Businesswoman Jo Malone is set to mentor eight ordinary people with big retail dreams from across Britain for this brand new BBC One series. Helping her will be businessman Nick Leslau and, over the course of the four-part series, they will also be joined by a selection of industry experts, including Ben di Lisi, Stephen Webster and Loyd Grossman, poised to impart valuable advice from their years of experience.

Jo Malone’s success story is one that can inspire any budding businessperson. Beginning her career as a beauty therapist she mixed bath oils as gifts for her clients at her kitchen table. She went on to open her first store whilst the country was in the depths of recession and her range of luxury fragrances, skin care and lifestyle products became a hit across the UK and around the world.

From a nationwide search, Jo and Nick have chosen eight talented individuals who have a unique and innovative product but require some expert advice to help them try to make the leap to commercial success. Each episode will focus on one of the following categories: Food & Drink; Home & Garden; Children; and Accessories.

The series follows the personal journeys of each contributor, and their friends and families, as they experience the highs and lows of learning what it takes to try to launch a new brand. Ultimately, if Jo and Nick feel they’ve proved they have what it takes to go to the next level they will be given the opportunity to pitch to their product to a high street retailer who will decide whether or not to stock the product on their shelves. It’s up to the budding business hopefuls to convince them to take a chance on a new product during this period of commercial uncertainty.

Jo and Nick both know firsthand how hard it is to succeed in a tough climate, but with creativity, hard work and perhaps a bit of luck, they will strive to help these eight budding entrepreneurs realise their dreams and show the exciting possibilities available to anyone with a great product idea and some genuine talent.

In this first episode, Jo and Nick meet two promising sets of food entrepreneurs who discover that the supermarket is a tough and highly competitive arena where the approach to securing shelf space is ruthless. However they’re convinced that a great product teamed with effective branding, traceability and heritage can catch the eye of the most demanding food buyers.

The Singh family from East London hand produce their own chilli sauce in their garden shed. Identifying a determined family with a wonderful spirit, Jo introduces them to Loyd Grossman and, using their combined experience and expertise, they encourage the Singhs to pull together and simplify their business plan and branding. Can the Singh’s produce a final product that’s good enough to be pitched to a major supermarket retailer with the aim of convincing them to find space on their shelves for yet another table sauce?

Meanwhile, newly-married couple Roland and Miranda Ballard have turned their backs on city life and moved from London to the Worcestershire countryside to live the good life. Jo and Nick want to help this young couple realise their dream of selling premium, locally raised beef in the form of gourmet beef burgers. They enlist the help of William Kendal, the brains behind Green & Blacks chocolate to help. But, unless Roland and Miranda relinquish control of their hands on manufacturing approach and rebrand their message, Jo and Nick won't put them forward to the next stage and the opportunity of presenting their product to the supermarket buyers.

The series will also be broadcast on the BBC HD Channel.