.

About halfway through the episode I started to think that Vana was definitely in trouble. While her idea is fairly exciting and it could prove to be something rather innovative, there were fundamental flaws in her business plan. For it to succeed, it would need a gigantic amount of funding. Joseph’s on the other hand, doesn’t require the same levels of investment and trust.

Joseph really showed his passion and energy for the project and I think that these types of things are what Alan Sugar looks for. You’ve got to be smart, but you also have to care about what you do. I think that a lot of the candidates in this series lacked that drive and that’s what set Joseph and Vana apart from the competition.

Presentation

Whatever people might say, presenting in front of a large audience isn’t easy. You have to be clear and charismatic in a way that doesn’t seem arrogant; it’s a hard skill to master. However, I thought that both Joseph and Vana did really well during their pitches. They explained their business plans simply and effectively and they also tackled all of the obvious questions head on.

It was surprising to see both candidates excel in this environment. However, I was particularly taken aback by Joseph’s statement that “plumbing and heating have been around for hundreds of years and I think that it’s going to move into the future, into the space age of our human race”. Nothing like a bit of hyperbole on the Apprentice!

Boardroom

I wasn’t expecting fireworks during this boardroom meeting. The mood was jovial and it was nice to see the candidates having a discussion without the pressure of being fired. I thought that everyone put their arguments forward properly. However, I still had that feeling that Joseph was going to win it. His business plan doesn’t really have any flaws.

I think that Vana knew this too and it was slowly but surely becoming a foregone conclusion that Joseph was going win. In the end, it was a completely justified decision to hire Joseph. He had shown real determination throughout the series and aside from that awful moustache, hadn’t done anything to upset anyone or cause any controversy. It’s a fantastic opportunity for Joseph and I’m sure that he will grab it with both hands.